Your new maintenance fee bill is here.
And the number went up again.
Nothing at the resort looks different. Same pool. Same lobby. Same week you can never book.
So why does it cost more every year?
Here’s where the money goes, and why the increases almost never stop.
What your maintenance fee pays for
Your fee covers the cost of running the resort for one year. That cost gets split across every owner.
Most fees cover:
- Daily operations, like housekeeping, front desk, landscaping, and utilities
- Property taxes and insurance
- A management fee paid to the company running the resort
- A reserve fund for big repairs down the road
When any of these go up, your share goes up.
Five reasons your fees keep climbing
- Insurance costs more.
Many resorts sit near beaches and in storm zones. Insurers have raised premiums sharply in those areas in recent years. Owners cover the difference.
- Labor and supplies cost more.
Wages, cleaning supplies, linens, and repairs all rise over time. The resort passes those costs along to you.
- The management company gets paid either way.
Many resorts pay the management company a percentage of the total budget. A bigger budget can mean a bigger check for them. You won’t see this explained on your bill.
- Owners who stop paying shift the cost to you.
When an owner walks away, their share of the budget doesn’t vanish. It gets spread across everyone still paying. The more owners who leave, the more each remaining owner pays.
- Aging buildings need more work.
A resort built 20 or 30 years ago needs new roofs, elevators, and plumbing. The reserve fund often falls short. That’s when a special assessment shows up on top of your regular fee.
Does your contract cap increases?
Most don’t.
Read your contract and the resort’s bylaws. Look for words like “annual assessment” or “budget.”
Some contracts cap how much fees can rise each year. Many give the board or management company the power to raise fees as needed, without your vote.
While you’re there, look for a perpetuity clause. It means your obligation has no end date. It can even pass to your heirs.
What a 5% yearly increase adds up to
Here’s an example. Say your fee is $1,200 this year, and it rises 5% a year.
| Year | Yearly fee |
| This year | $1,200 |
| Year 5 | $1,459 |
| Year 10 | $1,862 |
| Year 20 | $3,032 |
Over 20 years, you’d pay about $39,700 in fees alone.
And you’d still own the timeshare.
What you can do
If you love your timeshare and use it every year, the increases may be worth it.
If you don’t, you have options.
Before your next payment, do three things:
- Pull out your contract and look for a cap or a perpetuity clause.
- Compare this year’s bill to last year’s, line by line.
- Ask the resort for its annual budget.
Then decide whether you want to keep paying for the next 20 years.
Our complimentary Timeshare Resolution Guide explains the legal ways out and how to protect your credit along the way.
