Court: Swimply pool rentals need public licenses

A Minnesota court recently ruled that private pools offered through Swimply, the peer-to-peer pool-rental platform, can be treated as public pools under state law and therefore must comply with public-pool licensing and oversight requirements. The decision affects homeowners who list pools for hourly rental across Minnesota and reinforces guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health that has been in place since 2021, bringing the platform squarely into the regulatory framework that governs commercial aquatic operations.

Under Minnesota rules, public pools must obtain an operating permit, pass plan review, submit to routine inspections by the state health department, and have a certified trained operator who completes formal training every five years; the state’s inspection fee is about $1,500 and the annual license fee roughly $355. Those compliance costs and requirements appear to be influencing the market: Swimply has lost nearly 100 listings in Minnesota since the state’s guidance was published in 2021, suggesting some owners chose to delist rather than meet licensing obligations. Safety concerns that motivate oversight are illustrated by past tragedies elsewhere — for example, a 7-year-old child drowned at a private pool rented for a party in Teaneck, New Jersey, in 2022 — underscoring arguments for uniform lifeguard, safety and maintenance standards that licensing aims to ensure.

Coverage of Swimply has shifted from early reporting that framed the service as an innovative sharing‑economy convenience to the more recent emphasis on regulatory and safety issues. Since the Minnesota Department of Health’s 2021 guidance and now this court ruling, reporting has increasingly focused on how public-health rules apply to ad-hoc rentals, the financial and administrative burden on homeowners, and potential public-safety gaps. Public reaction, particularly on social platforms, has mirrored that tension: some users and homeowners express alarm about new costs and restrictions, while many others voice support for stronger safety protections after high-profile incidents highlighted risks in unregulated rentals.