Is there a way to get out of a timeshare?

Last updated 2026-07-26

is there actually a way to get out of a timeshare?

Yes. There are several real ways out, and which one fits you depends almost entirely on timing and what you owe. If you just signed the contract, your state's rescission law is your best and cheapest option. Every state has one, though the deadline ranges from about 3 days to 15 days depending on where you bought ^[1]. Cancel in writing inside that window and you get your money back, full stop, no negotiation needed. If that window closed years ago, your realistic options are a developer deed-back or surrender program (if the resort offers one), a resale at a steep discount or even $0, donating the deed to a charity willing to take it, or hiring a licensed attorney to review your contract for violations that might support a legal exit. What almost never works: paying a stranger on the phone $3,000 to $6,000 upfront because they promise they can make the whole thing vanish. The Federal Trade Commission has sued companies over exactly that promise ^[2]. There's no single button that gets everyone out. The honest answer is that you have to figure out which lane you're in first: still inside rescission, current on fees but done with ownership, or behind on payments and worried about collections.

how do you get out of a timeshare during the rescission period?

You cancel in writing, following your contract's instructions exactly, before the deadline your state sets. This is the fastest and cleanest exit that exists, and it costs you nothing. Every state that allows timeshare sales gives buyers a right to cancel without penalty for a short window after signing. Florida's statute, for example, gives buyers 10 calendar days after signing or after receiving the last document required by law, whichever is later, to cancel by written notice ^[1]. California's window is 7 calendar days ^[3]. Other states set their own number, some as short as 3 days, some longer. You need to confirm your specific state's rescission window before you assume you have time. Do it right. Send your cancellation letter by a method that gives you proof of delivery (certified mail with return receipt, or whatever method your contract specifies), keep a copy of everything, and reference the contract number and closing date. Don't just call the sales office. Verbal cancellation is legally meaningless if the developer denies you ever called. What happens to your deposit? Most state statutes require a full refund within a set number of days after the developer receives your valid cancellation, though the developer may be allowed to deduct nothing, or in some states a small processing fee, so read your specific state law. If a resort refuses to honor a timely, properly delivered rescission, that's a straight path to a complaint with your state attorney general's consumer protection division.

how to sell a timeshare (and what it's actually worth)

You sell it the same way you'd sell any oversupplied asset: cheap, patiently, and through a licensed real estate agent or a legitimate marketplace, never through a company that charges you thousands upfront to "list" it. The brutal truth about timeshare resale value: most units sell for a tiny fraction of what the original buyer paid, and a large share sell for $1 or less just to get out from under the maintenance fees. This isn't a scam data point, it's just supply and demand. Timeshares aren't scarce, the secondary market is flooded, and developers keep selling new inventory anyway. Legitimate resale channels include licensed timeshare resale brokers (check they're licensed real estate agents in the state where the property sits), owner-to-owner marketplaces where you post the unit yourself, and occasionally the resort's own resale program. Avoid any resale company that asks for money before it finds a buyer. The FTC has warned repeatedly that legitimate resellers get paid after the sale closes, not before ^[2]. If you decide to sell, price it based on recent completed sales for your exact resort and week, not what you paid. Search the resort name plus "resale" on a marketplace and look at what's actually closing, not what's listed (listings sit for years; ask what sold).

how to get rid of a timeshare when nobody wants to buy it

If it won't sell (and most won't), your remaining options are a deed-back to the developer, donation, or a formal legal exit. Each has real tradeoffs. Deed-back or surrender programs let you hand the deed back to the developer, sometimes for free, sometimes for a processing fee in the hundreds of dollars. Not every resort offers one, and most require your maintenance fees to be current and the mortgage (if any) paid off first. Marriott Vacation Club, for example, runs an internal program for some owners; check directly with your specific resort or management company since terms vary by brand and property. Donation sounds appealing but is genuinely hard: most charities won't accept timeshare deeds because they inherit the maintenance fee obligation the moment they take title. If you find a charity willing to take it, get everything in writing and confirm the deed transfer actually records with the county, or you're still the owner of record and still liable. A licensed attorney can review your original purchase documents for misrepresentation, missing disclosures, or contract violations that might support rescission even outside the standard window, or support a negotiated release from the developer. This costs real money in legal fees, but it's a legitimate, traceable process, unlike a flat-fee "exit company" that won't tell you what it's actually doing on your file. See our breakdown of timeshare exit companies for how to tell a legitimate law firm from a marketing shell.

are timeshares scams?

