For many of us, renting a home with a pool is the ultimate vacation dream: a private oasis to relax, swim, and cool off, free from crowds. But while pools are a major summer vacation perk, they also require consistent care to ensure the water remains safe and clean. Whether you're renting for a week or the whole season, understanding basic pool maintenance can help prevent health risks and costly issues. 

Here’s what you need to know to enjoy your summer rental and your pool to the fullest.

Why Pool Water Safety Matters

Pools can harbor bacteria, algae, and harmful microorganisms if not properly maintained. Swimmers may face health issues ranging from skin irritation to more serious illnesses like E. coli or cryptosporidiosis, often caused by contaminated water. If your rental agreement holds you responsible for any physical damage to the property, you should also know that unbalanced pool water can damage or corrode surface materials, lead to staining, and more.

The good news? You don’t need to be a pool expert to enjoy clean, safe water on your vacation. A few simple guidelines and a bit of proactive oversight can go a long way.

Step 1: Ask Questions Before You Rent

Once a home or property owner rents out their house with a pool, it becomes a commercial property. 

Whether it’s through VRBO, AirBNB, a property management company, or an individual, before signing a lease or booking your summer rental, ask these key questions about pool maintenance:

• Who is responsible for maintenance? Many vacation rentals include weekly visits from a professional pool technician, which is ideal for both you and the property owner. Confirm who handles cleaning, water testing, and chemical balancing.
  
  
• How often is the pool serviced? Ideally, a pool should be checked and cleaned at least twice a week, and more frequently during heavy use or extreme heat.
  
  
• Are maintenance logs available? Owners who are renting out their home with a pool should keep records of service, chemical levels, and repairs. Reviewing these gives insight into the pool’s care history.
  
  
• Is the main drain Virginia Graeme Baker (VGB) compliant? Has it been replaced within the last 5 years? The pool owner must be compliant with this law to ensure pool drains won’t accidentally suck swimmers into the drain.
  
  
• What safety equipment is provided? You want to ensure pools have locking gates, as well as life saving equipment such as a throw rope, life hook, and safety signs. 

Tip:  It should be fairly easy to spot if water quality records have been forged: look for the same reading being repeated time after time. Pool water balances fluctuate, even when within ideal range, so it’s unusual to repeatedly see the same reading. Check out our advice for more clues records have been forged.

If the rental doesn’t include maintenance, you may need to contract a local pool service, especially for longer stays.

Step 2: Understand the Basics of Pool Chemistry

You don’t need a chemistry degree, but a basic understanding of pool water balance will help you monitor its safety. Key components include:

• Chlorine: Kills bacteria and sanitizes the water. Ideal range: 1.0–3.0 ppm (parts per million).
  
  
• pH level: Measures water acidity. A balanced pH (7.2–7.6) prevents eye irritation and equipment damage.
  
  
• Alkalinity: Stabilizes pH levels. Should range from 80–120 ppm.
  
  
• Calcium hardness: Too low can corrode surfaces; too high causes scaling. Ideal range: 200–400 ppm.
  
  
• Cyanuric acid: Also called pool stabilizer, cyanuric acid protects chlorine from sunlight. Recommended level: 30–50 ppm.

Though testing will give you the best intel on water quality–and reveal invisible issues–there are also physical clues to look for:

• Is the water cloudy or green? If this is the case, it’s a clear indicator of unbalanced water that is not properly disinfecting and controlling bacteria, viruses, and algae.
  
  
• Can you see the drain at the bottom of the pool? Again, if the water is so cloudy the drain at the bottom of the pool in the deep end isn’t visible, this water is not safe to swim in. This is not only because of the risk for disease and irritation, but also because water that isn’t clear makes it far more difficult for lifeguards and parents to do their job and ensure swimmers are safe.
  
  
• How does the pool smell? If it smells off or too strongly of chlorine, this is another sign that the chemical balance is off in the pool and you should not get in. 

Testing kits or pool test strips are inexpensive and available at most hardware or pool supply stores. (You want one that can test free chlorine)  We recommend bringing your own with you and checking the water every few days—especially after storms or high use (for example, if you host a large party on the property)—to ensure everything stays in balance.

