It's swimmingly Swimply: App allows Tri-City homeowners to rent their outdoor pools to strangers

Have you ever wanted to take a dip in any of the backyard pools you may have seen across the Tri-Cities on a warm summer day?

Good news, there's an app for that.

Dubbed the Airbnb for swimming pools, Swimply was created to allow local homeowners with pools to rent them to strangers by the hour and some have taken advantage this past summer — which included three heat waves.

For example, a Port Moody heated and in-ground "oasis" has been offering $75 an hour, allowing up to 10 guests to enjoy its amenities like lounge chairs, umbrellas, a shower, wireless internet and music speakers.

Over in Maple Ridge, one homeowner offers their gazebo with a swim booking for $32 an hour as well as pool toys and a barbecue for a more kid- and family-friendly atmosphere.

These are among 500 listings across the country according to Sonny Mayugba, Swimply’s vice-president of growth.

Backyard pools across the Tri-Cities, like this one in Port Moody, can be rented by the hour through an app called the Airbnb for swimming pools. By Swimply

It does create an extra avenue of income for homeowners, but while renting out a private pool can be lucrative, experts say anyone considering it — either through the company or some other platform — should think long and hard before taking the plunge. 

Darcy Merkur, a personal injury lawyer with Thomson Rogers law firm in Toronto, said the $1 million in liability protection offered to hosts by Swimply amounts to "peanuts" in the unlikely event a pool rental results in a serious injury or death.

"If I was consulted by someone who was injured at a swimming pool, I would sue the homeowner," Merkur said.

"It doesn't matter if they have an airtight rental agreement, we would absolutely implicate the homeowner... and those cases are often quantified in the $10-million range."

On the Swimply platform, some hosts require renters to sign a waiver ostensibly releasing them from all responsibility. Merkur said waivers can help in the event of a lawsuit, but they aren't bulletproof.

“Lawyers like us get around them all the time," he said. "Renting out your pool, as a side hobby, is not advisable from a liability perspective at all."

In addition to liability coverage, Swimply offers $10,000 in property damage protection in case a host's pool or property is damaged.

The company — which takes a 15% cut of whatever hosts earn — will also direct hosts to local lifeguards or swim instructors for hire, if that's something homeowners want for extra peace of mind.

For Stephanie Sabela, who lives on a five-acre property north of Toronto, saw an online ad for Swimply back in June. On a whim, she decided to advertise her saltwater pool — complete with access to lounge chairs, barbecue, and pool toys.

"After a week and a half on the site, I had like 200 requests," Sabela said. "I signed up for a lark. And then it was like a second job. I couldn't keep up."

Sabela started out charging $100 an hour on the site, and quickly upped it to $200 as she learned that pandemic-weary city-dwellers would pay good money for the chance to escape for an hour or two to a private piece of paradise.

"I've made $10,000 since early June," Sabela said. "So that's serious coin."

Sabela's experience is not unique, said Sonny Mayugba, Swimply’s vice-president of growth. While most of the forum's hosts are located in the U.S., Swimply has 500 listings in Canada — and some of those pool owners are generating significant income, Mayugba said.

“We’re seeing evidence that there’s plenty of hosts who can make six figures, no problem," Mayugba said. "Right now we have hosts who are clearing well over $100,000 for the season."

For more information, you can visit Swimply's website.

- with files from The Canadian Press