‘It’s a risk’: Swimming pool rentals are making a splash but attorneys caution before diving in

You’ve heard of beach house or condo rentals, but have you ever thought about renting out your pool?

Boston 25 News found out the private pool rental market is swimming into success for some residents.

Swimply is a website where you can find private pools and book one to rent in your area. Boston 25 News found dozens of pool rental listings in Eastern Massachusetts ranging anywhere from $25 to $200 an hour.

Kyle Carter rents out his pool on Swimply.

“A friend of mine told me about Swimply. He said, ‘Have you ever heard of Swimply? It’s like Airbnb for pools,’” explained Carter. “When I first read into Swimply, there are a few people that make $100,000 a year doing this.”

Carter has a full-time job, but is renting his pool as a side hustle.

“I have been offered, you know, upwards of $8,000 for pretty much an all-day party heading into the night, and number one, I would never go past 10 o’clock for noise ordinances,” Carter said.

“I looked into it, and the biggest concern for me would be liability. You know, you’re covered for a million dollars of liability for incidents and then up to $10,000 of personal property coverage. So, when I saw that, it made me for more feel more comfortable,” said Carter.

Carter said vetting potential renters has become an acquired skill.

“It’s all in how you probe them and ask them questions. ‘What’s the occasion?’ You know? Because I’ve had people tell me that, ‘Yeah, I’m going to bring in a bunch of people.’ It’d be nice if I knew what the occasion was because I don’t want a party with a bunch of people that don’t know each other. That’s when trouble starts,” said Carter.

“It’s becoming a trend. People are renting out their pools by the hour, but when they do that, I don’t think people are fully thinking through the liability concerns that can exist when you do that,” said Khalil Farah, a personal injury lawyer. “The first thing to do is make sure your homeowner’s insurance knows that you’re using your pool for a commercial purpose or for renting it out. When you rent out your pool, you’re no longer using your home as just your residence. You’re using it as something to make money, and a lot of times, the same thing with Uber, when you’re doing that, your insurance may drop you, or they may say, ‘We don’t cover any damages that take place when this isn’t being used as the intended purpose.’ … It’s a risk for sure.”

“That’s always a concern,” said Carter. “It’s in the back of your head, and luckily, there haven’t been any issues whether it’s when I’m renting it out or my own personal friends [or not].”

Swimply says hosts are protected if a guest is hurt during a Swimply reservation. If a claim or lawsuit is made against a host for bodily injury, the program provides up to $2,000,000 of protection.

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