MISSOULA — It's hot in Missoula, and that means summer is in full swing. It kind of makes you want to sit by a pool, doesn't it?
Well, now you can put your shades on, your feet up and rent out some pool time.
When Sean Cahill and his wife Candance, scored their Missoula home with a pool, they had no intentions of sharing it with strangers, until they swam across the app Swimply. It's an app that acts as an Airbnb for pools.
The Cahill’s had to be verified by the Swimply company in order for their pool to be posted. Renters also need to be verified, which happens when they create an account.
“And then you go in and you get verified as well. And then, depending on your area. You select the pools, I think we're the only one in Missoula, so it's limited,“ said Sean.
They jumped right in and decided to give it a go and Saturday marked their first pool party renter.
The Cahill’s have a couple of pool rules, but the main rule is to have fun. They have games that renters can use along with the pool.
“Yeah, I think that they just come in and we just kind of welcome to the pool show them the lay of the land and give them a couple of rules, and we just, we tell them we're going to get out of their hair and just let them have fun,” said Candance.
But wouldn’t it be inconvenient to have people in your backyard and in your pool during the summer? Not for the Cahill’s.
“You know, my theory is you're a stranger once they come back then it gets, you know, more relatable," said Sean Cahill.
The Cahill’s see Swimply as a way to host, share and let people enjoy some pool time, especially when they can’t be out catching it themselves.
“We have a great backyard, and we don't use it all the time. We're kind of neglecting and it feels good to see these people go in the backyard and enjoy," said Sean.
For this Missoula family, Swimply was the best way to share what they have with the community while getting paid for it.
