Business

Swimply has over 20,000 listed pools in the United States, Canada and Australia, receiving approximately 100 new pool listing requests every day.

BOSTON – An app that allows people to rent a pool by the hour has been a booming business internationally, as well as in Massachusetts.

Sommerville resident Marlon Davis discovered the Swimply app in early August. He and his wife listed their inground pool with no expectations as to their quality.

“I have to clean the pool the same way whether someone is using it or not,” Davis said. “My thought was if we could only swim in it so much, why not open it up to other people and let others enjoy it?” “

Swimply has more than 20,000 listed pools in the United States, Canada and Australia, receiving about 100 new pool listing requests every day, according to a spokesperson for Swimply.

Pool owners earn around $ 5,000 to $ 10,000 per month on average.

Davis rents his pool only when he’s home for $ 60 an hour for the first five guests, then $ 10 per guest per hour for up to 10 people. He has asked several guests to reserve a time slot each day since August 2.

“My average booking was two hours and my highest was five,” Davis said. “It really is like a diamond in the rough. I didn’t expect I could knock him down and turn him into a useful asset.

It also offers Wi-Fi for $ 5 an hour and $ 10 for use on the grill where it will cook food such as burgers and hot dogs for its guests. It also plans to offer vegan and vegetarian options in the future.

Striving to keep guests as happy and comfortable as possible, he provides access to a full bathroom inside his home. Outside the pool there are floats and pool games ready to go, and it stores a cooler with ice, water, and nut-free food.

Next summer, he plans to build a pool house with a bathroom and a refrigerator that guests will have access to so they can schedule reservations when he’s not at home.

“I make sure they have napkins, I make sure they have snacks,” he said. “Everything is sort of autonomous. “

Swimply offers up to $ 1 million in applicable insurance coverage through Evanston Insurance Company if a guest is injured while making a reservation, according to Swimply. Hosts are covered up to $ 10,000 if a host’s pool or property is damaged during a reservation and the guest is unwilling or unable to pay for the damage.

In Massachusetts, 400 swimming pools are available for rental, according to Swimply. Mean
the earnings are $ 2,500, with the highest income reaching $ 10,000. Swimply charges a flat rate of 15% on the total cost of the reservation. For Davis, he earns $ 51 for every $ 60 hour reservation.

“It was a blessing in disguise, a needle in the haystack; it’s been all of those things, ”he said. “I’m just excited about the potential. Stumbling into this has been so rewarding on so many different levels. It makes me really excited to open up next summer and make people’s experience even bigger than it already is.

At Everett, Andrea Bova also joined the app in early August, offering her pool availability mostly on weekends.

“I made this decision because my children are growing up and I open the pool every year, and it is not used as before,” said Bova.

Bova rents his inground pool for $ 100 an hour. So far, she has spent time booking as a couple with their dog.

It allows guests to use its bathroom and would allow access to the refrigerator if large groups needed to keep food fresh. Bova isn’t overly concerned about COVID-19, but appreciates her guests wearing masks when they step inside.

It closes its pool after Labor Day, but is already preparing to open early next summer.

“I’m excited for next year,” she said. “Usually I open in late May, but I’ll probably open it in early May so it will be ready to go by Memorial Day.”