Last updated 2026-07-24
TL;DR
You get out of a timeshare by acting fast within your state's rescission window (usually 3 to 15 days), or later through a developer deed-back or exit program, resale at a steep discount, or a licensed attorney. Never pay large upfront fees to a company promising a risk-free exit; the FTC and state AGs both warn this is the most common timeshare scam.
How do you get out of a timeshare?
There are really only four legitimate paths out: rescind during your state's cancellation window if you just bought, hand it back to the resort through a deed-back or surrender program, sell or give it away for little or no money, or hire a real estate attorney to negotiate an exit or defend against foreclosure. There is no fifth secret path, no matter what a cold-caller tells you. Which path fits depends almost entirely on timing. If you signed the paperwork last week, rescission is your best and cheapest option, full stop. If you've owned for years and just want off the maintenance fee treadmill, you're looking at deed-back, resale, or in some cases simply stopping renewal and letting the resort take it back through foreclosure (which has real credit consequences, so weigh that carefully). The Federal Trade Commission's consumer guidance on timeshares puts it plainly: "If you want to get out of a timeshare contract, contact the timeshare developer or the homeowners' association first to ask about a deed-back program". That's the first call to make, not a third-party exit company you found through a Facebook ad. For a state-specific breakdown of your options, see how to get out of a timeshare and how do you get out of a timeshare.
How to get out of a timeshare during the rescission period
Every state that regulates timeshares gives buyers a short window, often called a "cooling off" or rescission period, to cancel the contract for any reason and get a full refund. This is by far the easiest, fastest, and cheapest way out. It costs nothing but a certified letter and some paperwork. The catch is the clock is short and it starts the moment you sign, not when you get home and think it over. Windows commonly run from 3 to 15 calendar days depending on the state, but the exact number, what counts as a business day versus calendar day, and how you must deliver notice (certified mail, hand delivery, sometimes email if the contract allows it) all vary by statute. Confirm your state's rescission window before you do anything else; don't rely on what the salesperson told you verbally, and don't rely on a number you saw on a blog (including this one) without checking your actual contract and your state's timeshare act. Florida, for example, gives buyers 10 calendar days under its timeshare statute. California's is also short and governed by its own vacation ownership law. Some states count from the day of signing, others from the day you receive the last required disclosure document, which can push the effective deadline later. Read your contract's rescission clause word for word; it's required to be in there, usually in bold, near the signature page. To rescind properly: put your cancellation in writing, reference the contract number, send it by a method that creates a delivery record (certified mail with return receipt is the standard, boring, effective choice), and keep a copy of everything. Do this even if the salesperson said you could just call. Verbal cancellations are hard to prove later if the resort disputes it. More detail on doing this correctly is in timeshare cancellation.
How to get rid of a timeshare after the rescission window has closed
Once rescission has passed, you own it, and getting rid of it takes more work and usually more time. The realistic options, roughly in order of cost to you: deed-back or surrender programs, resale (often for $1 or less), donation, or hiring an attorney for a negotiated exit. Many major developers now run their own deed-back or "exit" programs precisely because secondary resale values are so low that owners have nowhere else to go. Wyndham, Marriott Vacation Club, Hilton Grand Vacations, and Diamond Resorts (now part of Hilton) have all operated some version of a program that lets owners transfer the deed back to the company, sometimes for a small fee, sometimes free, occasionally for a real dollar payment if the property has demand. Availability and terms change, and not every resort or every year of ownership qualifies, so you have to ask directly and in writing. If the developer won't take it back, resale is next. Be realistic: timeshare resale values are famously low. A 2023 industry report from the American Resort Development Association estimated that the average price paid for a timeshare interval was around $24,140, but resale listings for the same or similar weeks routinely sell for a few hundred dollars to nothing at all [1]. That gap is the single biggest thing owners misunderstand going in. Donation is a real option for some owners, particularly deeded weeks with low or no outstanding fees, though the resort's board sometimes has to approve the transfer and you may still owe a transfer fee. Some nonprofits and timeshare-specific donation programs exist, but do your own research on their legitimacy before signing anything or paying a fee. See timeshare exit companies for how to evaluate a paid exit service if you decide you need one, and how to get out of timeshare for a broader walk-through.
