by Kelly Campbell
In early June, pool rental startup Swimply, announced plans to offer private pickleball court rentals. Swimply has been making headlines since its inception in 2018. The company has been featured on SharkTank, Today, CNN, and more.
Think Airbnb for pools –– on Swimply, people can list their private pool online, and clients can choose and rent a private pool hourly. As the company has grown, they’ve expanded to include private hourly yard rentals and court rentals for basketball, tennis, volleyball, and pickleball. Swimply expects pickleball to outpace pool sales within the next three years.
“There’s a massive constraint right now considering how fast the sport is growing,” Bunim Laskin, Swimply founder and CEO, told CNBC. Laskin also expects available court rentals to double by the end of this summer.
Read on to learn more about Swimply’s success, how to use Swimply and Swimply’s plans for pickleball.
More About Swimply
Since its launch, Swimply has extended to rent over 10,000 private pools across 125 cities. With restrictions in place during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Swimply saw an astounding 4,000% increase in revenue in 2020.
“From the beginning, our mission was to take space that is meant to provide joy and happiness and connection and make sure we’re maximizing it to its fullest while giving access to people that do not come from as much to enjoy something they would dream of,” Laskin told Spectrum. “We focused on pools so we could perfect our craft and turn this magic into a science, and now we’re ready to expand beyond swimming pools and bring people together in more ways, starting with tennis and pickleball.”
For pool (and, now, court) owners, Swimply can be a great way to earn some extra income. For non-owners, Swimply allows renters to experience the benefits of private pools and courts without the hefty cost and maintenance.
To use Swimply, visit the site (or download the app), and input your zip code and desired rental date. You can also add certain filters like the number of guests, time, and any additional desired features you’re looking for. Once you find a pool that suits your needs and budget, you can reserve and plan your event.
If you’re looking to rent out your personal pool or court, create a profile on the Swimply site, list your amenities and offerings, and add some photos, rules, and availability. Once you post your listing, renters can browse your offerings and rent your space on the site. There is a 15% service fee, but renters set their own rates. Guests are charged upfront and hosts are paid through Swimply’s preferred payment system. Check out our blog “If You Build It, They Will Come: Everything You Need to Know About Backyard Pickleball Courts” for everything you need to know about building a private pickleball court.
Swimply is most popular in the following cities: Los Angeles, New York, Portland, Miami, Boston, Houston, and Phoenix.
Dives to Dinks: Swimply’s Plans for Pickleball
With the big pickleball boom, we’ve seen a huge increase in the market for private pickleball courts. In many cities, access and availability to public pickleball courts cannot keep up with the demand of players, so those who can afford it are opting to build pickleball courts in their own backyards. From low-cost DIY courts to professional-grade backyard pickleball courts, at-home pickleball is a great option for anyone in the pickleball community.
Swimply founder Laskin plans to list up to 300 pickleball rental courts initially, but he expects that number to double throughout the summer. Laskin told CNBC that some owners earned between $1,000-$3,000 per month or $25-100 per hour in a round of beta testing.
We know that there is a huge demand for public pickleball courts as the sport continues to grow around the country. Numerous pickleball facilities have opened up over the past few years. Pickleball Kingdom, Chicken N Pickle, and Pickle N Par are just some examples of facilities with courts available to rent to the public. One con to these facilities is that they often require ongoing memberships or hefty rental fees. Check out our blog for more information about these pickleball facilities.
Although we’re excited about the increase in public pickleball facilities, the Swimply rental system allows for more intimate matches and events. Swimply rentals are more customizable, which public facilities may struggle to compete with in the future. Swimply also will likely have a wider range of price options than these chain facilities.
Swimply’s projections for pickleball success are in part because of pickleball weather versatility. While Swimply’s pool sales peak in the summer months, pickleball can be played year-round in warmer states. Pickleball court rentals will also likely boom because of players’ desires to play multiple times a week rather than for one-off events.
What Could Swimply’s New Model Mean for Pickleball Growth?
As Swimply begins to roll out pickleball court rentals, we’re excited to see how the market grows. Their rental model has the potential to unite pickleballers and encourage players to grow their pickleball communities. Swimply’s pickleball launch will also likely introduce pickleball to a new market –– their pool customers and clients –– thus further continuing pickleball growth. From birthday parties to corporate events, Swimply’s pickleball model can potentially meet the always-growing demand for pickleball rentals, as long as court owners engage and list their properties. Still, we’re curious to see how the pricing model changes with demand and how Swimply pickleball rentals will compare to indoor pickleball facilities.
Overall, we can’t wait to witness how Swimply’s pickleball addition will impact the sport and give everyone access to the joy of private pickleball for a lesser cost.
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