A sharing economy ‘Airbnb’ model for swimming pools

Swimply allows you to rent a pool from someone in your area, potentially making up for those cancelled summer holidays

Spotted: With hot weather hitting us in the latter part of what has been an anti-climactic summer, pool rental startup Swimply are facing high demand for their rentable, “Airbnb-like” pool platform. 

The platform allows you to look at all pools available in your area, which you can then rent, alongside the backyard, from a host for a few hours. 

Bookings this year have risen by 1,200%, and demand for the Swimly pools is 4x the supply. The startup is 2-years-old, but have found a clear rise in demand during this summer, due to the combination of coronavirus lockdowns forcing us to ‘staycation’ instead, and the great heatwaves we’re currently experiencing. 

Prices range from state-to-state, and Swimply ensures the privacy of its users, with some hosts even promising to draw their curtains so the view of the pool is obscured. Moreover, for those worried about coronavirus-related germs, once your hours are up, the host is responsible for cleaning the pool before renting it to the next guest.

Swimply has proved so popular that they are launching Joyspace, a sister concept from which you can rent tennis courts, basketball and hot tubs. 

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