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A hot summer trend in the sharing economy? Rental swimming pools
NPR • • general
Key Points:
- Swimply is an Airbnb-style platform allowing people to rent private pools and other recreational spaces, with listings growing in popularity as part of the sharing economy.
- Hosts like Jasmine Lawson use Swimply to generate income and cover pool maintenance costs, while renters enjoy local pool access for events and staycations, paying fees such as $381 for three hours with up to 30 guests.
- Swimply provides up to $1 million in liability coverage for hosts, but legal questions about liability and regulation remain unsettled, with courts and states like Minnesota considering whether rental pools should be classified as public facilities subject to inspections.
- The rise of pool rentals has caused some service providers, like maintenance companies, to hesitate due to liability concerns, forcing some hosts to manage upkeep themselves.
- Despite the costs of building a private pool being prohibitive for some, users like Meghan Clopton continue to rent pools through Swimply, with plans to potentially list their own pools for rental in the future.
