Renting DVC Privately?

Hello, liners:) I’m wondering if any of you have ever rented DVC privately before. I found someone on MouseOwners and have been in contact back and forth for the last few days. I have done all of the safeguards (checking the Orange County site, googling, asking questions, getting references) and everything the owner has told me has checked out. Asking $13 per point and we need a 2 bedroom for 10 nights, so that is saving us almost 1K over David’s. I am such a control freak and nervous about this. I will not be making any payments until I have the reservation plugged into my MDE, but my biggest fear would be that once payment is received, the reservation would ‘disappear’. Does anyone have any tips (especially payment-wise) that would help protect me during this process? She seems very legit and has a contract that we will both sign. She actually lives only about an hour from me, so there’s that too. Opinions wanted, please:)

We have rented privately with no problems - sounds like you have gone through the usual safeguards, but doublecheck against the recommendations from MouseSavers https://www.mousesavers.com/other-disney-vacations/disney-vacation-club/#rentpoints

Also, check out this TP Blog post in renting DVC points Tips For Renting Disney Vacation Club Points | TouringPlans.com Blog

Thank you for the links! If you don’t mind me asking, how did you arrange payment? I wish there was a way for a third party to hold at least part of the funds until successful check-in! But maybe I am just being paranoid at this point- haha

We just did a personal PayPal payment, but we did set it up in the contract that we paid a 20% deposit with the remaining 80% due 60 days before the rental started. Also, we got trip insurance through Allianz as a backup.

I have heard of people getting scammed with DVC rentals, but not very often, However, every time the renters had not done their due diligence and there were warning signs. As you found this person through MouseOwners (my favorite place to look for rentals), you can see how long they have been a member and how active they have been - a good history there is always reassuring.

Thanks for posting this information. Would really like two nights in a poly bungalow for our anniversary trip in April. Looks like I have my work cut out for me!

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I’ve only rented privately, from friends who have points that they will not be using…

You do realize that the bungalows range fro 160-227 points per night; at $15/point, depending on the dates you have in mind, that will cost between $2,400 and $3,400 per night…

Holy sh1t.

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Oh. Umm. No. Never mind. Wow. On a side note: who can afford that and still eat?

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@bswan26 - The Dream Crusher :wink:

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That’s just crazy. That would be hard to justify even if we had the cash! We wouldn’t get our money’s worth because we’d only be there to sleep. Again, WOW.

There best be a butler wiping my tushie for that kinda coin. Even Julia Roberts got paid less in Pretty Woman.

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we have done it and had a really good experience. If you do all the things you mention you should be golden.
The way it works with any reputable owner is that they make the res right away (so they dont lose it. You get a reservation # right away so you can make sure that its in the system) then you get a simple contract and you pay 50%. Then the balance was due 90 days out.
It requires a little trust on both ends. But we got a GF 2 br villa for 12.75pp. it was expensive but my in-laws came with us and they paid :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:
if you need any other info i can try to help. I can show you the contract that we signed and any other docs or info you might want.

good luck! it really is a great way to stay on property.

One thing i forgot to mention is that the owner has to make all of your reservations for you, including magic transportation.

Thanks you for the information. We were discussing this just yesterday. Wondering if it’s really worth it since it is just a room & we’re only going to be in it to sleep. Lots of options!

Everybody has different situations, opinions and values. We rented points for a 1BR at Bay Lake Tower, and frankly, I think it was well worth it. We could have stayed at Art of Animation for a little less, but then we would have had to wait for the bus on Magic Kingdom days. Instead, we had a 5 minute walk to the front gate. That probably saved us over an hour each day, since we went back to the room each day to swim when the lines were at their worst. (90 minute standby line or pool? What do you want to do, kids?) We also saved time using the monorail to Epcot.

Add in the kitchen (fewer meals to purchase) and laundry facilities, I’m sure we ended up spending less than we would have otherwise spent.

Oh, the owner only needs to manage reservations for the Magical Express and the Dining Plan, if you want that. Actual dining reservations and FastPass selections can be done by yourself through the Disney web site, even for a DVC rental.

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@tprzela Did you end up going thru with the private rental? I am having the same struggles in my mind and would love to hear how you made out!

We’ve rented twice already, via a private owner, and are going through the same owner again for our holiday trip this year… it was someone I found on MouseOwners. I agree with previous posts that suggest you do your due-diligence in checking out the owner. However, it’s saved us plenty of money - think cheaper than moderate for a deluxe experience.

First rental was BLT, second was ALK. This time, we’ll be at Boardwalk for one night and back to BLT for the rest. Can’t wait!

Yes - I did end up renting privately, but our stay is not until July. So far, so good! I called references, checked out the deed info on the Florida ‘comtrollers’ site and have been in touch with the owner via email and text messages. It turns out that she lives less than 2 hours from me! The biggest hassle was that she is using multiple contracts so, I have like 4 reservations for a 10 day stay. She assured me that they are linked via DVC so I will be all set for the entire stay (unlike potentially having to move during a true split stay). I sent in my final payment and so far, my reservations are all still there! I am still nervous (and will be until I am there and checked in for entire stay), but so far things have turned out okay - I am definitely used to being in charge, so it is a bit scary having things in someone else’s hands. Hopefully, everything goes smoothly in July!

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