For Spaniards, renting out private pools has become a way to earn extra money during the summer months.
Despite the ongoing controversy surrounding tourism in Spain, some residents continue to rent out their swimming pools privately in an attempt to earn extra money without much effort.
Renting out your own private pool in Spain first became popular in 2019, gaining momentum especially during times when Covid was still a major concern and many people were afraid of public places. Nicole Arévalo, head of communications for the Swimmy app in Spain, confirmed this, explaining that Covid actually benefited the platform and had a “positive effect”.
Swimmy, the app for private pool rental, is enjoying increasing popularity
Developed in 2017 by Frenchwoman Raphaëlle de Monteynard, Swimmy works in a similar way to Airbnb. Those who use the app to rent out their pools earn between €1,000 and €10,000 in a single summer, so it’s not hard to see the lure. In fact, the number of registered private pools increased by around 20% between 2023 and 2024, and the number of app users increased by a whopping 37%, from 270,000 to 370,000, and the platform predicts that next season will be even better. (Enia Gómez, ABC Madrid, August 11, 2024).
Private pool rental is popular throughout Spain
The top locations for pool rentals are currently Madrid – with around 140 pools individually registered on the app – and Barcelona, which is close behind with around 130 pools registered.
Some pool owners, such as Mercedes Rodríguez, who lives in Madrid and rents out her own pool, also offer additional amenities such as clean towels, snacks or even a barbecue for an additional charge to increase revenue while offering pool renters a more personalized experience, as Mercedes confirmed in an interview with ABC Madrid.
Despite its popularity, renting a pool privately can also have disadvantages
However, not all those who have rented out their pools have had a 100% positive experience, Mercedes is one of them. During the interview with ABC Madrid, she confessed to having had a bad experience with a large group of 25-30 year olds that not only made her nervous but also became a point of contention between Mercedes and her neighbors. The group came with a lot of alcohol and behaved inappropriately, getting drunk, stripping naked and abusing Mercedes’ trust by taking food from her fridge and piling up the garbage in front of the entrance to her house. When they left the property, the group continued to behave unruly and, among other things, peed on the street while the neighbors looked on in horror and outrage. After this incident and several others when Mercedes felt the situation was getting out of control, the Madrid resident has now set a limit on the number of people for her pool rental and is strictly adhering to it. She refuses larger groups despite the financial lure.
The Swimmy platform assures that the app is becoming increasingly successful. It seems that the trend of private rental of swimming pools will continue, despite the reservations of many Spaniards who would like to see greater restrictions on tourism in the country.
