Swimply: The app that lets you rent a swimming pool by the hour
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Competition bureau finds 'substantial' anti-competitive effects with proposed Bunge-Viterra merger
The proposed merger of agricultural giants Viterra and Bunge is raising competition concerns from the federal government.