Swimply

Swimply is an online swimming pool sharing company, offering hourly pool rentals in the United States, Canada and Australia.

Swimply
Type of site
Private
Area served
Key people
  • Bunim Laskin (CEO)
  • Asher Weinberger (CMO)
URLswimply.com
LaunchedJuly 2019 (2019-07)[1]

History

Bunim Laskin came up with the idea in New York at the age of 19 during the summer after noticing a neighbor's pool which was rarely in use. He rented their pool in exchange for assistance paying for the pool's upkeep.[1] He then realized that he might have a scalable business plan and began finding other neighbor's pools using Google Earth's satellite photos. Originally naming his company Pool4U, he soon had over 30 pools listed and was featured on MSNBC. By the end of the year he dropped out of college to pursue the business full-time.[2][3]

In November 2019, Swimply expanded to Australia.[4][1]

Laskin appeared on a March 13, 2020 episode of Shark Tank pitching an investment opportunity in his company.[5][6]

Funding and revenue

Laskin received $30,000 from family and friends, followed by $1,000,000 in an initial seed round.[7][8] Another round of funding fell through due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though founder Laskin claims they are profitable.[9]

Swimply follows the model of Airbnb receiving a 15% commission of the rental price plus an additional 10% fee charged to the guests.[1][10] Hourly rentals are in the range of $45 to $60 an hour.[11][12]

Liability

Swimply requires both renters and guests to sign waivers.[10][6] As Swimply does not provide insurance for pool owners, pool owners are liable in case of injury.[13] The company does require pool owners have their pools inspected for health and safety including inspection of tiles and chlorine levels.[14]

Regulations

In Rockland County, New York, renting out a private pool violates local sanitary codes and early renters on the platform were advised that fines can rise up to $2,000 a day.[15] In Toms River, New Jersey, all listings were removed by owners after complaints and action by the township.[16]

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References
  1. Callaghan, Greg (9 November 2019). "Would a swimming pool-sharing app make the same splash in Australia as it has in the US?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  2. Handy, Bruce (2 September 2019). "At Last, An Airbnb for Pools". New Yorker. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  3. Lidman, Melanie (23 September 2019). "Pool rental app dives into deep end of sharing economy". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  4. Smith, Andrea (28 November 2019). "The Airbnb of swimming pools expands to Australia". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  5. Heyn, Beth (13 March 2020). "Swimply on 'Shark Tank': 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  6. DeMuro, Rich (29 July 2020). "People are renting out their pools by the hour to strangers using an app called Swimply and making thousands of dollars in the process". KTLA. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  7. Beltran, Lizeth (22 August 2019). "Teen's idea for cooling off becomes a nationwide business". Crain's New York. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  8. Rodrigues, Ashwin (7 November 2019). "Startup of the Week: An 'Airbnb for Pools' Where the Hosts Are Stock Images". VICE. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  9. Olick, Diana (17 July 2020). "Meet the 'Airbnb for pools': Swimply dives into the stay-at-home market". CNBC. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  10. McDermott, Maura (5 August 2020). "Swimply's LI co-founder says business is booming for hourly pool rentals". Newsday. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  11. Friedman, Gillian (21 July 2020). "Pandemic Luxury: 'Concierge-Style' Coaches and $350 Movie Tickets". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  12. Lowe, Lindsay (6 August 2019). "Now you can rent your neighbor's swimming pool by the hour". TODAY. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  13. Rose, Kennedy (26 July 2019). "Rent-by-the-hour pool service Swimply looks to expand insurance coverage". Philadelphia Business Journal. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  14. Hazarika, Bharbi (21 September 2019). "Don't have a backyard pool? Swimply, the Airbnb of pools, might be your answer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  15. "Rockland Homeowners Caught Renting Out Backyard Pools Could Face Steep Fines". CBS New York. 18 August 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  16. Strunsky, Steve (25 July 2019). "The Airbnb of swimming pools works great everywhere but this N.J. town". NJ.com. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
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