Erin Ingram faced a number of problems that a lot of swimming pool owners do: ongoing maintenance costs, sometimes a short usable season, and time commitment versus actual use by her family. So the entrepreneur in her started to think outside the box. That’s when she discovered Swimply.
“I began wondering how to rent out our pool, like Airbnb does with homes for vacation rentals,” the Bountiful homeowner said. “A pool can become a money pit, and our kids weren’t swimming in it that much, but we still had friends asking if they could use it. So I went online, Googled the idea, and Swimply came up.”
Swimply coordinates the rental of over 15,000 pools nationwide from homeowners in 125 cities, including several in Utah. The Swimply system matches up potential renters with pools based on locations, available dates, size of the rental parties, and requested amenities. Ingram’s husband is an attorney, and he looked into the legal side of things — liability issues, for instance. They did their research and began working with Swimply four years ago.
“We have what is called a sports pool; it’s shallow on both ends and never too deep in the middle, so it can be used to play games like volleyball,” Ingram said. “We changed our system to salt water because it’s better on the skin. It doesn’t make it itchy or irritate it, and it’s softer for the hair. A lot of people like saltwater pools better than chlorine.” They maintain their pool at a temperature of 90 degrees year-round.
Renters can check in online and enjoy the pools without having to bother the homeowners. In the Ingram’s case, they have a pool, a hot tub and an adjacent Jacuzzi on their property, but not overlooked from their home, so renters have some privacy. They also have a complete private changing room, an outdoor grill, a fire pit, a ping-pong table, and both volleyball and basketball equipment. Towels are available to rent as well, if needed. Pools can be rented by the hour or for an extended period such as for a half or full day.
“We try to make it as chill as possible,” Ingram said. “I treat my guests that way. We don’t spy on them or watch them. We’re here to help, if necessary, but other than that, we leave them alone.”
The Ingram pool site, located on the Bountiful bench with a view to the west of the Great Salt Lake, has space for up to 75 people and plenty of parking. Ingram said they have hosted graduation parties, birthday parties, company get-togethers and lots of church groups. Swimply handles all the safety and liability waivers online, and the profits from the business have allowed the Ingrams to cover pool maintenance as well as allowing them to add new things each year.
“I’ve owned a pool most of my life, and they involve so much maintenance and so much money,” she said. “If I had made a choice before working with Swimply, I would rather have never had a pool — I would rent one from somebody. It’s kind of like owning a boat when you consider the amount of time you will actually use it. Now, others can enjoy the pool and hot tubs and we earn enough to cover our costs.”
You can learn more about the program at https://swimply.com/.