NORTH KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City area is under a heat advisory through Saturday, and it's the kind of weather where all you want to do is jump in the pool.
It's why some people in Kansas City are diving into a growing consumer trend: renting private pools by the hour.
Becky Stegmaier owns a pool at her home in North Kansas City. She said she has been renting her pool to guests for five years and has seen nearly 300 bookings.
"We weren't swimming as much as we thought we would," Stegmaier said. "We used to Airbnb our house, so we decided to put that in play here."
Stegmaier said she charges $39 per hour for small groups of one to five people, and $80 per hour for larger groups of up to 15 people.
"It's a good revenue stream for us," Stegmaier said.
Her rental includes amenities like an outdoor bathroom, pool floats, WiFi, and options to rent a grill and tables.
"A lot of families, swimming lessons, and a lot of people want the privacy," Stegmaier said. "We've even had dates come here, so I assume those turned out fine. I don't know."
Beyond the financial benefits, Stegmaier enjoys the atmosphere these rentals create.
"More importantly, I feel that there's nothing more fun than hearing people laugh in your backyard and have fun," Stegmaier said.
Michelle Miller and her friends, who work as travel nurses on assignment in Kansas City, recently took advantage of this trend during their day off.
"It's just kind of like Airbnb, but for the pool," Miller said. "We just rented this because we all had the day off and it was going to be hot."
Miller and her friends said there's no price on their quality time together.
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KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers the cities of Shawnee and Mission. She also focuses on issues surrounding the cost of health care, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.
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