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
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
'Ninja,' Twitch's biggest streamer, is diagnosed with skin cancer
American gamer and Twitch superstar, Tyler 'Ninja' Blevins, revealed he was diagnosed with melanoma, a form of skin cancer.