Hiring out above ground domestic temporary pools (TN65)

PWTAG Technical notes are updates or new material for the standards and guidance given in the PWTAG book, Swimming Pool Water and the PWTAG Code of practice and should be read in association with these publications.

August 2023 V2 – Although this technical note refers to Above Ground Pools (AGP’s) for hire, both in and above ground domestic pools should be treated in the same manner. AGP’s are featured specifically here because of the increased rise in popularity and extension of use for commercial gain.

Temporary pools used are often above-ground pools (AGPs) and they have been around for years – for domestic garden use mainly, though some commercial designs have been successfully deployed in more formal swimming events. This technical note is about how they should be used, but also warns against domestic AGPs being used as temporary pools commercially, in teaching for example, mainly due to concerns for water hygiene quality.

Domestic pool owners increasingly consider softening the financial impact of running the pool by hiring it out. But this needs some careful planning about the pool. Owners need to consider both its condition and its status. So this technical note deals with the safety and legal issues as well as water management. It applies both to a pool being hired on its own without additional facilities, and when the hire includes premises. It covers both short and long-term hire.