How to sell a timeshare (and what it's actually worth)
Selling a timeshare is legal and sometimes possible, but you should expect to net close to nothing, and in many cases you'll need to pay closing costs or a transfer fee just to get rid of it. The resale market is flooded; supply from owners desperate to exit vastly outstrips demand from buyers. Practical steps: get a written estimate of your resort's current resale value (licensed timeshare resale brokers and sites specializing in secondary sales can give you a range), list honestly, and expect the process to take months, not days. Never pay a large upfront "listing fee" to a company that claims to have a waiting buyer already lined up; this is one of the oldest scams in the industry, flagged repeatedly by state attorneys general. Some owners transfer ownership for $1 through a licensed closing company just to stop paying fees, essentially giving it away. That's often the rational move once you accept that recovering your original purchase price isn't realistic for the vast majority of timeshare intervals. If a buyer approaches you first (rare, but it happens with popular weeks at desirable resorts), use a licensed title or closing company to handle the transfer so the deed and fee obligations move cleanly, and confirm with the HOA that the new owner is accepted and you're released from future assessments in writing.
Are timeshares scams?
The timeshare product itself is legal and regulated; it's not inherently a scam, though the sales process is aggressive and the resale math is brutal. The real scam risk lives downstream, in the exit industry that has grown up around owners desperate to get out. The FTC has brought and settled multiple enforcement actions against timeshare exit and relief companies that charged large upfront fees, sometimes thousands of dollars, and delivered little or nothing in return. In one case, the FTC and the state of Missouri obtained a settlement against a company accused of taking more than $30 million from consumers through deceptive timeshare exit claims. State attorneys general in Florida, Tennessee, Missouri, and elsewhere have pursued similar actions against exit companies and against some original sales practices. So the honest answer is nuanced: the timeshare contract you signed is a real, enforceable legal product, not a scam in the legal sense, but the sales pressure that got you there and a good chunk of the exit industry that promises to get you out are where the actual fraud concentrates. Treat any company that promises a no-fail exit, demands a large fee before doing any work, or tells you to stop paying your maintenance fees or mortgage as a major red flag. The FTC's own guidance warns consumers to "be wary of companies that ask for money upfront to get you out of your timeshare". That's about as close to a universal rule as this industry has.
How much is a timeshare? How much do timeshares cost?
| Purchase price (average, ARDA 2023) | ~$24,140 [1] | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual maintenance fee (average, ARDA 2023) | ~$1,205 [1] | |
| Typical annual fee increase | a few percent per year, resort-dependent | |
| Special assessment | can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, one-time | |
| Resale value | often a few hundred dollars or less; many sell for $1 | This is the math that drives most exit decisions. Owners aren't usually leaving because they hate the vacations; they're leaving because the fees compound faster than their budget or their patience, especially in retirement or after an inherited ownership shows up with fees attached that the heir never agreed to. |
Timeshares cost more upfront and more over time than most buyers expect walking out of the sales presentation. According to ARDA's 2023 State of the Vacation Ownership Industry report, the average purchase price for a timeshare interval was about $24,140, and the average annual maintenance fee was around $1,205 [1]. Those numbers are averages across many different products; a studio-week at a modest resort costs much less, and a large fixed-week unit at a luxury brand can run well over $40,000. Maintenance fees also aren't fixed for life. They typically rise a few percent a year, and special assessments (one-time charges for a roof replacement, storm damage, or renovation) can add thousands more in a single year with little notice. | Cost item | Typical range |
What if I inherited a timeshare I never wanted?
Inheriting a timeshare means inheriting its maintenance fee obligation, and you are not automatically stuck with it, but you do need to act deliberately rather than ignore the mail. Timeshare debt does not disappear just because you didn't ask for the property. If you're an heir and haven't taken any action to accept the property (haven't used it, haven't paid fees, haven't taken title), you generally have the option to disclaim the inheritance through the probate process, which passes it to the next heir in line or back to the estate. Once you disclaim it, you owe nothing going forward, but you must do this correctly and within your state's probate timeline; talk to the estate's attorney, not a timeshare exit company, about how to disclaim. If you've already accepted the deed or started paying fees, you're in the same position as any other owner: rescission won't apply since you weren't the original signer, so your paths back to deed-back, resale, or attorney-negotiated exit.
