If you own a timeshare, you’ve probably seen the term “use year” on a statement or account page and moved on without thinking much about it. It matters more than it looks. Your use year determines when your points become available, when they reset, and how you can allocate them — including renting them out.
Here’s what it actually means for you as an owner.
A use-year cycle is the 12-month period your resort assigns to your ownership. It’s not always the same as the calendar year. Instead, most resorts group owners into a cycle that starts in January, April, July, or October, depending on when your contract was set up.
Your points become available at the start of your cycle. Your specific start date is set by your resort or management company, not something you choose — it’s listed on your ownership documents and usually on your annual statement.
Most timeshare owners fall into one of four cycles:
Most owners are on a January 1 use year, though yours is set by your resort or management company and listed on your ownership documents.
Points reset on the first day of your use year. From there, RMT stays in touch throughout the cycle — checking in on how many rentals were completed, what you were paid, and how many points you want to assign going forward. It’s an ongoing conversation, not a one-time decision.
| Use Year Starts | Points Reset | Most Common For |
|---|---|---|
| January | Jan 1 | Most owners |
| April | Apr 1 | Select resorts |
| July | Jul 1 | Select resorts |
| October | Oct 1 | Select resorts |
Yes. Once your use year begins, you can assign points for rental at any point during that cycle, in any amount you choose. You’re never locked into giving up a set number of points, and there’s no long-term contract tied to your allocation.
Many owners assign points in stages — using some personally, assigning a portion for rental, then reassessing once those rentals check out and deciding what to do with what’s left.
Key takeaway: You don’t need to assign all your points at once — RMT checks in with you throughout your use year so nothing sits idle.
Rent My Timeshare works on a demand-first model: reservations are created after guest demand exists, not before. When you assign points, RMT matches them against a live queue of guest requests rather than booking speculatively and hoping a renter shows up later.
Because your use year doesn’t require an all-or-nothing decision, you can track how your points are performing throughout the cycle and adjust your allocation as needed — using more yourself, assigning more for rental, or leaving it open until your next check-in with RMT.
Your use year isn’t just paperwork. It’s the calendar that determines when your points become available and how RMT tracks your allocation throughout the year. Knowing your cycle — most commonly January 1, but sometimes April, July, or October — helps you plan how much of your ownership you use yourself and how much you assign for rental income.
If you’re not sure when your use year starts or how many points you currently have available, contact Rent My Timeshare and we’ll walk through your account with you. Or try the Rental Earnings Calculator to see what your ownership may be able to earn.
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