FOR CLINICIANS · PLANNING RESOURCE
Renting a Pool for Therapy
How to choose a community, school, YMCA, hotel or hospital pool for aquatic therapy, and what to put in the agreement.
© 2026 ATU Educational Services, LLC. Licensed to the Aquatic Therapy Foundation, Inc. for public education.
A 3–4 minute read · Last reviewed: October 22, 2026
Renting or building?
Renting pool time lets you start an aquatic therapy program without building, and tests demand before you commit.
[Expert opinion] Practical guidance adapted from ATU Educational Services, LLC source material. Not rated as evidence.
Why rent
Expert opinion
You can start in weeks, not years, 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.
If demand outgrows rented hours, see Building a Therapy Pool.
What to look for in the pool
Visit at the time of day you would treat.
Water temperature
Water and air temperature belong in each pool user’s screen (ATACP, Guidance on Aquatic Physiotherapy Practice, 2021, amended 2025).
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.
Depth
Expert opinion
Look for a range of depths that fits your patients, including a shallow area for standing work and steps or a gentle slope.
Access and lift
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 (ADA.gov, Accessible Pools Means of Entry and Exit).
Expert opinion
Check the route from parking to deck, and test the lift.
Changing rooms
Expert opinion
Look for an accessible private changing room with a bench, shower and space for a wheelchair and helper.
Water and air quality
Check the pool’s latest health inspection results and make sure no chemicals are left out (CDC, Preventing Swimming-related Illnesses, 2025). Poor ventilation can leave irritating chloramines in the air (CDC, Chloramines and Pool Operation, 2025).
Expert opinion
A strong “chlorine” smell is worth asking about.
Scheduling
Expert opinion
Ask for regular time blocks with room between sessions for transfers and changing.
Put the agreement in writing
A written agreement protects your patients, your practice and the owner.
Medicare patients. For therapy in a community pool, CMS 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 (CMS, Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, ch. 15, §220 C). Read the full section, since some provider types follow other rules, and confirm with your Medicare contractor. Your contractor’s coverage documents for aquatic therapy are linked on our Medicare LCDs (97113) page.
Expert opinion
| Item | What to settle |
|---|---|
| Space and hours | Which part of the pool, which days and times, and whether your use is exclusive. |
| Insurance | Who carries general and professional liability insurance, the limits required and certificates of insurance. |
| Liability and indemnity | Who is responsible for what. Have your attorney review any hold-harmless or indemnity clause. |
| Lifeguard rules | Whether a lifeguard is on duty during your hours and, if not, who provides rescue-trained staff. |
| Emergency plan | A written plan: who calls 911, where the AED 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 you hear about closures and how missed sessions are handled. |
| Fees and term | Rate, billing, cancellation notice, renewal and price changes. |
Contamination closures follow set disinfection steps, so ask how the owner handles them (CDC, What to Do When There is Poop in the Pool).
Questions to ask the pool owner
Expert opinion
- What temperature is the water, and can it be held steady during our hours?
- Which hours and which part of the pool can we have, and can we have exclusive use?
- Is there a working lift or ramp, and who maintains it?
- Is a lifeguard on duty during our hours?
- What insurance do you require from us, and what do you carry?
- Who tests the water, and how will you tell us about closures?
- Where can we store equipment?
- What does it cost, and what notice is needed to cancel or renew?
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.
How to cite this page
Last reviewed October 22, 2026 · Permanent URL: https://aquatictherapyfoundation.org/for-clinicians/renting-a-pool-for-therapy/
How to cite
Salzman, A. (Ed.). (2026). Renting a pool for therapy. ATU Educational Services, LLC; published by the Aquatic Therapy Foundation. https://aquatictherapyfoundation.org/for-clinicians/renting-a-pool-for-therapy/
Permissions: You may quote and cite this page with attribution. Reproducing or adapting the full page requires written permission from ATU Educational Services, LLC.
Cite the date you accessed this page, because content may change.
References
Every source cited on this page, in AMA style. Each link goes to the DOI or the official free copy.
Show all 6 references
- Aquatic Therapy Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (ATACP). Guidance on Aquatic Physiotherapy Practice 2021 (amended March 3, 2025). Accessed October 19, 2026. ATACP guidance (PDF)
- U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. ADA 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, §220 C (Rev. 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
About this page
Competing interests
This page was prepared under the direction of Aquatic Therapy Foundation (ATF) leadership. ATF’s CEO also founded Aquatic Therapy University (ATU) and directs it. Practical guidance on this page is adapted from ATU material and is labeled [Expert opinion]. This page does not sell, rank or recommend any course, credential, consultant, pool or product, and ATF does not endorse any program.
Copyright
© 2026 ATU Educational Services, LLC. Licensed to the Aquatic Therapy Foundation, Inc. for public education. Adapted from material originally developed by ATU Educational Services, LLC. Cited third-party works keep their own copyright and licenses.
Corrections and questions
If you spot an error or an outdated link, contact us at info@aquatictherapyfoundation.org.
This page was drafted with AI assistance under the editorial direction of the Aquatic Therapy Foundation, checked against its cited sources, and corrected when errors are reported. Report errors to info@aquatictherapyfoundation.org.
Last reviewed: October 22, 2026. External information was checked against its sources on October 22, 2026, and may have changed since then. This page is general education, not legal, financial, insurance, engineering, reimbursement or medical advice. Talk to qualified professionals before you sign or build anything.
Editor: Andrea Salzman, MS, PT · ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5255-7074
Copyright: © 2026 ATU Educational Services, LLC. Licensed to the Aquatic Therapy Foundation, Inc. for public education. Cited third-party works keep their own copyright and licenses.
Source: Adapted from material originally developed by ATU Educational Services, LLC.
Competing interests: The editor is the founder of Aquatic Therapy University (ATU) and Chief Executive Officer of the Aquatic Therapy Foundation (ATF). ATU sells aquatic therapy education products. ATU material used on this page is labeled [Expert opinion] and is not rated as evidence. ATF has a conflict-of-interest policy.