A Property Manager's Guide to Pool Safety

As the summer months beckon with their promise of warm, sunny days, the allure of a cool, inviting swimming pool becomes almost irresistible. For property managers and owners, this seasonal charm brings with it a paramount responsibility: ensuring pool safety for all guests.

Whether you have an above-ground pool, in-ground pool, or your guests have access to a public pool, they all come with varying degrees of risk and responsibility and should be on the top of your safety check up list. Before even letting your guests near water on your property, you need to take several safety steps and precautions and educate your guests on pool and swimming safety tips.

To help you protect your guests and your property, we here at SaferVRs have created this quick guide to pool safety detailing what you need to know.

The Importance of Pool Inspection

As a property owner, regular pool inspections are of utmost importance. As many as 1 in 8 routine pool inspections identify serious issues that can threaten the health and safety of your guests. Being proactive and addressing issues before they occur can protect your revenue and your peace of mind.

Pool inspections will look at all the elements of your swimming pool, including the filtration system, pool lining, pool drains, electrical systems, including the pump, the area surrounding your pool, fencing, and all accessories used with your pool.

You should schedule an inspection annually, ideally before the summer season, to ensure everything is in good condition after winter.

Regular Pool Maintenance

As a property owner, you need to ensure that your pool is kept clean and safe for your guests to enjoy. Maintaining proper water chemistry is one of the most important aspects of pool maintenance.

Testing of Chemicals

Regular testing of the chemicals in the water should include:

• pH
• Chlorine or bromine levels, depending upon disinfectant used
• Alkalinity
• Water hardness

Why the concern? Imbalanced pool chemicals can lead to skin irritations, algae growth, cloudy waters, and even erosion of the pool and surfaces surrounding it.

Pool Equipment

In addition to ensuring chemicals are balanced, you should regularly check your pool equipment for wear and tear and promptly address any issues. This includes checking to ensure the pool filter is clean and the pump is functioning correctly.

Debris & General Cleanliness

Finally, ensuring your pool is routinely cleaned is also important. This includes skimming the pool to remove bugs and debris and vacuuming the floor to eliminate dirt and sediment building. Ensuring that the area surrounding the pool is clear makes this job easier as it prevents more unwanted debris, like leaves, from getting into the pool, making cleaning more difficult.

Legal Considerations with Pools

While having a backyard pool at your vacation rental can be a big benefit in terms of booking guests, it also comes with great responsibility. There are many legal concerns to consider and carefully navigate.

Perhaps the most important consideration is ensuring your property and pool comply with all local and state laws and regulations regarding pool safety. You should always educate yourself on local ordinances and laws concerning the installation and maintenance of the pool. You will also need to consider specific requirements regarding things like:

• Alarm systems
• Fencing around the pool
• Height and material requirements for fences and gates

Rental Contract

Be sure your rental contract contains specific details explicitly stating the rules and expectations regarding using the pool. Include clauses addressing pool safety and the supervision of guests (especially young children) while using the pool.

Be sure to point out the location of safety equipment and educate your guests on how to properly and safely use any relevant equipment.

Liability Insurance for Properties with Pools

Liability is a huge consideration for pool owners. Accidents and injuries can happen no matter how cautious you are, and protecting yourself and your property is important. You will need to consult with an insurance professional and ensure you have comprehensive coverage that specifically applies to the pool area.

What Should Be Covered

You should ensure your coverage accounts for medical expenses, legal fees, and any potential settlements that may arise from pool-related incidents. Coverage limits will vary depending on the property size, number of guests, and individual pool features. For example, pools with diving boards are typically more to insure as they pose a larger risk.

Protecting your Pool with Barriers & Signs

Fencing and barriers around your home pool are an important component of pool safety. They act as a deterrent to unauthorized access and reduce the risk of accidents, especially for children. You may also consider a safety consultant to help guide you through the safety proofing process.

Local Ordinances

Most local ordinances and insurance companies have specific requirements for pool fencing. Beyond their requirements, property owners should always make sure that pool barriers are solid structures with no gaps or openings.

Materials

The material of the fencing should also be considered. It should be sturdy and able to upload, being weathered over time. Fencing should be at least four feet high and not easily climbed.

Signage

It is also important to display clear, weather resistant, signage around the pool area. You should display pool rules to promote responsible behavior and lower the risk of incidents.

You should also prominently display contact information for emergency services and consider displaying basic first aid advice, such as CPR instructions. The American Red Cross offers several posters that are perfect to display poolside for your guests.

Depth Markers

Be sure your pool clearly displays depth markers and that emergency equipment is easily visible and clearly marked.

Educating your Guests about Pool & Water Safety

In addition to clear signage, your rental agreement and/or welcome packet should include comprehensive information outlining pool rules and pool safety tips.

Designated Water Watcher

Guests should have a caregiver acting as a designated water watcher present at all times when someone is in the pool. It is imperative that guests teach children basic swimming pool safety and be sure non-swimmers have inflatable floaties or other flotation devices available to assist them.

Ideally, all guests will have had swimming lessons, but as the host, you should never assume this and take all precautions to ensure they are aware of how to use the pool safely.

Safety Tools

Make sure your guests are aware of the location of all life saving equipment. Be sure to prepare your guests with a plan should an emergency arise and detail this information in the check-in information.

Additional Safety Measures & Monitoring Systems

Consider installing additional safety measures including but not limited to:

• Pool alarms
• Self-closing or self-latching gates
• Anti-entrapment drain covers and safety covers
• Smart pool safety devices like these often provide an extra layer of protection, especially where young children are involved.

Keep Your Guests Safe with Pool Safety

Pool safety is yet another of many safety implications property owners need to take into account. Managing the logistics of all the safety measures you should be taking can be overwhelming at times. Our goal at SaferVRs is to help make this an easy process for you.

Be sure to check out our coaching opportunities, online courses, and memberships to learn more about how we can help simplify this process for you, making owning a vacation rental easier and more manageable than ever!