Staff Reporter
ONE of the many changes in habits to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic was the new practice of renting time at someone’s private swimming pool, as would-be bathers sought to avoid possible infections at public installations.
While the coronavirus health emergency may now be a distant memory, it would appear that pool hire is here to stay, with an online platform called Cocopool facilitating these rentals.
The website allows the owners of private pools to monetize these swimming areas, along with the adjacent garden areas.
The users, meanwhile, can not only enjoy a swim, but also a barbecue or catered meal for occasions such as a birthday party, baby shower or work event.
Read more: How much would I be fined for filling up my swimming pool illegally in Spain’s Andalucia?
“We are seeing really strong activity every summer in Malaga,” Gerard Xalabarde, the CEO and co-founder of Cocopool, told La Opinion de Malaga. “We have active pools that are in full demand,” he added.
Xalabarde explained to the newspaper that the average cost of a reservation for a pool last year came in at €320, while pool owners earned on average €2,500 over the year.
“This year we are expecting to exceed these numbers,” he said.
“The rental of spaces has become the business of the summer,” Xalabarde continued. “In fact, the private pool rental market is currently a growing option throughout Spain and is a trend that is attracting more and more attention from both owners and bathers.”
Pool owners can easily sign up to the site, setting out their conditions for rental and setting a price. After being assessed by the team at Cocopool, their ad is published some 24 hours later.
Users, meanwhile, can search for pools on the site by location, stipulating how many people will be attending. Owners can then decide whether to accept or reject bookings.
Some users of the site are reported to have earned as much as €10,000 over the year thanks to their hires.
