Sign up for NPR Life Kit newsletter for expert advice on lifestyle topics like health, money, relationships and more.A scorching Alabama day isn't so bad — if there's a pool party.Meghan Clopton invited dozens of guests to a summer birthday celebration for one of her kids last year, complete with water guns, a twisting slide and plenty of inflatables.The guests had just one shared question: Whose pool was this?Her answer? She rented it."It's part of the culture now, right? Just, like, take over someone else's house or pool for the day or the weekend," Clopton said."For a fee," her husband Taylor Clopton added.They rented the backyard pool through Swimply, one of a small but growing number of Airbnb-style companies that lets you rent pools, along with other private spaces including tennis and basketball courts.
These listings are a growing side of the sharing economy that have made it common, and often near-frictionless, to rent someone else's property, from cars to guest bedrooms.Clopton paid $381 for that birthday party, which allowed her to invite up to 30 guests for three hours of pool time.The pool's owner, Jasmine Lawson, said she's had bookings for graduations parties, book clubs and photo shoots.Overall, she's hosted over 1,000 guests a year at her Birmingham property.
"And it grows every single year," Lawson added.Along with a hot tub and an 8-foot-deep pool, Lawson's guests get access to an air conditioned room in her home with a table for laying out a party spread, plus a private bathroom.They also get to choose from a catalogue of 50 different pool floats.
(The white, human-sized inflatable unicorn that sprays water from its horn is a favorite.)Lawson gives all her guests a walk-through when they arrive, before going upstairs to work."But if they ever need anything, I'm right down here helping them as soon as I can," she said.
Swimply users can use a filter on the platform for more privacy — that can include factors like whether or not the pool is...