For Australians lucky enough to have a big back yard with a pool, summer is a time of lazy weekends with a place to cool off from the searing heat.
But with the cost-of-living crisis continuing to bite, some people are looking at ways to capitalise their suburban assets.
A growing number of pool owners are looking to rent out their back yard kingdom, hoping it will alleviate some of the financial pressure that comes with maintaining a pool.
Swimply, an Airbnb-style platform that allows pool owners to rent out their back yard by the hour, wants to take hold in Australia.
The service is looking to “relaunch” but has been active for some time, with a small but growing number of hosts seeking to share their pools with others.
Hemant Benne has offered his pool for rent for over a year and says it has paid its own maintenance bills for 12 months.
He charges $60 an hour for his pool, which he describes as beautiful and features “colourful lights for late evening time, a slide for kids, and our favourite double hammock”.
“In 2021, all my bills were covered by renting it out, it’s made a big difference to me,” he says.
“We get a couple of bookings a month, and we usually see a spike around January and February, and it’s been good for us. I maintain the pool myself, for my family, so this was a natural extension.
“It’s a good idea. If people are willing to share what they have, and allow others to enjoy something we do, why not? There are people who don’t have a pool or can’t afford one. Why shouldn’t they experience it?”
The service allows users to scroll through a selection of pools for rent in their city.
At the time of writing, there were 24 pools listed for rent in Sydney, six in Melbourne, 13 in Brisbane and seven in Perth.
Users swipe through photos and see a description from hosts, including the pool size, how pet-friendly it is, whether salt water is used, how private the space is, and if restrooms are available.
While it may seem an awkward fit, Benne says it works even when the hosts stay home, as he and his family sometimes do.
“We don’t usually face problems with guests, some maybe have their music too loud, but usually it’s completely fine. We do close our blinds and have a divider so they can access the toilet.”
While the system has worked for Benne, it hasn’t been such a roaring success for other hosts.
Swimply has been operating in “beta mode” due to the pandemic and intends to step up its presence in Australia over the summer.
That has meant that the service has hosts but little traction. One pool owner who asked to remain anonymous says he didn’t think it was sustainable.
“There just haven’t been too many inquiries, I get maybe one or two bookings a month, and the cost of maintaining the pool outweighs the revenue.
It doesn’t make much commercial sense to me. If there were more inquiries, I think it would be worth it.”
He says he is not bothered by potential poor behaviour or awkward guests – he just wants more bookings.
“It’s a good idea, I think, in this climate to set this up. My pool is an asset, and I think it can perform better.”
What seems like a simple idea – a means of sharing good times – does come with some dangers, a spokesperson for NSW Fair Trading warns.
“There have been several incidents where children have become trapped in cleaning and skimming systems used in swimming pools,” they say.
“Owners of properties with swimming pools must at all times ensure that pools are surrounded with a child-resistant safety barrier that separates the swimming pool(s) from any residential building and any place adjoining the property.”
NSW Fair Trading advises pool owners to ensure doors and gates are kept shut and that children should be prevented from playing near any pool outlets.
“Pools and electricity can be a lethal combination. Owners should take extreme care if the swimming pool has a portable electrical pump and filter system, particularly if it does not have protective housing.”
