Airbnb: To get a Pool or not in Florida

[Scott Goulet]

Hi all, quick question. 

I am in the Port Saint Lucie, Fl market and i have an airbnb that is doing quite well from an income perspective. 

However going into the summer my bookings have slowed down, i do not currently have a pool. 

Is getting a $500 above ground pool worth it? 

Anyone have any advise when it comes to liability/insurance if i have a pool at my airbnb? 

Thank you very much for your input! 

[Andrew Steffens]

Hey Scott

We are primarily in the Tampa market and notice our larger homes that are non pool suffer as well.  I do not have experience with above ground but I believe that would be fine if done tastefully.  I would encourage a deck as well.  You would  then alert your insurance to it and it will go up but you would be covered.  I hope that helps.

[John Underwood]

Get a small inground fiberglass pool.

No above ground pool unless you have a mobile home.

[Lucie Tighe]

@Scott Goulet I agree with Andrew. Properties with no pool definitely suffer through the hot summer months. It is a great amenity to have. If pool in ground is not an option or not in your budget, a quality above ground one could be a good route to go.

I would definitely make sure you have an appropriate coverage. If you need an insurance agent who can look into it for you and provide you with some quotes, reach out. 

We go above and beyond when it comes to protection.. starting with insurance coverage, sings in the listing and in the property that there is no guard on duty (as silly as that sounds), putting extra locking device high enough so youngsters can't reach, an alarm/beep system to alert them that door opens for those with small children (or elderly) so they cannot wander out in the backyard with no one noticing and risk drowning. I would look into any regulations that might require you to have a fence around the pool as well :)

Hope that helps.

[Sarah Kensinger]

I would definitely invest in the inground pool over the above ground option.

[Michael Baum]

I agree with @John Underwood and @Sarah Kensinger. If you can do it, in ground all the way.

Nothing screams cheap like an above ground pool. Even a good one that costs thousands with the surrounding deck.

My 2 cents.

[Jill F.]

Our season is too short to justify a pool but if I owned property in the south I look into these partial inground pools: https://www.poolandspadepot.co...

[Mark Fein]

Is the AirBnB market rental market slowing down in general in your area?  There are reports that this is happening.   The slowdown may not be due to the lack of a pool.

[Jon Martin]

Do an enemy analysis. Check "flexible" dates for a house with a pool to weed out the condos with shared pools. This should bring up all of the homes in your area with pools. Exclude any units that are out of your league and focus on similar comps. 

What are they charging per night? How full is their calendar? Should give you an idea as to whether it's worth it or not. 

[Ray Hage]

Generally speaking, you're really going to want to have an inviting in ground pool. It will be expensive to build. I would avoid an above ground pool. 

There are some exceptions to having a pool like if the house is a block from the beach or it's in a downtown area. 

[Scott Goulet]

Quote from @Mark Fein:

Is the AirBnB market rental market slowing down in general in your area?  There are reports that this is happening.   The slowdown may not be due to the lack of a pool.

 Mark, yes as soon as April came, i noticed a 20-25% drop in bookings. We have had to reduce nightly rates 30% just to get bookings in my area which is Port Saint Lucie, Fl. 

[Scott Goulet]

Quote from @Jon Martin:

Do an enemy analysis. Check "flexible" dates for a house with a pool to weed out the condos with shared pools. This should bring up all of the homes in your area with pools. Exclude any units that are out of your league and focus on similar comps. 

What are they charging per night? How full is their calendar? Should give you an idea as to whether it's worth it or not. 

 Jon, I have done this and honestly their nightly rates in most cases are within $20 per night of my place which doesnt have a pool. Maybe I could convert my garage to a movie theater or something? Though, that would probably be a similar cost to the above ground pool. 

[Jon Martin]

@Scott Goulet if that's the case and there is no significant difference in occupancy, then my gut tells me that it is not a major factor that guests consider and are willing to pay a premium for. Or, there are so pools already that it is no longer a unique differentiator. 

I would do a game room over a movie theatre. I think most people are content with a decent tv in a comfy living room. 

[Jonathan Cronkite]

Ok...I was searching here b/c I have the same question.  We are in FL and I know if we had a pool, it would a deal changer.  As cheap as a $400 pool may seem, I would think a cheap pool is better than no pool.  There isn't a 10 year old that cares about that...and parents would be happy that they are happy.   ON THE OTHER SIDE, the liability and cost of fencing it in, as I would need to do, is a huge factor...  My wife thinks we should invest in a swim spa, but they are $25k.  

[Joseph Lalia]

Airbnb without a pool or waterfront prop is going to struggle anywhere in Florida

[January Johnson]

At the risk of taking flak here, I'm going to say I've seen a lot of super cute stock tank pools that are low-cost options.  You can build a deck around them as well - or not.  Some Instagrammable indoor-outdoor carpet, chairs, and umbrellas, and you can take it up a notch for less money.  

[Michael Baum]

This ain't bad lookin'!

[Colton Johnson]

Hi Scott, 

I would go with the Inground pool with a finished area around it. It would make a great area for hosting, and I think it would add a significant value to the Airbnb clients.

[Pete Appezzato]

In beach markets, in ground pools tend to increase revenue 20% or so.  Not sure about an above ground pool however.   If it's just slapped in the backyard, i'd imagine it may not make a big difference but if you create an environment around it, it could be different.