The ownership product itself is usually legal; the sales pressure and resale value are where most of the real damage happens. Calling every timeshare a "scam" oversimplifies it, but the industry has a well-documented pattern of aggressive high-pressure sales tactics and a separate, well-documented pattern of exit scams targeting owners who want out. The original purchase: timeshare presentations are notorious for hours-long high-pressure pitches, and state attorneys general have taken action against specific developers and marketers for deceptive sales practices over the years. That's a sales-practices problem, not necessarily fraud in every case, and it varies by company. The exit industry is where actual fraud is common. The FTC has brought enforcement actions against companies that took large upfront fees, made promises about outcomes they couldn't deliver, and then left owners with nothing, sometimes worse off with damaged credit after being told (wrongly) to stop paying fees ^[2]. In June 2021 the FTC and the state of Missouri sued a group of timeshare exit companies operating as Timeshare Exit Team and related entities, alleging they collected over $9 million from consumers for services they mostly failed to provide ^[2]. So: the timeshare itself is a real, if often overpriced, product. The exit scam layered on top of it is the part most likely to actually steal your money. Treat any company that promises an ironclad outcome and wants payment upfront as a red flag, not a solution.

how much does a timeshare cost (purchase price and fees)?

Upfront purchase price (new, developer-sold)	$15,000 to $25,000+ [4]
Resale market price (same unit, secondary market)	$0 to $3,000 (many sell for $1)
Average annual maintenance fee (2023)	$1,240 [4]
Special assessments (occasional, for repairs/renovation)	$500 to $5,000+, no fixed schedule
Exit scam upfront fee (avoid)	$3,000 to $6,000+ upfront, no promised outcome	Maintenance fees aren't optional and they aren't capped by contract in most cases; the homeowners' association or management company can raise them as costs rise, and can levy a special assessment on top for a major repair, storm damage, or renovation. This is the single biggest reason owners want out: they didn't budget for a fee that's now higher than a mortgage payment on a property they use one week a year. If rising fees are your main problem rather than buyer's remorse, our [maintenance fees hub] covers what you can and can't negotiate directly with the HOA.

New timeshare purchases typically run from about $15,000 to $25,000 or more depending on brand, unit size, and season, and that's before annual maintenance fees, which averaged $1,240 per interval in 2023 according to the American Resort Development Association's owner survey ^[4]. That fee climbs almost every year and often outpaces general inflation. Here's a rough picture of what ownership actually costs over time: | Cost component | Typical range |

how much are timeshares really worth if you try to resell them?

Almost always far less than the purchase price, often close to zero. This surprises new owners the most, and it's the core reason "just sell it" is harder advice to follow than it sounds. The resale gap exists because developers keep building and selling new inventory every year, so the secondary market is permanently oversupplied relative to demand. A unit that sold for $20,000 from the developer might list for $500 to $2,000 on a resale site, or literally $1 with the buyer agreeing to take over future maintenance fees. Some owners pay a licensed transfer company a modest closing fee just to get someone, anyone, to take the deed and the fee obligation off their hands. This is also exactly why upfront-fee exit companies can charge so much: they're selling owners on the idea that getting out is hard and requires expensive expertise, when a lot of the actual paperwork (a deed transfer, a closing, recording with the county) is comparable to any other real estate closing done by a title company or real estate attorney.

what should you actually do if you're still inside your rescission window?

