Swimply: The app that lets you rent a swimming pool by the hour

TORONTO -

With many people staying close to home due to the pandemic, sales of swimming pools have surged and many pool companies are now taking orders for 2022.

But what if you could use someone's pool on a hot summer day for a few hours, and pay them a rental fee?

Enter Swimply: The app that allows homeowners to list and rent out their pool for an hourly fee.

Launched in the U.S. and Canada three years ago, the platform is only now seeing massive growth north of the border since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The idea is that if you have a swimming pool to maintain, but don’t use that often, why not rent it out as a way to earn extra income and let others enjoy your pool?

Elizabeth Luca of Etobicoke has a large in-ground pool, but she doesn’t swim. She wanted it for her grandchildren who now don’t use it very often.

“The pool still needs maintenance. I have to add chemicals every week and maintain things and it was very costly," said Luca.

When Luca found out about the website Swimply she thought it was a great idea.

Luca said so far her guests have mostly been families with children who have been respectful and polite.

“They were terribly, terribly appreciative that I was allowing them to come and use the pool," said Luca.

Sonny Mayugba, VP of growth with Swimply, said during the pandemic there was a huge amount of interest in renting a pool.

“The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) said that chlorine pools were a safe place to gather, within your household of course, so Swimply had incredible growth in 2020,” said Mayugba.

Homeowners with pools can set their own hourly rate and Swimply charges a 15 per cent commission.

Swimply says many pool owners are able to make thousands of dollars renting out their pools and a top earner made $87,000 in about 10 months.

“All of our growth in Toronto has been organic and we've been getting quite a few bookings. It's pretty exiting," said Mayugba.

Luca said she has already made more than enough to pay for her annual pool maintenance costs and she's enjoyed seeing her pool get used.

“It’s really heart warming when kids come because when they see the pool there is so much excitement and joy and it makes me feel good," said Luca.

There is another website called Joyspace that hasn't launched yet. But soon it will allow people to rent tennis and basketball courts, docked boats and hot tubs. They will also be offered by owners to be rented by the hour.