ATU Resources · Pool Planning

Renting a Pool for Therapy

How to choose a community, school, YMCA, hotel or hospital pool for aquatic therapy, with free checklists for the owner meeting, the site visit, the agreement and your launch.

Published by ATU Educational Services, LLCLast reviewed October 23, 2026A 6–8 minute read, plus the checklists

Renting or building?
Questions for the owner
Site visit
The agreement
Staffing check
Launch plan
Questions
Ask us

Renting or building?

Renting pool time lets you start an aquatic therapy program without building, and tests demand before you commit.

Sections marked Expert opinion are practical guidance from ATU Educational Services, LLC. They are not rated as evidence.

Why rent

Expert opinion

You can start sooner, with little up-front cost. You can choose a pool close to your patients and grow your hours as referrals grow.

Trade-offs

Expert opinion

You do not control water temperature, maintenance or closures. Good hours may be scarce, you may share the deck with the public, and costs rise with every hour.

When to build

If demand outgrows rented hours, see Building a Therapy Pool and its build or rent decision checklist.

Business consulting

Talk through your plan with us

Weighing renting against building, or not sure a pool is right for your program yet? Deciding whether to build or rent is a business decision, and it is one we help programs make.

Aquatic Therapy University offers business consulting for aquatic therapy programs. We can help with:

Program business planning
Deciding whether to build or rent
Budgeting and cost questions
Medicare and billing setup
Staffing and training plans
Program launch

We do not design or build pools, act as a pool designer or engineer, or find or broker pools. For pool design, work with a licensed aquatic designer or engineer. To ask about consulting, call 865-204-0618, email info@swimatu.com or use the Contact Us form on our Private Training page.

Call 865-204-0618 Email us Send a message

Before you rent: questions to ask the pool owner

Questions to ask the pool owner

Expert opinion

Take this list to your first meeting. Check each question once you have a clear answer, ideally in writing.

The water
What temperature is the water kept at, and can it be held steady during our hours?
What depths are available, and is there a shallow area for standing work?
Who tests the water, how often, and can we see the latest health inspection results?
Hours and space
Which days, hours and part of the pool can we have, and will that use be only for our patients?
Will the public or other groups share the deck or the water during our hours?
Where can we store equipment, and is there space on deck for transfers?
Access
Is there a working lift or ramp, who maintains it, and is it poolside during our hours?
Is the route from parking to changing room to deck accessible?
Is there a private accessible changing room with a bench and shower?
Safety
Is a lifeguard on duty during our hours? If not, what rescue-trained staff do you require us to provide?
Where are the automated external defibrillator, first aid kit and phone, and what is your emergency plan?
How will you tell us about closures, and how are contamination closures handled?
Money and paperwork
What insurance do you require from us, and what do you carry?
What is the rate, how is it billed, and what notice is needed to cancel, renew or change price?
Will you sign a written agreement that names our part of the pool and our times?

Your checks and notes stay on this device only. Nothing is sent to us.

What to look for on a site visit

Visit at the time of day you would treat.

Water temperature

Water and air temperature belong in each pool user’s screen, according to guidance from the Aquatic Therapy Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (ATACP), a professional network in the United Kingdom.¹

Expert opinion

Ask what temperature the pool is kept at and how much it varies. Lap and school pools often run cooler than therapy programs need.

Access and lift

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), hotels, health clubs and other businesses must remove pool barriers where readily achievable, government pools must make swim programs accessible, and a portable lift must be poolside and working during open hours.²

Water and air quality

Check the pool’s latest health inspection results and make sure no chemicals are left out, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises.³ Poor ventilation can leave irritating chloramines in the air.⁴

Site visit checklist

Expert opinion

Check each item as you go. Bring this list on your phone or print it.

We visited at the time of day we would treat.
We asked about the water temperature on the day and how much it varies.
We tested the lift or ramp and walked the route from parking to deck.
We saw the changing rooms, including a private accessible room.
We checked the latest health inspection results and saw that no chemicals were left out.
We noticed the air: a strong “chlorine” smell is worth asking about.
We found storage for equipment and space on deck for transfers.

Your checks and notes stay on this device only. Nothing is sent to us.

Put the agreement in writing

A written agreement protects your patients, your practice and the owner.

Medicare patients. For therapy in a community pool, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says the practice or provider must rent or lease the pool, or a specific part of it, “restricted to the patients of that practice or provider” at specified times, with the written agreement available for review on request. When only part of the pool is rented, the agreement must describe that part and the times of exclusive use (Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, chapter 15, section 220 C).⁵ Rehabilitation agencies and comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facilities follow the rules in their State Operations Manual instead, so read the full section and confirm with your Medicare contractor. To see what your contractor says about aquatic therapy, see Medicare Coverage for Aquatic Therapy: What Each Contractor Says.