Cancel today, in writing, and don't wait to see if you change your mind. Rescission windows are short and unforgiving; missing it by even a day generally means you lose the automatic right to a full refund. Step by step: reread your contract for the specific cancellation instructions (some require a specific address or form), confirm your state's rescission window (ranges roughly 3 to 15 days depending on the state) ^[1], write a short cancellation letter referencing your contract number and closing date, and send it by a trackable method the same day you decide to cancel. Keep copies of everything, including the mailing receipt. If the resort delays your refund past what state law requires, or disputes that you cancelled on time despite your proof of delivery, file a complaint with your state attorney general's consumer protection office and with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Both accept timeshare complaints, and Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services specifically handles timeshare-related consumer complaints given the state's large concentration of resorts ^[5].

what if you're past the rescission window and still paying?

You keep paying what you owe while you work the exit, and you never let a company talk you into stopping payments as a strategy. That single piece of advice, ignored, is what turns a manageable timeshare problem into a credit disaster. Some exit companies tell owners to stop paying maintenance fees or loan payments because "the resort will foreclose and that's actually good for you." Foreclosure on a timeshare can still show up on your credit report and, in some states, the developer can pursue you for a deficiency balance afterward. Don't do this on a stranger's say-so. Instead: call the resort or management company directly and ask if they have a deed-back, surrender, or hardship program (write down who you spoke with and when). Get a written price quote from a licensed real estate agent for resale value in your specific resort. If you want a structured way to organize the paperwork, contract review, and outreach yourself rather than pay a company thousands to do it for you, that's the gap our $149 Timeshare Exit Kit is built for: it's a one-time toolkit, not a done-for-you service, and it won't contact the resort for you or promise an outcome. Check the exit-kit-builder to see what's included before you decide.

how do you tell a legitimate exit option from a scam?

A legitimate option never promises a specific result, never demands a large payment upfront, and is happy to have its claims checked against your state bar or attorney general's office. A scam does the opposite of all three. Watch for these specific red flags, drawn from FTC enforcement history ^{[2] [2]}: a company that claims it can get any owner out of any timeshare, no exceptions; a demand for a large fee (often $3,000 to $6,000+) before any work is done; pressure to stop paying your maintenance fees or mortgage; refusal to name the attorney or firm actually handling your file; and claims that a "litigation" or "class action" process will erase your ownership with no cost to you beyond the enrollment fee. Before paying anyone, check the company's name plus "complaints" against your state attorney general's consumer alert pages and the Better Business Bureau, and ask for a written contract that spells out exactly what happens if they don't succeed. A legitimate attorney bills for hours worked or a clearly defined flat fee for specific services, win or lose; they don't promise outcomes on a contract they haven't read yet. Our timeshare exit companies guide walks through vetting questions to ask before you sign anything, and our timeshare call list has the actual phone numbers and offices worth contacting first.

what about inherited timeshares, can heirs get out?

Yes, but heirs have to affirmatively act, either by disclaiming the inheritance before accepting any benefit of it, or by pursuing the same deed-back, resale, or legal-exit paths as any other owner once they've inherited it. A formal disclaimer, filed within the timeframe and format your state's probate law requires, can let an heir refuse an inherited timeshare interest as if they never received it, passing the interest to the next heir in line or back to the estate. This has to happen before you accept any benefit from the property (using a week, for instance, can undercut a disclaimer). Consult a probate attorney in the state where the estate is being administered, since disclaimer rules and deadlines vary by state. If the timeshare has already passed to you and disclaiming isn't available anymore, you're in the same position as anyone with unwanted ownership: check for a deed-back program, get a resale valuation, and keep maintenance fees current while you sort it out so the estate or you personally don't end up in collections over a property nobody wants.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a way to get out of a timeshare after the rescission period ends?

Yes, though it's harder and rarely free. Options include a developer deed-back or surrender program, reselling on the secondary market (often for $1 to a few thousand dollars), donating the deed if a charity will accept it, or hiring a licensed attorney to review your contract for a legal exit path. Be wary of any company that promises a specific outcome for a big fee upfront.