Should I hire a timeshare exit company?
Sometimes, but be skeptical by default and vet hard before paying anyone. A legitimate exit path usually involves a licensed attorney, a documented deed-back with the resort, or a resale transaction through a licensed closing company, not a company that cold-called you or advertises a "100% success rate." Red flags worth walking away from immediately: demands for full payment upfront before any work is done, pressure to stop paying your maintenance fees or loan while the company "works on it" (this wrecks your credit and can trigger foreclosure, and no legitimate company advises it), refusal to put fee structure and timeline in writing, and claims that a class action or government program will erase your contract. None of that is how timeshare law actually works. What a reasonable, above-board service looks like: fees tied to milestones or held in trust/escrow until the exit is confirmed, a written explanation of exactly which method they'll use (deed-back negotiation, resale, or legal action), and a license to practice law in your state if attorneys are involved. Ask for that license number and check it with your state bar. If you want a structured way to organize your own documents, deadlines, and outreach before paying anyone a large fee, the $149 one-time Timeshare Exit Kit at /exit-kit-builder is built for exactly that: a DIY starting point, not a promise of a specific outcome, because nobody honest can promise that. For comparing named exit companies against each other, see timeshare exit companies, and for a running list of numbers and resources worth calling before you pay anyone, see timeshare call list.
What happens if I just stop paying maintenance fees?
Stopping payment is not a strategy we can responsibly recommend, and this article won't tell you to do it. What actually happens if fees go unpaid varies by resort and state, but typically includes late fees and interest first, then referral to collections, then in many cases the resort initiates foreclosure on the timeshare interest itself (similar to a mortgage foreclosure, since the timeshare is real property in most deeded ownership structures). A timeshare foreclosure can appear on your credit report and can, depending on the state and contract, leave you liable for a deficiency judgment (the gap between what you owed and what the resort recovers reselling the interest). This is a real financial and credit risk, more than an inconvenience, and you should talk to a real estate attorney or a HUD-approved housing counselor before deciding your ownership isn't worth the fees anymore. If you're behind or considering falling behind, that's exactly the moment to call the resort directly and ask about deed-back or hardship programs, since many resorts would rather take a property back cleanly than go through foreclosure. The FTC's guidance to contact the developer first applies here too.
How do I know if my timeshare contract is even still valid or affects my legal path?
Whether you have a deeded interest (real property, tied to a specific unit-week, recorded like a deed) or a right-to-use interest (a contract granting use for a set number of years, not real property) changes your exit options and your risk if you stop paying. Deeded interests generally go through foreclosure like real property if unpaid; right-to-use contracts are more like a lease and default consequences depend entirely on your specific contract language. Pull your original purchase documents and figure out which type you have; this single fact changes which section of state law applies to you and whether an attorney would frame your situation as a real estate matter or a contract matter. If you can't find your paperwork, the resort's owner services department can usually tell you, or you can check with your county recorder's office (deeded interests are recorded there, so they'll have a copy).
What's the realistic timeline and cost for each exit method?
Rescission is the fastest and cheapest by a wide margin: days, and free beyond mailing costs, if you're still inside the window. Deed-back programs typically take weeks to a few months and may involve a modest transfer or administrative fee, sometimes nothing at all. Resale can take months to years and usually nets little to no money, sometimes a net cost to you in closing fees. Attorney-negotiated exits vary widely, from a few months to over a year, and legal fees for a real estate or contract attorney typically run in the low thousands depending on your state and complexity, though get a specific quote rather than trusting a round number from any website, including this one. Upfront-fee exit companies often promise the fastest timeline of all ("done in 12 to 18 months") while being the riskiest option financially; that mismatch between promise and delivery is exactly what state AGs and the FTC have repeatedly sued over.
Frequently asked questions
How to get out of a timeshare fast?
The only genuinely fast, low-cost exit is rescission, canceling within your state's cooling-off period after signing. Confirm your exact window and delivery method in your contract and your state's timeshare statute, then send written cancellation by certified mail immediately. Once that window closes, there's no fast legal exit; deed-back, resale, and attorney negotiation all take weeks to months minimum.