Contamination closures follow set disinfection steps, so ask how the owner handles them.⁶

Rental agreement checklist

Expert opinion

Check each item once the signed agreement covers it. Have your attorney and insurer review the agreement before you sign.

Space and hours: which part of the pool, which days and times, and that use during those times is only for our patients.
For Medicare patients, the agreement describes the part of the pool we use exclusively and the times that exclusive use applies, and we can produce it on request.
Insurance: who carries general and professional liability insurance, the limits required and certificates of insurance.
Liability and indemnity: who is responsible for what, reviewed by our attorney.
Lifeguard rules: whether a lifeguard is on duty and, if not, who provides rescue-trained staff.
Emergency plan: who calls 911, where the automated external defibrillator and first aid kit are, and how a patient is removed from the water.
Closures and cleaning: who tests the water and cleans changing areas, how we hear about closures and how missed sessions are handled.
Fees and term: rate, billing, cancellation notice, renewal and price changes.

Your checks and notes stay on this device only. Nothing is sent to us.

Is your team ready?

Guidance from the Aquatic Therapy Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (ATACP), a professional network in the United Kingdom, says every therapy pool needs an emergency evacuation procedure, practiced at least once a year and with new staff, and recommends that besides the treating clinician at least one other person trained in the evacuation procedure and basic life support is available to respond.¹

Staffing and training readiness check

Expert opinion

Check each statement that is true for your team today. Each unchecked item is a gap to close before the first patient.

Each clinician who will treat in the water has aquatic therapy training, not only land-based training.
Supervision of assistants in the pool follows our state practice act and our payers’ rules.
Besides the treating clinician, at least one other person trained in the evacuation procedure and basic life support can respond during every session.
We have a written emergency and evacuation plan, and staff have practiced it, including new staff.
Every patient is screened before entering the water, including water and air temperature and any precautions or contraindications.
Our documentation shows why each patient needs skilled care in the water.
We know who keeps the water safe: a trained pool operator for our own pool, or the owner’s operator for a rented pool.
We have a plan for staff absences, so sessions are not run short of trained people.

Your checks and notes stay on this device only. Nothing is sent to us.

From signed agreement to first patient

Program launch plan

Expert opinion

Work through these steps in order. The time each step takes depends on your site, your payers and your local rules, so set your own dates.

1. Decide
Ask referral sources which patients they cannot place now, and write down their answers.
Pick the patient groups and programs you will start with.
Choose two or three matching research reviews, limits included, to share with decision makers.
Decide whether to rent pool time first or plan a pool of your own.
2. Secure the water
Visit candidate pools at the times you would treat, or start plan review and design for your own pool.
Sign a written agreement, or get written estimates and approvals for building.
Confirm insurance, payer rules and any Medicare requirements in writing.
3. Prepare the team
Train each treating clinician in aquatic therapy.
Write and practice the emergency and evacuation plan with everyone who will be on deck.
Set up screening forms and documentation templates.
Book regular time blocks, with room for transfers and changing.
4. Open
Tell referral sources the start date, the patients you can take and how to refer.
Start with a schedule you can staff every week.
Track referrals, sessions held, cancellations and hours used.
5. Review
Compare the year’s results with the measures you set at the start.
Decide whether to add hours, add programs, change pools or plan a pool of your own.

Your checks and notes stay on this device only. Nothing is sent to us.

Courses for new aquatic programs

Starting a new program? These Aquatic Therapy University courses cover the basics a new team usually needs first:

Aquatic Therapy Essentials Bootcamp: the introduction to aquatic therapy that starts the ATU credential pathway.
Aquatic Therapy Essentials: an on-demand introduction to aquatic therapy fundamentals.
Documentation and Billing for Aquatic Therapy Practice: documenting and billing aquatic therapy clearly.
Aquatic Therapy Precautions and Contraindications: a free archived webinar on safety screening.

Business consulting: Want help with the launch itself? Our business consulting covers program launch, from the first plan to opening your schedule. Call 865-204-0618, email info@swimatu.com or use the Contact Us form on our Private Training page.

Browse all courses About the ATU credential

Common questions

Can we bill Medicare for therapy in a rented community pool?

Yes, if the rules are met. The practice or provider must rent or lease the pool, or a specific part of it, for the use of its own patients at set times, with a written agreement available on request (Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, chapter 15, section 220 C).⁵ Confirm the details with your Medicare contractor.

Does a hotel or health club pool have to have a lift?

