Difference Between Vrbo and Timeshare

Table of Contents

Timeshare rentals have gotten excessively popular in the last decade. For anyone wishing to spend vacations at a place that feels like home, timeshare rentals are the way to go. There are many timeshare marketplaces available that provide such facilities to people such as RedWeek, Vrbo, and VRBOM, etc.

Vrbo vs Timeshare

The main difference between Vrbo and Timeshare is that Vrbo is an online-based timeshare rental marketplace whereas timeshare refers to shared ownership of resorts, villas, homes, etc., in which multiple investors own a place which is divided by a specific period.

Vrbo stands for Vacation Rentals by Owner. Originally as a website, Vrbo was created by David Clouse to put on rent his condo. It was created in 1995 in Aurora, Colorado. Since the idea was innovative, the website in no time was headlined as a source for various owners to list their properties for rental purposes.

Timeshare refers to shared ownership of resorts, villas, homes, etc., in which multiple investors own a place which is divided by a specific period or the ratio of investment. Timesharing is a form of fractional ownership. For example, purchasing one week of timeshare implies that 1 of the 52 weeks in the year is owned of a particular property.

Comparison Table Between Vrbo and Timeshare

Parameters of ComparisonVrboTimeshare
DefinitionIt is a timeshare rental marketplace.It is the shared ownership of properties.
OriginFounded by David Clouse in 1995.Founded in 1974 by CIC.
ManagementDoesn’t provide property management to homeowners.It depends on the marketplace.
Deals and OffersIt has a wide range of deals and offers.It varies with every marketplace.
PreferenceVrbo prefers only families and older people.Everyone is given preference in the marketplaces.

What is Vrbo?

Vrbo stands for Vacation Rentals by Owner. Originally as a website, Vrbo was created by David Clouse to put on rent his condo. It was created in 1995 in Aurora, Colorado. Since the idea was innovative, the website in no time was headlined as a source for various owners to list their properties for rental purposes. Before the advancement of the internet, such rental facilities were only available via offline offices, telephones, and management services, etc.

In 1995, Vrbo was only an independent website but it was acquired in 2006 by HomeAway. In mid-2020, both of them became a single website by the name ‘Vrbo’. Not only houses, but Vrbo also provides beach homes, cabins, and resorts, etc. in about 190 countries through their official website called www.vrbo.com. Furthermore, the owners can also rent their properties on the website. Additionally, Vrbo has a dedicated app for its users to book rental houses from smartphones.

When it comes to safety between the various financial transactions, Vrbo provides an abundance of tools and resources to protect the privacy, and trust of guests and owners who may know each other only professionally. Vrbo has a dedicated staff to provide its users a 24-hours service in about a dozen languages for clear interaction. Furthermore, Vrbo offers its customers five types of cancelation policies according to their listings including Relaxed, Moderate, Firm, Strict, and No Refund.

What is Timeshare?

Timeshare refers to shared ownership of resorts, villas, homes, etc., in which multiple investors own a place which is divided by a specific period or the ratio of investment. Timesharing is a form of fractional ownership. For example, purchasing one week of timeshare implies that 1 of the 52 weeks in the year is owned of a particular property.

There are two types of timeshares including Shared Deeded Ownership and Shared Leased Ownership Interest. In Shared Deeded Ownership, the ownership is concerning the number of weeks in the following year. On the other hand, in Shared Leased Ownership Interest, the ownership is concerning a contract for fixed weeks each year for a certain number of years.

Timeshares are highly suitable for people who prefer vacationing in a similar place and home once in a year but without the trouble of looking for preferred accommodations. On the other hand, it has some disadvantages as well. The ongoing costs can be significantly high which include annual maintenance, substantial upfront payment, etc.

There are many online and offline timeshare rental marketplaces where people can prebook for vacations and also list their properties for rent. Some of these marketplaces include Vrbo, and RedWeek, etc.

Main Differences Between Vrbo and Timeshare

  • Vrbo is a term dependent on the timeshare, whereas timeshare is an independent term.
  • Vrbo is a type of timeshare rental whereas timeshare refers to the shared ownership of properties.
  • Vrbo gives more preference to families and older people whereas timeshare prefers everyone as there are many marketplaces available.
  • Vrbo has a wide range of deals and offers whereas timeshare’s deals vary with every marketplace.
  • Vrbo doesn’t provide property management to its customers whereas, in timeshare, it simply depends on the type of marketplace and its policies.
  • Conclusion

    Timesharing renting over the years has become noticeably famous since the introduction of rental places online such as Vrbo, RedWeek, Airbnb, Evolve, etc., that provides easy to access services at home. The competition is aggressive and hence, the deals and offers provided by rental places are excellent.

    When we talk about Vrbo, it is one of the most famous marketplaces as the properties are certified and genuine. Furthermore, the deals and offers also attract customers. The privacy and security that is also provided during financial transactions, and thus, a digital record is maintained.

    Nevertheless, it has a few disadvantages. Vrbo doesn’t provide management, which means that the visitors themselves are responsible for the maintenance of the property during their stay. On the contrary, such maintenance facilities are provided by many other marketplaces. Additionally, Vrbo gives preference to families and old people only. As a result, some people have to look towards the other marketplaces.

    On the other hand, timeshare is an independent term. All the timeshare rental marketplaces collectively are themselves the sources of timeshare facilities. Ever since its introduction, timesharing has been an extremely successful idea and has been the foundation of many rental businesses.

    References

  • https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=pe6kapE_t7kC&oi=fnd&pg=PR1&dq=timeshare&ots=NkMA5RcYiG&sig=NSdHXQvZUTmfyufvrVU_BK_-4GI
  • https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13683500.2019.1711027
  • ncG1vNJzZmiZo6Cur8XDop2fnaKau6SxjZympmeUnrOnsdGepZydXZeytcPEnqVmrqKXvG6tzZ1kraGdmsCprdGeZLChpJ16ta3BpZxo