You can book a private sauna or heated pool this winter
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Forget asking your neighbor to use their sauna — now you can just book it. Swimply, known for summertime pool rentals, is expanding its lineup for the colder months.
Why it matters: Renting out an indoor pool, sauna or hot tub can turn a costly home feature into a moneymaker.
- For guests, it's a way to score some R&R without the crowds or commitment.
State of play: Swimply's new "Igloos" category features around 1,500 listings across the country available by the hour.
- Nearly 100 hosts who participated in a beta test last "off-season," between September 2024 and May 2025, earned over $10,000, according to a press release.
- Top earners made close to $100,000.
The big picture: Just about everything — from clothes to cars to entire homes — is rentable these days.
What we're hearing: Rob Nachbar's hot tub and backyard entertainment space in Portland, Oregon, is booked almost every weekend on Swimply.
- The 100-inch screen and HD projector make it a popular spot for "Love Island" watch parties and football fans, plus "a lot of date nights," Nachbar tells Axios.
- "It's been a nice little steady stream of side income that basically pays our mortgage," he says, bringing in roughly $85,000 over the past couple of years.
The fine print: The company doesn't require hosts to provide restrooms but says 95% of them do.
- Swimply offers liability and property damage protection, though it recommends hosts "obtain appropriate insurance."
What's next: Expect more "Igloos" to drop on the site in the coming weeks, Swimply CEO Bunim Laskin tells Axios.
- "As the days get shorter and people naturally retreat indoors, spaces that create warm, tactile and human moments become even more essential."
Go deeper: "Dumb homes" are the latest flex
