Rent a pool by the hour in Fresno, homeowners find ways to make extra cash

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- This tropical backyard oasis in Northeast Fresno could be yours for a few hours if you rent it online.

"I kind of glanced outside and said wait a second, I have a pool back here that my kids have stopped using. I need to pay for my pool guy. How about I see if I can make a few bucks on my pool, and it just took off from there. That was a couple of months ago and it's gone really well," said Travis Herb, Swimply Pool Host.

Travis Herb is a host on Swimply. On the website and app, you can see listings in your area.

In Fresno and Clovis, that ranges from $40 to $65 an hour.

Swimply officials say it's free to list, but there are some fees.

As far as safety, the company says it has protections.

"We offer up to $1 million in liability insurance, plus another $10,000 in property damage. So we have this fantastic primary coverage for your host reservations," said Sonny Mayugba, Swimply VP of Growth.

The company says your pool, your rules. To date, Herb hasn't had an issue.

So far, people from across the Valley have rented his oasis and outdoor area.

"It's been everything from people; a couple came one time and just wanted to hang out, enjoy the Fresno summer and have a glass of wine, then I host pool parties. A five-year-old party this past weekend, a super sweet family with three kids. It's really a joy to meet people from all over the place," Herb said.

The company says Swimply has grown during the pandemic, as people gathered outside.

In one year, business went up 4,000%.

To date, about ten people in the Fresno-Clovis area have signed up to be hosts on Swimply. The company expects that to go up, especially as the temperature gets hotter.