Step 3: Keep the Pool Clean

Physical cleanliness is just as important for clean water as pool chemistry, and can even impact pool chemistry levels. This doesn’t need to be extensive on your part, but a few simple steps can help make the pool clean and fun during your stay:

• Skim daily: Use a net to remove leaves, bugs, and debris floating on the surface.
  
  
• Brush walls and vacuum weekly: This step really only applies if you’re staying for more than one week, and the property doesn’t employ a pool technician for weekly cleanings. If that’s the case, you want to watch for algae and grime build up on pool walls and floors. Use a pool brush and vacuum to clean thoroughly.
  
  
• Empty skimmer baskets: Clogged skimmers reduce water flow and filtration effectiveness.
  
  
• Check the filter: Whether it’s a cartridge, sand, or DE filter, ensure it’s cleaned and backwashed regularly.
  
  

If this sounds like a lot, don’t worry. Many vacation properties include professional pool service as part of the rental. If you’ve asked the questions we covered in Step 1 ahead of your rental, you’ll know for certain who’s responsible for cleaning–and you may only need to skim the pool daily or as needed to remove debris. 

Step 4: Monitor Swimmer Hygiene

Even a perfectly maintained pool can become contaminated through poor swimmer hygiene. A few simple rules can make a big difference:

• Shower before swimming: This removes body oils, sweat, and sunscreen that can cloud water or interfere with chlorine.
  
  
• Don’t swim when sick: Anyone with stomach issues or open wounds should avoid the pool.
  
  
• Take frequent bathroom breaks for kids: Encourage young swimmers to use the restroom regularly and change swim diapers often.

While these may feel like small details, they significantly reduce bacteria as well as the workload for the pool’s chlorine and help keep the water sparkling and safe.

Step 5: Be Prepared for Weather and Use Changes

Summer weather can change quickly, and storms or heat waves affect water quality. Heavy rains can dilute chemicals, while intense sun depletes chlorine faster. And if you’re hosting a pool party, more swimmers mean more contaminants.

In these cases, test the water after the event or storm. If chlorine levels have been diluted, contact the rental owner or the pool cleaner they employ and inquire about a chlorine shock treatment–essentially a heavy dose of chlorine. Many rental owners keep shock packets on hand for exactly this reason.

Step 6: Communicate with the Property Owner or Manager

If you notice cloudy water, strong chlorine smells, or algae growth, contact the rental owner or property manager immediately. They should be equipped to respond or send a professional. Never try to overhaul a pool’s chemistry yourself without proper training, you could cause damage or create unsafe conditions.

Instead, the pool test kits you bring with you are to give you peace of mind and alert you if something is really off balance, so you can raise the issue with the property owner or rental company to resolve. 

Step 7: Safety First

Aside from water cleanliness, always prioritize safety:

• Install or check pool barriers and gates.
  
  
• Ask the pool owner about door and gate alarms.
  
  
• Don’t leave children unattended.
  
  
• Designate one adult at all times to watch children, even in the house.
  
  
• Have life-saving equipment nearby, like flotation devices or a pole.
  
  
• Avoid diving unless the pool is specifically designed for it.
  
  
• Keep glass inside and away from the pool.
  
  

Tip: Ahead of your stay, make and laminate a simple pool safety rules card to keep near the patio or pool deck to remind guests of key hygiene and safety practices. This is especially helpful if you're hosting family or friends during your stay.

Final Thoughts on Renting a Home with a Pool

Renting a home with a pool can elevate your summer from ordinary to unforgettable, offering a refreshing retreat just steps from your door. With a bit of knowledge and some basic upkeep, you can ensure the water stays clean, safe, and swim-ready all summer long.

Whether you’re floating on a raft with a drink in hand or watching the kids splash around at sunset, that sparkling pool is worth every minute of care you spend before and during your stay.

The PoolShark H20 app makes it simple for property managers to track and record pool water quality, even remotely. It gives everyone–from guests like you to owners themselves–peace of mind, as it does the complex pool chemistry math for them or their pool technician, then locks test results and chemical adjustments digitally, archiving them for reference and Health Department compliance. A property owner can easily receive alerts when tests are missed or water chemistry is unsafe, as well as quickly share a PDF of the pool’s latest test results with anyone renting. 

If you’re renting a home with a pool this summer, or for any vacation, and the owner hasn’t discovered PoolShark H20 yet, recommend it during your pre-rental pool safety check–for their peace of mind and yours.