By Alesha Capone
An app and website called Swimply is making a splash in Melbourne.
The concept behind the project – described as “the Airbnb for swimming pools” – is to connect owners of private pools with people looking for a place to swim.
Pool owners charge an hourly rate for the use of their pool and people wanting to take a dip can search Swimply for pools to rent in their area.
Werribee man Heath Venn has signed up to the app to rent his backyard pool out to people seeking relief from the summer heat.
“People can come in and relax, just have fun and that’s what it’s all about,” he said.
Mr Venn said he and his partner Tori planned to use the funds earned from renting out the pool to upgrade their backyard – he is in the process of building a fire-pit near the pool.
Mr Venn said it made sense for other people to use the pool, when he, Tori and their children were otherwise occupied.
“Why let this awesome pool go to waste?” he said.
Mr Venn, who charges $40 per hour for his pool, said the only difficulty with Swimply could be if people wanted to book the pool while he and Tori were both at work or away from home.
Mr Venn said that apps such as Swimply were “the way of the future”, much like Uber and Airbnb.
“I love it, I’m really pleased to be involved,” he said.
Details: swimply.com
