I retired because of cancer and thought I'd lose my dream home. Renting out my pool and spa helped pay my mortgage.

• Renting out her pool and spa on Swimply helped Morgan Night afford to stay in her 1970s dream house.
• The income helps pay her mortgage after she retired due to cancer.
• She invested $10,000 in her spa room and earned it back in the first year.

This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with Morgan Night, who rents out her Los Angeles pool and spa room by the hour using the Swimply app. This story has been edited for length and clarity.

I retired in 2022 because I have cancer and I couldn't work full-time anymore.

I've had it for seven years now. I was actually supposed to die three years ago, so because of that, I ran out of money. I only planned for up until I was supposed to die.

I bought my house really cheap when interest rates were low 13 years ago, and I fixed it up into my dream home. It's a time capsule of a seventies house. I grew up in the seventies and am a big fan of that era. I was the perfect second owner because I knew what to do to bring it back to its original glory.

I thought I would have to move out and downsize into a much smaller place during my final years.

I had seen ads for the app Swimply, where people rent out their pools. We had a pool that I had built for my daughter and me. So during the summer of 2024, I decided to give it a shot to bring in some extra money to pay the mortgage.

It was wildly successful, and I think that's partly because my previous job was as a themed hotel owner, so I knew how to deal with guests and make the space really fun.

That first summer, renting out the pool earned three times my best-case scenario.

It allowed me to stay in my dream house for my final bow.

I invested $10,000 to rent out my spa

When the weather changed, we weren't getting many bookings, and heating the pool is way more expensive in the winter, so I was trying to think of a way to keep income coming in.

We had an old indoor spa room that we weren't using because it had issues with tile breaking, and the spa itself wasn't that great. So I invested some of my summer money to bring the room back to life.

I spent three or four months fixing it up. I added a sauna and an outdoor fire pit area right next to it that has great views.

I let all our summer guests know we had a winter option. We also made it an add-on for the pool in the summer, so our pool bookings were up this year, partially because of the hot tub.

I probably spent about $10,000 on everything. I made that back on the spa alone in the first year.

I offer the hot tub for a starting base rate of $25 per hour, and people can add on the fire pit, sauna, or the rec room, which features a pool table, jukebox, darts, and video games. The pool starts at $50 per hour.

Most people who book the spa are couples looking for a romantic night. The pool gets everything from couples to parties. We get 18-year-olds up to 60-year-olds, swim instructors, big 40-person birthday parties, and corporate events. We get a lot of repeat bookings too.

Because of the political climate we're in, I also make it clear on our listings that we're a safe space for gay and trans people.

Renting my space is the easiest job I’ve ever had

The work involves communicating with guests over the internet, cleaning between guests, sanitizing, and doing some laundry.

To me, all of it seems like the easiest job I've ever had. I don't even have to leave home. I can just sit at home and watch movies while others are here and earn an income.

The only occasional issues I've had with guests are people accidentally inviting extra guests or getting too loud. However, when I clearly outline everything in the messages ahead of time, there are no issues. Everyone is really respectful because it's your private home.

The work I'm able to do is health-dependent. I have never felt sick from the cancer, but the side effects from the drugs keeping me alive are sometimes really brutal.

Luckily, I've been able to do 90% of this on my own, and my partner helps if I'm sick. I would never take a job where being part of a team would be affected by my health, so this is kind of the perfect scenario.

I used to be a workaholic, so I think I get high off having a little bit of that back.

The work-to-money ratio is ridiculously good, and I can't recommend it enough as a side hustle if you have a pool or a spa. It's allowed me to stay in my dream house. It was either this or move out.