You know what's cooler having a pool? Having a friend with a pool that you can use any time without having to worry about vacuuming, skimming, chlorinating, winterizing or, you know, paying for the damn thing.
Failing that, you could always hit up a public pool and take your chances with the pee, but ew. And good luck drinking cerveza with your friends on cute pool floaties at the Y.
Enter Swimply: an online marketplace similar to Airbnb that lets people rent out their backyard swimming pools when they're not in use.
Tbis private indoor pool can be rented from its owners in Brooklyn for $125 an hour. Image via Swimply.
The U.S. company launched in Toronto earlier this month after a radio host mistakenly announced that it was available here, spurring a rush of Canadian sign-ups.
Hey, it may be too cold to swim outside for most of the year, but Toronto goes hard when it comes to hot weather — and next summer could very well see a pool party renaissance thanks to the sharing economy.
Only one pool has been approved for rental in Toronto so far, but CEO Bunim Laskin told CTV this week that eight more are currently going through Swimply's stringent application process.
The pool available in Toronto now bills itself as a "Canadian Oasis" with luxurious seating areas, an outdoor bathroom, a changing room, a hammock, pool toys and more. You can rent it on a weekend for $50 an hour, or $40 per hour on weekdays.
Described as a 'Canadian Oasis', this Toronto pool comes with lounge chairs, change rooms and free Wi-Fi. Image via Swimply.
Like Airbnb, Swimply lists a wide range of properties with an even wider range of price points. Some pools can be rather expensive, especially if you're looking to stay for an entire afternoon — like this $200/hr heated infinite horizon pool in Miami Beach.
Others, like this shallow pool in an otherwise barren New Jersey backyard, can hold up to 15 people for just $30 an hour.
People who want to rent out their backyards have to meet some pretty strict criteria in terms of safety and quality, but those who get in stand to make a lot of extra cash off something that's normally just a money-suck.
The rest of us get to plan sweet summer pool parties at someone else's house. Splurge on the unicorn floaties, friend— it's the closest our generation will ever get to having backyards of our own.
by Lauren O'Neil via blogTO
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