I agree that sucks, but I'm not at all sure how Disney would know that its my best friend Sarah and her family and not Stranger Jim from the interwebs that I rented a spec reservation for. Even a name change isn't a good indication, because maybe I originally did book that Thanksgiving trip for myself and then decided not to go and gifted it to my best friend Sarah and her family. And then I book another trip and I can't go on that one either, and gift that to my cousin Sue who lives not far away and can go on short notice. As many of us know for the past couple of years - some years be like that.
Like you, no dog. I've rented points out once in twenty some years (I'll likely do it again soonish - maybe next year - we banked all this years points with no intention of going in the foreseeable future). We have never stayed in studios (we do like BWV two bedrooms, so the studio problem could affect us), book eleven months in advance when we stay at WDW (home is BWV), and use our points in the easy to book February at HHI. I haven't even been to WDW in five years (HHI and Aulani)
They could make renting less attractive for renters. They could not allow perks to people staying on DVC points - any perks - without a membership card. No extra magic hours, no access to the dining plan. They could make members staying on their own points get first choice on room requests and first check in - leaving the renters in the cold until 6pm for a room that overlooks the dumpster. This would affect member's family and guests that don't travel with the member as well, but it wouldn't be economically harmful to them, just a pain in the back end when you gift points for your son's honeymoon and he gets a lousy room at 7pm. But if it becomes known that DVC renters are treated poorly by Disney, there will be some market impact. They could allow for a limited number over the lifetime of the contract of "affiliated member cards" that you could give to children or your parents or someone. Once you assign them they'd be non-transferable and need to be renewed every year, but you could give them to your adult kids and best friend Sarah so when they travel without you they aren't treated like renters. But with so many onsite perks disappearing....... removing the ability to book Fastpasses unless you are a member or CRO guest 60 days out isn't very useful without Fastpasses nor is not being able to book Magical Express.
They could, but they won't, go to the effort to employ people who watch Facebook groups and other outlets for "commercial renting activity." They won't because it doesn't hit them in the pocketbook enough and so there isn't any revenue to be made to offset the staffing costs, and it isn't the biggest contributor to availability issues - that's simply that there are a few times when more people want to go and stay in a limited supply of rooms and that people who make their plans a year out have an advantage.
