Montreal homeowners renting out pools for cash, but experts urge caution

Temperatures continue to rise in Montreal this week, with the city under a heat alert and the humidex at 40 degrees Celsius. While public pools and splashpads are great ways to beat the heat there is another way to cool down.

Fifty five pool owners in Montreal are now using Swimply to rent their backyard pools. For an hourly charge, the online marketplace connects pool owners and locals who are looking to rent a cool place.

“Why not rent it to families who don’t have the pool? That way they can get a break from heat or use it for lessons if needed,” Holly Lawson, a resident of Ile-Perrot, said. Holly Lawson started renting her pool through Swimply this week.

The average rent is 45 Dollars per hour. Lawson rents her pool to 35 Americans. Renters can use her private bathroom, saltwater pool, and barbecue at her pool and in the surrounding backyard facilities.

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. Swimply is an American company founded in 2018, and later expanded to Canada.

The company takes 15 per cent of the sale, and pool owners pocket the rest. Sonny Mayugba, Vice President for Growth, stated that renting an underutilized pool could supplement your income based on host availability.

“What you see is that these hosts are making 1,000 dollars per month, two thousand, or five thousand dollars,” he explained to Global News.

Insurance firms warn homeowners that the risk is higher than the reward.

” There are too many things that could go wrong,” stated Curtis Killen, President of KBD Insurance.

He suggests that potential renters speak to their insurance provider before entering the market.

“It’s possible that your home insurance will deny it, as it’s technically similar for commercial use. They’re going to make a lot of money off it.” he stated. Raynald Hawkins, the Executive Director of Quebec’s branch for The Lifesaving Society reminds hosts that they are responsible for enforcing water safety regulations.

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I think you have a portion of this to ensure everything is safe when you rent.

Lawson prohibits diving and requires that one person be present at all times.

While Lawson waits to book her first booking, she hopes that her pool will bring joy to others than her family this summer.

(c) 2021 Global News is a division Corus Entertainment Inc.

https://globalnews.ca/news/8104371/montreal-homeowners-renting-out-pools-for-cash-but-experts-urge-caution/, GlobalNews.ca
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source https://ihomenews.com/montreal-homeowners-renting-out-pools-for-cash-but-experts-urge-caution/