New Service Lets You Rent a Stranger’s Swimming Pool for an Afternoon

Lounging in a pool is supposed to be relaxing, but unless you have a private pool all to yourself, the experience is often anything but. Whether you're at a public pool or a friend's pool party, you'll likely have to deal with splashing, screaming, and concerning amounts of urine in exchange for your swim time. Now there's a new option for people without swimming pools in their backyards, and it's called Swimply.

As Thrillist reports, Swimply is an Airbnb-like service that lets property owners rent out their empty pools by the hour to people desperate to take a dip in peace. Hourly rates are higher than what a day pass at your local public pool might cost you and most places have a one-hour minimum, but depending on what you're looking for, you can find a pool that fit your needs. A quick search of the Los Angeles area brings up pools ranging from $25 to $150 an hour. The more luxurious options include hot tubs and saltwater pools, and some homeowners even offer backyard amenities like grills and fire pits. And if you don't mind sharing the space, you can always invite some friends to tag along and split the cost.

Swimply is based in New York and operates in 20 states across the U.S., including Florida, California, and Texas. The website allows you to quickly search for pools by location and availability. For property owners who don't use their pool every day and are looking to make some supplementary cash, Swimply also makes it easy to create an account and list a pool.

Having access to a private pool for an afternoon is convenient, but in the middle of heat wave, nothing beats having a free pool steps away from your back door. If you're thinking about taking on a pool installation project this summer, here's what you need to know.