In this heat, you may be dreaming of lounging in a swimming pool. Why not near you… Did you know that you can rent one by the hour or by the day? This little luxury pleasure that allows owners to share the operating costs of their swimming pool.
This Wednesday, in Chaumont-Gistoux, Michael and his sister Nadia rented Eliane and Daniel’s swimming pool for 3 hours this afternoon. For 18 euros per hour, they were able to take advantage of the pool, deckchairs, a small covered terrace and the chalet to change in complete privacy. They were “home” for a few hours with a water temperature of 31 degrees. “I don’t go on vacation so it allows me to take a short break”says Michael.
Nadia was still a little intimidated at the idea of taking advantage of the pool of strangers. “At the beginning, I said to myself ‘I go to people we don’t know, we arrive in their garden, we impose ourselves a little… And finally, the current went very well with the owner and it is really great”she points out.
The pool was little used by owners who also see rental as a means of covering part of the operating and maintenance costs of their pool, such as the filtration system and the heat pump.
“It costs electricity, around 500 kilowatt hours per month, and it currently represents 250 euros”says Daniel Van Dael, the owner of the swimming pool. “You must also add the products that you place in the pool filter, which is located at the front of the pool which allows you to disinfect the water.”
The rental is done via Swimmy, the Airbnb of swimming pools. The French platform entered the Belgian market last year. About twenty owners are present on the site. This is also the case for Sandra. “Our swimming pool is 6 by 3 meters and it is heated to 29 degrees”she says.
The annual operating costs of its swimming pool, ie 1,000 euros, are covered by the rental. 17 euros per hour but the Swimmy platform takes 31% of this sum. “This provides additional security since all insurances are taken into account by Swimmy, whether it’s garden equipment, the swimming pool and even people who swim… Everything is taken care of”she adds.
Some owners are turning to social media to rent out their pool. According to the Federation of Swimming Pool Professionals, there are between 100,000 and 150,000 private swimming pools in Belgium.