Buying a timeshare property has some similarities to buying your own house or condo unit but with some significant differences as well.  One of the most controversial things about buying timeshare properties is the maintenance fees that are involved.  Maintenance fees are charges that a timeshare owner has to pay on top of the purchase fee that he pays at the beginning of the transaction.  These fees are charged yearly by the timeshare company or developer.  The amount that one has to pay for maintenance fees varies from developer to developer and unit to unit as well.  They can come as low as $200 a year or as high as $500 a year.

So what happens with the money that put into the maintenance fee?  Basically, the maintenance fee covers all the operating costs involved in the unit.  Think about it this way.  If you owned a house, what are the things that you have to do to maintain its cleanliness and make sure that it is in good working order?  You clean it everyday, keep the carpets clean, and make sure the furniture is in good working condition, right?  In addition to these things, you also check the plumbing, the gas, the appliances, and the like.  If something breaks down or gets damaged, you do your best to have it repaired as soon as possible.  All these things cost money.

That is what the maintenance fees are used for.  The developers pay people to clean the units on a regular basis – inside and outside.  They are responsible for the upkeep of everything there.  So if a chair’s leg gets damaged or a light bulb gets busted, you do not have to worry about it.  The developers are the ones who will take care of the problem.  The developers may have arrangements with external janitorial services or have internal maintenance people who will see to your units regularly.

This is in fact one of the benefits of purchasing timeshares as opposed to actually owning a house or condo unit.  With the latter, you normally would have to oversee the repair of damaged furniture or plumbing or anything else.  This includes looking for the repairman and paying for the expenses as well.  With timeshares, all you need to do is pay the maintenance fee and forget about all the hassle that is involved in the upkeep of your unit.

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