How do you get out of a timeshare if you're past the rescission period?
Contact the resort or developer directly and ask about a deed-back or surrender program first, since the FTC recommends this as the first step. If that's unavailable, consider resale (often for very little money), donation, or hiring a licensed real estate attorney. Avoid any company demanding a large upfront fee for a promised exit.
How to sell a timeshare for actual money?
It's possible but uncommon. List through a licensed timeshare resale broker at a realistic price based on recent comparable sales, not what you originally paid. ARDA data puts average original purchase prices around $24,140, but resale values are typically a small fraction of that, and many owners end up transferring for $1 or paying a small fee just to exit.
How to get rid of a timeshare with no resale value?
Ask the developer about a deed-back or surrender program first. If they decline, look into donation programs, or transfer the deed to a willing party for $1 through a licensed closing company. In some cases, letting a resort take the interest back through voluntary surrender is cleaner than foreclosure, but confirm the fee and credit impact in writing before agreeing.
Are timeshares scams?
The contract itself is a legal, regulated product, not a scam, but sales tactics are notoriously aggressive and resale value is almost always far below purchase price. The bigger scam risk sits in the exit industry: the FTC and multiple state attorneys general have sued exit companies for charging large upfront fees and failing to deliver promised cancellations.
How much is a timeshare?
ARDA's 2023 industry report puts the average timeshare purchase price around $24,140, with an average annual maintenance fee near $1,205. Actual prices range from a few thousand dollars for a small studio-week to well over $40,000 for larger units at luxury resorts, and fees typically rise a few percent yearly.
How much do timeshares cost per year after purchase?
Beyond the purchase price, expect an annual maintenance fee (averaging around $1,205 per ARDA's 2023 data), which usually increases a few percent each year, plus occasional special assessments for repairs or renovations that can add hundreds to thousands of dollars in a single year without much warning.
Can I cancel a timeshare after the rescission period ends?
Not through simple cancellation, no. Once rescission closes, the contract is binding, and your remaining paths are a developer deed-back program, resale, donation, or a negotiated exit through a real estate attorney. None of these are instant or free, so confirm terms in writing before paying anyone.
What happens if I stop paying my timeshare maintenance fees?
Expect late fees, interest, and eventual referral to collections, followed in many cases by foreclosure on the timeshare interest, which can hurt your credit and, depending on your state, leave you owing a deficiency judgment. Contact the resort about hardship or deed-back options before falling behind, and talk to an attorney if you're already behind.
How do I know if a timeshare exit company is legitimate?
Legitimate services explain their exact method in writing, tie fees to milestones or hold them in escrow rather than demanding full payment upfront, and involve licensed attorneys if legal action is part of the plan. Walk away from any company promising a 100% success rate, pressuring you to stop paying fees, or refusing to put terms in writing.
Can I get out of a timeshare inherited from a parent?
If you haven't accepted the property or paid any fees, you may be able to disclaim the inheritance through probate, which passes it to the next heir and releases you from the fee obligation; talk to the estate's attorney about your state's disclaimer timeline. If you've already accepted it, you're treated as a regular owner facing the same deed-back, resale, or legal exit options.
Is it worth hiring an attorney to get out of a timeshare?
Often yes, especially for complicated deeded ownership, disputed fees, or situations already headed toward foreclosure. Real estate attorney fees for a timeshare exit typically run in the low thousands depending on your state and case complexity; get a specific written quote rather than trusting a generic number, and confirm the attorney is licensed in your state.
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission, Press Release on Timeshare Exit Company Enforcement: FTC and state of Missouri settlement against a timeshare exit company accused of taking over $30 million from consumers
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Explanation of what a timeshare is and how it differs from other real estate purchases
- Internal Revenue Service, Publication 936: Rules on mortgage interest deductions that may apply to financed timeshare purchases
- U.S. Department of Justice: Enforcement actions against fraudulent timeshare exit companies
- Better Business Bureau: Warnings and complaint data regarding timeshare exit and resale companies
- U.S. Congress: Legislative efforts related to timeshare consumer protections
- Nolo: State-by-state overview of timeshare rescission periods and cancellation rights