AirBNB, VRBO, and other vacation rental pools and spas

The Wild West of Pool Maintenance: Vacation Rental Properties

If you've ever managed a pool or spa for an Airbnb, VRBO, or other vacation rental property, you know the feeling all too well. You arrive for your weekly service call, and the water that was crystal clear seven days ago now looks like chocolate milk. Welcome to the unpredictable world of vacation rental pool maintenance, where every week brings new surprises and challenges that would make even seasoned pool professionals break out in a cold sweat.

The vacation rental boom has created a unique subset of pool maintenance challenges that traditional residential service simply doesn't prepare you for. Unlike your regular customers who follow predictable patterns, vacation rentals throw curveballs every single week. One week the pool sits pristine and unused; the next week it's been invaded by a bachelorette party armed with sunscreen, wine, and questionable judgment.

The Unpredictable Bather Load Challenge

The fundamental challenge with vacation rental pools lies in their inherently unpredictable nature. As Eric Knight explains in the Rule Your Pool podcast:

If any of you pool pros out there are managing like an Airbnb or a VRBO or some other vacation rental property, you know that the load can be unpredictable and in season it is predictably horrible. Meaning it's just going to get slammed with people and you don't know what people and you don't know how many people and it's always different every single week.

— Eric Knight, Rule Your Pool Podcast

This unpredictability creates a domino effect of problems. Pool service professionals often find themselves playing defense rather than offense, arriving at properties only to discover they need to drain and refill spas, shock treat pools, or spend hours cleaning up messes they weren't prepared for. When you're running a route of 10+ pools per day, these surprises can throw your entire schedule into chaos.

The reactive approach that many pool pros are forced to adopt isn't sustainable. Instead of constantly fighting fires, there's a better way to approach these challenging accounts through proactive strategies and understanding the core principles that govern pool water quality.

The Four Pillars Strategy for Vacation Rentals

Rather than taking a reactive approach to vacation rental pool maintenance, applying Orenda's Four Pillars methodology can prevent most problems before they start. Each pillar addresses a specific category of issues with one actionable step:

Pillar 1: Maintain LSI Balance Year-Round

The Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) should remain in the balanced range (yellow or green on the Orenda calculator) regardless of temperature fluctuations. This is particularly crucial for vacation rentals where heated spas might experience rapid temperature swings. Carry a thermometer and account for temperature changes when calculating your water balance.

Pillar 2: Supplement Chlorine Against Oxidant Demand

This pillar becomes critical for vacation rentals due to the unknown variables. Knight emphasizes:

In general, pillar two is probably where I would put my focus when we talk about busy vacation rental properties because of the unknowns. You can be proactive and stay ahead of most of this stuff by assuming there's going to be a big bather load.

— Eric Knight, Rule Your Pool Podcast

The majority of chlorine consumption comes from oxidizing bather waste – sunscreen, lotions, cosmetics, and other organics. Enzymes like CV-600 can help break down these contaminants, freeing up chlorine to do what it does best: sanitize and kill harmful microorganisms.

Pillar 3: Keep Phosphates Below 500 PPB

While not as urgent for vacation rentals as other factors, maintaining phosphate levels below 500 parts per billion prevents chemistry complications that can compound other issues.

Pillar 4: Minimal Cyanuric Acid (CYA)

Keep CYA below 50 ppm for residential pools and below 15 ppm for commercial applications. Given the unpredictable nature of what might end up in vacation rental pools, maintaining lower CYA levels ensures your chlorine remains effective for sanitization.

Managing Rapid Temperature Swings

One unique challenge that vacation rental pools face, especially spas, is rapid temperature changes. Guests often arrive and immediately crank up the spa heater, creating dramatic temperature swings that can cause water quality issues.

What about when there's a rapid temperature swing? For instance, it's wintertime. The water's pretty cold, but then they crank up the heat on the spa, maybe even the pool, but usually it's going to be the hot tub. So the pool is staying cold, but the hot tub gets hot. So now you go from, I don't know, I'm going to make it up. Let's say 50 degree water to 90 degree water.

— Eric Knight, Rule Your Pool Podcast

These rapid temperature increases can cause LSI violations, leading to cloudy water as calcium carbonate precipitates out of solution. The key is to balance your chemistry for the colder temperature while using sequestering agents to bind up calcium and prevent scaling when temperatures rise.

Here are several strategies to manage temperature swings:

• Adjust chemistry for lower pH ceiling by running lower alkalinity
• Use sequestering agents like SC-1000 to chelate calcium
• Educate property owners about temperature limits
• Balance for the colder temperature to prevent permanent etching damage

Proactive Strategies for Pool Professionals

Success with vacation rental pools requires shifting from reactive to proactive management. Here's how professionals can stay ahead of the chaos:

Expect the Worst, Hope for the Best

As Knight notes:

Some of our customers have been telling us when they go to these rental properties, they're just expecting the worst.

— Eric Knight, Rule Your Pool Podcast

Build extra time into your routes for vacation rental properties. Budget for the possibility that you might need to drain and refill a spa or perform emergency shock treatment.

Chemical Strategy Adjustments

For vacation rentals, consider these modifications to your standard approach:

• Err on the higher side of free chlorine levels – they'll get used up quickly with heavy bather loads
• Use double weekly doses of enzymes as insurance against bather waste
• Maintain sequestering agent residuals to prevent scale formation
• Keep pH on the lower end of the acceptable range to accommodate rapid temperature increases

Communication is Key

Work with property owners to establish guidelines for guests. Simple signage about temperature limits, shower-before-entering policies, and no-glass rules can prevent many problems before they start.

Equipment and Automation Considerations

Most vacation rental properties lack automation systems, making weekly service the primary method of maintenance. However, property owners who invest in certain equipment can dramatically improve water quality between service visits:

• Ozone or AOP Systems: Superior oxidizers that can handle heavy bather loads more effectively than chlorine alone
• Automatic Pool Covers: Help contain pH and reduce evaporation and contamination
• Trichlor Feeders: Can help suppress pH rise between service visits
• UV Systems: Helpful for sanitation, though less effective against sunscreen due to UV-blocking properties

While UV systems provide sanitation benefits, Knight points out an important limitation: "UV can help, but UV does not oxidize. It can definitely help with sanitation, no doubt. But if the problem is sunscreen... Well, what does sunscreen block? Oh yeah, it blocks UV."

The Bottom Line: Preparation and Prevention

Managing vacation rental pools successfully requires a fundamental shift in approach. Instead of reacting to weekly surprises, successful pool professionals implement proactive strategies based on sound chemistry principles. The Four Pillars methodology provides a framework for preventing most problems before they occur, while understanding the unique challenges of temperature swings and unpredictable bather loads allows for targeted solutions.

For property owners, investing in proper equipment and establishing clear guidelines for guests can significantly reduce maintenance challenges. For pool professionals, building buffer time into routes and adjusting chemical strategies for vacation rental properties can turn these challenging accounts into profitable, manageable ones.

Remember, vacation rental pools will always present unique challenges, but with the right strategies and proactive approach, you can rule these pools instead of letting them rule you. The key is understanding that every week brings the potential for heavy use, planning accordingly, and having the tools and knowledge to handle whatever surprises await at your next service call.

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Vacation Rental Pool Challenges
• 03:15 The Four Pillars Strategy Overview
• 08:42 Managing Unpredictable Bather Loads
• 12:30 Rapid Temperature Swing Solutions
• 18:20 Proactive Chemical Strategies
• 22:45 Equipment and Automation Recommendations