These Homeowners Will Let You Rent Their Private Pool By The Hour

STUDIO CITY, CA — Missing the pool? Need to get out of your stuffy apartment? Want to get the kids some much needed sunshine?

In the midst of the pandemic, pool-deprived residents are turning to Swimply to enjoy some water-based fun in the summer heat. Homeowners list their backyard swimming holes on the app, and interested customers can reserve a time to enjoy their own private pool space.

Many pools are listed for around $60 an hour, while some are available for as low as $30. Properties range from luxurious, celebrity-esque oases to more modest accommodations.

Neville Wickstrom had been renting out his Studio City guest home through AirBnb, but stopped once the pandemic hit out of safety concerns. A few months ago a friend told him about Swimply, and he signed up with the hopes of helping a few cooped up neighbors.

"A lot of our friends, people that we know, especially people in apartments, they don't have permission to use the pool, or really go anywhere," Wickstrom said. "We figured we'd open up our backyard for people to come and enjoy some time."

Joycelyne Lew shared similar thoughts about why she decided to list her pool in the Hollywood Hills.

"I was in line waiting to get into a store, and I had snapped one photo of my pool since I was in a hurry," she said. "The same day, within the hour, it was booked."

Lew’s property features a panoramic view of the Hollywood sign, which has proven to be a major attraction for guests. She said she made $1000 in the first month, and has constantly been updating the pool space to keep people coming.

On top of families, people have rented her pool for photo and video shoots, such as a recent artist who turned the pool into a makeshift ocean for a music video.

"They wanted it to be an abyss," she said. "They put black vinyl sheets underneath to make it dark, all dark. It was underwater, and I had already rented it for underwater photography. It's a 10 foot pool, which is hard to come by in the Hills, I was told."

The recent upswing in activity on Swimply convinced Terri Decker to list her Santa Monica pool last week. As one of the only listings in the area, she already secured 10 reservations, ranging from families with kids to couples looking for a quick getaway.

“By Thursday night, our whole weekend was booked,” she said. “We have people booked for a few weeks now.”

Swimply first made waves last year, when founder Bunim Laskin pitched the idea on the popular TV show Shark Tank. Although he didn't leave with any new investors, the app has benefited from recent closures of beaches and public pools, limiting options for residents used to being in the water.

CDC has said there's no evidence that the coronavirus can spread through pools or other "recreational waters." Still, all three homeowners said they’re taking extra precautions to keep themselves and their guests safe.

“Everybody wears masks when they come over,” Decker said. “We’re in the house and they’re outside, we completely leave them alone. Before they arrive and after they leave, we sterilize everything. Lounge chairs, pillows, beach toys, the bathroom, whatever it is.”

The three have had overwhelmingly positive experiences with the app, and said they’ll probably keep using Swimply even after the pandemic is over. While the extra money is great, Lew said it’s the ability to spread some joy in dark times that truly made her fall in love with the idea.

“There’s a lady who’s been a couple times, she’s pregnant,” Lew said. “She said she doesn’t feel safe anywhere else, and she just had to get out. It’s really rewarding to be able to open up your home to people who wouldn’t get these experiences otherwise.”