Yahoo Finance $100 a swim: Aussies renting their pools to earn extra cash
As the cost of living continues to skyrocket, Aussies are finding new ways to earn some extra cash.
Aussies are no strangers to renting out their spare rooms, cars and even car parks. But now they’re also renting out their pools.
Trianda Jubian is among the growing number of homeowners who are renting out their backyards as the cost of living skyrockets.
Trianda’s Sydney pool is listed on pool-sharing platform Swimply and she said the extra cash has helped her cover her pool maintenance costs.
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“It has added a lot of value because it’s expensive to run a large sized pool with electricity and pool maintenance,” she told Yahoo Finance.
Trianda currently charges $80 per hour to rent out her Sydney pool and has a three hour minimum booking.
“I get bookings once a week, but during school holidays it was about two or three a week. But it varies by the weather.
“I’ve had bookings for birthday parties, a photo shoot and on public holidays like Australia Day and New Years. It’s quite popular.”
Swimply, which re-launched late last year, said Aussies are earning $40 per hour on average through the platform, with the average booking lasting two and a half hours. So around $100 per swim.
“This is really interesting in the Australian context where we are seeing the increased cost of living and interest rates increase to their highest level in over a decade at 3.35 per cent,” Swimply managing director Sam McDonagh told Yahoo Finance.
“What we are hearing from hosts is that Swimply is a great way for them to offset their mortgage. From a guest point of view, we are seeing that Swimply is a cost-effective way for folks to go out and have fun and escape locally.”
How does it work?
Swimply charges a 15 per cent service fee for hosts and 10 per cent fee for guests. So for a $100 booking, the host would receive $85 and the guest would pay $110.
In terms of logistics, Swimply said 75 per cent of hosts were at home during the booking period and the same percentage offered guests access to a bathroom within their homes. Hosts are also required to comply with pool safety standards.
Trianda said she’s had no issues with guests so far. She is usually at home when guests use her pool and does a meet and greet when they first arrive.
“Then I go back into the house and the shutters come down and they have their own total privacy. I don’t get to see them and they don’t get to see me.”
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