Short-term rental services such as Airbnb and Vrbo are a hot topic in Dallas at the moment due to the noise, traffic, and crime they can produce. The Dallas City Council is expected to vote on regulations or a ban in residential neighborhoods at its June 14 meeting, bringing a nearly four-year process to an end.
But one short-term rental site may be less familiar. Since its appearance on Shark Tank, in March 2020, Swimply has taken off. Co-owner Bunim Laskin began his foray into the amenity rental platform business when he noticed his New Jersey neighbors rarely used their swimming pool and asked if he could rent it for his 12 siblings for a day. His site now allows hosts to rent out all their amenities—pools, home gyms, tennis courts—for an hourly rate. Dallas currently has more than 300 listings on the site.
Ah, but here’s the rub: renting out your swimming pool has always been prohibited in the city. According to Dallas City Code Sec. 51A-4.217, “No private swimming pool may be operated as a business, except that private swimming lessons may be given under the home occupation use.” So you can bring in a professional swim coach, but renting out your pool is verboten.