How to get out of a timeshare without paying a fee?

The only truly free exit is rescission during your state's cancellation window, generally 3 to 15 days after signing depending on the state. After that, some developer deed-back programs are free if your account is current, but most other paths (resale closing costs, attorney fees) involve some cost.

How do you get out of a timeshare contract you just signed?

Cancel in writing immediately, following your contract's instructions, before your state's rescission deadline passes. Send the letter by a trackable method, keep proof of delivery, and reference your contract number. This is a statutory right in every state and requires no negotiation if done correctly and on time.

How to sell a timeshare fast?

List it through a licensed resale broker or an owner marketplace at a price based on recent completed sales for your exact resort, not what you paid. Many timeshares sell for very little or even $1 because the market is oversupplied. Never pay a company upfront just to list it; legitimate resellers get paid at closing.

How to get rid of a timeshare if it won't sell?

Ask the resort directly about a deed-back or surrender program. If unavailable, look for a charity willing to accept the deed (rare, since they inherit the fees), or consult a licensed attorney about a legal exit. Keep maintenance fees current while you pursue any of these to avoid collections or foreclosure issues.

Are timeshares scams?

The ownership product is usually legal but often overpriced and hard to resell, so it's not a scam in the legal sense. The bigger fraud risk sits in the exit industry: the FTC sued a group of timeshare exit companies in June 2021 alleging over $9 million collected from consumers for services mostly not provided.

How much is a timeshare?

New developer-sold timeshares typically cost $15,000 to $25,000 or more upfront, plus annual maintenance fees averaging $1,240 in 2023 per the American Resort Development Association's owner survey. Resale prices are usually a small fraction of the original cost, sometimes $1, because the secondary market is oversupplied.

How much do timeshares cost in maintenance fees each year?

The average annual maintenance fee was $1,240 in 2023 according to ARDA's owner survey, and fees typically rise most years. Owners can also face special assessments of $500 to $5,000 or more for major repairs or renovations, on top of the regular annual fee.

Can you just stop paying your timeshare and walk away?

You can, but it's risky. Stopping payment can trigger foreclosure, which may appear on your credit report, and in some states the developer can pursue you for a deficiency balance afterward. Talk to the resort about a deed-back or hardship option and consult a licensed attorney before deciding to stop paying.

How do I know if a timeshare exit company is a scam?

Red flags include a promise that any owner can get out no matter what, a large upfront fee (often $3,000 to $6,000+), pressure to stop paying your fees, and refusal to name the attorney handling your case. Check the company against your state attorney general's consumer alerts and the FTC's enforcement history before paying anything.

Can heirs get out of an inherited timeshare?

Yes, often through a formal legal disclaimer filed before accepting any benefit of the inheritance, which passes the interest to the next heir or the estate. If the timeshare has already transferred, heirs have the same options as any owner: deed-back programs, resale, or a legal exit reviewed by an attorney.

Do timeshare companies have to let you cancel?

Yes, within the rescission window set by state law, which typically ranges from about 3 to 15 days depending on the state. Outside that window, developers aren't legally required to let you cancel or take back the deed unless their own program allows it or your contract has a specific cancellation clause.

What government agency handles timeshare complaints?

Start with your state attorney general's consumer protection division and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Florida owners can also file with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which handles timeshare-related complaints given the state's concentration of resorts.

Sources

1. Florida Statutes, Chapter 721.10, Cancellation: Rescission windows vary by state, ranging from about 3 to 15 days
2. Federal Trade Commission, FTC and State of Missouri Take Action Against Timeshare Exit Team and Others: FTC guidance on timeshare resale scams and exit company red flags
3. California Business and Professions Code Section 11238: California gives buyers a rescission period after signing a timeshare contract
4. American Resort Development Association, 2023 State of the Vacation Ownership Industry (press release via PR Newswire): Average annual maintenance fee was $1,240 in 2023
5. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, File a Complaint: Florida's consumer agency accepts timeshare-related consumer complaints