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, businesses such as hotels and health clubs must remove pool barriers where readily achievable, and a portable lift must be poolside and working during open hours.² Test the lift on your visit.

Do we need a lifeguard during our sessions?

It depends on the pool’s rules and your local code, so put it in the agreement. Either way, the Aquatic Therapy Association of Chartered Physiotherapists guidance recommends that besides the treating clinician at least one other person trained in the evacuation procedure and basic life support is available to respond.¹

How much does pool time cost to rent?

We do not publish a figure, because rates vary widely by pool, region and hours. Ask each owner for a written rate, billing terms and the notice needed to cancel or renew.

Can Aquatic Therapy University find or rent a pool for us?

No. Aquatic Therapy University offers business consulting for aquatic programs: program business planning, deciding whether to build or rent, budgeting and cost questions, Medicare and billing setup, staffing and training plans, and program launch. ATU does not design or build pools, act as a pool designer or engineer, or find or broker pools. For pool design, work with a licensed aquatic designer or engineer. Ask us about consulting.

If you are starting an aquatic program, Aquatic Therapy University offers continuing education courses, private on-site training for teams, business consulting for aquatic programs and an aquatic therapy credential. You do not need any of them to use the tools on this page.

Have a question about your pool plan?

Ask us. Tell us what you are planning, such as renting time at a local pool, opening a new program or training your team, and we will point you to what fits: a course, private training for your team or business consulting for your program.

Call 865-204-0618, email info@swimatu.com, or use the Contact Us form on our Private Training page.

Call 865-204-0618 Email us Send a message

Informational only. This page is general education, not legal, financial, insurance, engineering, reimbursement or medical advice. Talk to qualified professionals before you sign or build anything.

References

Every source cited on this page, in American Medical Association style. Each link goes to the publisher, PubMed or the official free copy.

Aquatic Therapy Association of Chartered Physiotherapists. Guidance on Aquatic Physiotherapy Practice 2021 (amended March 3, 2025). Accessed October 19, 2026. Guidance (PDF).
U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. Americans with Disabilities Act requirements: accessible pools, means of entry and exit. ADA.gov. Updated February 28, 2020. Accessed October 22, 2026. ada.gov.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventing swimming-related illnesses. Healthy Swimming. June 6, 2025. Accessed October 22, 2026. cdc.gov.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chloramines and pool operation. Healthy Swimming. June 23, 2025. Accessed October 22, 2026. cdc.gov.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 15: Covered Medical and Other Health Services, section 220 C (Revision 13889, issued July 30, 2026). Accessed October 22, 2026. cms.gov (PDF).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What to do when there is poop in the pool. Healthy Swimming. June 5, 2024. Accessed October 22, 2026. cdc.gov.

How to cite this page

Last reviewed October 23, 2026 · Permanent URL: https://www.aquatictherapyuniversity.com/renting-a-pool-for-therapy

How to cite (American Psychological Association style)

Salzman, A. (Ed.). (2026, October 23). Renting a pool for therapy. Aquatic Therapy University; ATU Educational Services, LLC. https://www.aquatictherapyuniversity.com/renting-a-pool-for-therapy

Date reviewed: October 23, 2026. Outside sources were checked on October 23, 2026 and may have changed since then. Cite the date you accessed this page, because content may change.

Permissions: You may quote and cite this page with attribution, and print the checklists for your own planning. Reproducing or adapting the page, or any substantial part of it, requires written permission from ATU Educational Services, LLC.

Copyright: © 2026 ATU Educational Services, LLC. All rights reserved. Free to read, quote and cite with attribution; copying, republishing, adapting or selling the page or its content requires written permission. Cited third-party works keep their own copyright and licenses.

Editor: Andrea Salzman, MS, PT · ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5255-7074

Competing interests: ATU Educational Services, LLC publishes this page and sells aquatic therapy continuing education, private training and business consulting, which this page links to. Practical guidance on this page comes from its experience, is labeled Expert opinion and is not rated as evidence. This page does not sell, rank or recommend any consultant, pool, builder or product.

This page was drafted with AI assistance under the editorial direction of ATU Educational Services, LLC, checked against its cited sources, and corrected when errors are reported. Report errors to info@swimatu.com.

Renting a Pool for Therapy

Renting or building?

Why rent

Trade-offs

When to build

Before you rent: questions to ask the pool owner

Questions to ask the pool owner

What to look for on a site visit

Water temperature

Access and lift

Water and air quality

Site visit checklist

Put the agreement in writing

Rental agreement checklist

Is your team ready?

Staffing and training readiness check

From signed agreement to first patient

Program launch plan

Common questions

Have a question about your pool plan?

References

How to cite this page

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