How to Rent Someone’s Pool This Summer (or Rent Your Own)
Swimply, ” Airbnb Pools ” seems to be having a moment in the sun. The hourly pay per hour app gained popularity during the pandemic and is now expanding into new markets . Here’s what you need to know about renting a private pool or renting your own if you have one.
How Swimply Works
Available in the US, Canada, and Australia, Swimply is very similar to Airbnb, with private homeowners renting out their pools at varying hourly rates based on the amenities they provide, typically $ 35 to $ 250 an hour , for a maximum of 15 guests per room. time (you can search for pools here ). Swimmers can use the Swimply app or website to find pools nearby and filter those search results by the type of amenities they are looking for (heated pool, diving board, optional hot tub, BBQ grill), as well as pool size information and the depth of the water.
The offer varies. Some pools are marked as “party-friendly” and allow loud music and alcohol, while others have restrictions on the number of guests, young children, or whether you can use the bathroom on their property (this is a deciding factor for me). so you want to read the rules before booking.
The offer will also affect the price. Because Los Angeles has more pools than New York, there are more amenities and services than those offered at the same price in New York. For example, one “pool” in New York is listed as 12 x 10 feet (and only 5 feet deep) and the owner charges $ 100 an hour, while in Los Angeles, pools three times this size are typically available for $ 45. dollars per hour.
How about renting out your pool?
While there are some impressive stories of pool owners making $ 50,000 a year during the pandemic, you need to moderate your expectations and understand the upfront costs before you decide to rent your pool (especially with the easing of pandemic restrictions on public pools) … The truth is, income will depend on location, season, and the amenities you provide.
Swimply claims that pool owners can make $ 10,000 per month, but this will definitely be high as you are expected to make roughly $ 330 per day for a given month. If your property doesn’t have premium amenities like a mini golf course, barbecue, hot tub or lawn bowling alley, you should expect less. In addition, the $ 10,000 figure does not appear to include Swimply’s 15% cut in revenue and does not account for the company’s periodic discounts, which some pool owners have complained about.
On the other hand, if you already have a pool that is barely used, the rent can be a nice bonus to your income and help cover the annual operating costs for your pool, which average around $ 3,000-5,000, according to Home Advisor . …
Renters may require additional insurance
Swimply requires swimmers to sign a waiver, but that may not cover all the gaps in terms of liability, according to CNBC (the company says it is working on an internal insurance policy for homeowners).
So, you will want to review your home insurance policies with your carrier and make sure that medical benefits and accident losses are included in the policy in addition to property damage. Of course, additional insurance means higher premiums that you will want to factor in before deciding if the venture is worth it.
Finally, since you are converting your private property into a semi-commercial space, you need to check municipal and state laws and see what requirements or restrictions are in place. Additional safety equipment and signage may be required, CNBC points out. Also keep in mind that Swimply requires pools to be inspected for health and safety to maintain quality control.