All economic forces that increase the value of pools and spas help the industry that makes them. One such trend has been lucrative swimming pool rental arranged by Swimply, an online company that works like VRBO and Airbnb, matching pools with the people who desire to use them.
In just two years, a Swimply host made $200,000 from renting out his backyard pool to guests looking to enjoy a day soaking in the sun.
For Swimply guests, the pool search starts by going on Swimply’s app or website and browsing nearby pools. Both amenities and reviews are listed under each pool, and once a guest finds one to their liking, they can book it for a specific day and time. Pools with icons can be booked instantly, but ones without must first be approved by the host. When the guest receives a confirmation email, they have final approval and should grab their suit, towel and sunscreen because it’s time for a pool party. The guest will now have access to the pool owner’s address, enter/exit information and everything else they might need for their reservation.
For Swimply hosts, listing a pool requires them to take pictures of their backyard space, pick an hourly price they would like to rent their pool at, name their amenities and list the pool rules guests must abide by. After the listing goes up, hosts can review booking requests and approve different guests in their community. Within 24 hours of a completed booking, Swimply ensures the hosts are paid securely and directly to their registered bank account.
The host who made $200,000, Jim Battan, lives in Portland, Ore. Between 2020 and 2021, Battan rented his pool hundreds of times bringing in over 10,000 guests, which resulted in him being named Swimply’s highest earner out of 25,000 pools worldwide.
In the height of the summer, Battan gets over 25 bookings per week. He says that around one third of these bookings are returning customers. He makes sure to have pool toys, towels and anything else a guest might need during a reservation.
Battan’s success can be greatly attributed to the pandemic. When the world shut down in 2020, people were looking for safe activities to do outside of their homes. At the time, there weren’t many Oregon hosts on Swimply, so when Battan listed his backyard pool, people took advantage of the opportunity. Since then, Battan’s earnings have substantially increased.
Overall, Battan says he’s grateful for the experience and extra cash he has earned while being a Swimply host. However, Battan and his wife are looking to retire and sell their house, along with the money-making pool, within the next few months.
