How to Make Money from Your House: 12 House Hacking Ideas

Your house can pay you back. The fastest house hacking ideas are renting out what you already own by the hour: your private pool, your backyard, or your sports court on Swimply. After that, you can stack income from a spare room, your garage, your driveway, your car, or even your roof.

Below are 12 house hacking ideas, starting with the ones you can launch this week. Each one includes what you can realistically earn, which platform to use, and the catch nobody mentions. Private pools by the hour come first because they're the easiest money sitting in your backyard right now.

What is house hacking?

House hacking means using your home to generate income that covers part of your mortgage, taxes, or upkeep. The classic version is renting out a room or a basement unit. The modern version is renting out pieces of your property by the hour, so you never give up your privacy or your weekends.

Chances are you already have at least one of these underused assets:

A pool that sits empty most weekdays
A backyard that only gets used for the occasional barbecue
A tennis, pickleball, or basketball court
A garage, shed, or driveway with spare room
A car parked at home all week

1. Rent your pool on Swimply

Effort: Low.

Typical earnings: Hosts charge anywhere from $25 to $100 per hour, with most landing around $45 an hour, according to Swimply's host earnings guide. The same guide says hosts who list a few days a week pull in about $1,000 per month. Top hosts in busy markets earn far more, with some reporting $10,000 to $22,000 a month.

This is the house hacking idea with the best ratio of money to hassle. Not sure you're ready? Swimply's 8 signs you're ready to host walks through it. Pools cost real money to clean, heat, and keep chemically balanced, and many sit empty on weekdays. Swimply lets you rent your private pool by the hour to local families, couples, and small groups who'd rather skip the crowded public pool.

Here's how the numbers work on a typical booking:

Most bookings run about two hours and bring five to eight guests
Families make up about 70% of visits
Weekends, evenings, and summer months are peak times with higher prices
You can also set tiered pricing by group size or charge per extra guest

Some hosts turn this into serious income. A Los Angeles host told Business Insider they make $22,000 a month renting out backyard pools through Swimply, and Oregon host Jim Battan earned about $200,000 in two years from a single backyard pool. On the Become a Host page, Kim B. in Topanga, CA says she "can easily make $2-$3k a weekend." Amit J. in Los Angeles reports earning "over 10k/month," and Sasha P. in Chicago expects to pass $200k in lifetime earnings by year's end. Those are top performers, not averages, but they show the ceiling is high.

The catch: You'll want to keep your pool clean and your yard tidy before each booking, the same way you'd prep for guests you invited yourself. You stay in full control, though. You set your hours, your guest limit, your rules on music and alcohol, and whether pets or kids are welcome. Swimply's Smart Pricing tool even suggests an hourly rate based on real bookings at similar pools nearby.

2. Rent your backyard on Swimply

Effort: Low.

Typical earnings: Swimply doesn't publish backyard averages. You set your own hourly rate, and a yard with a fire pit, grill, or projector can book for birthday parties, baby showers, and movie nights.

No pool? No problem. Swimply hosts can list a decked-out backyard on its own, with no pool access at all. Swimply's Offseason Guide specifically recommends offering your yard, fire pit, or outdoor TV as a rental for gatherings and parties. Guests searching for private backyards want a space that feels like their own for a few hours.

What makes a backyard listing book well:

Shade and seating for a full group
A grill or outdoor kitchen, which guests love for parties
Lawn games, a fire pit, or string lights for evening bookings
A bathroom guests can access without walking through your living room

The catch: You'll want to keep your backyard clean and tidy. That means mowing the lawn, removing weeds and leaves, and general upkeep. Backyard rentals are also largely group-based, with many people looking for yards for outdoor get-togethers. Make sure you set group limits that you're comfortable with. You can also put restrictions on parties, music, and noise level.

3. Rent your sports court on Swimply

Effort: Very low.

Typical earnings: Swimply doesn't publish court averages. You set your own hourly rate and see your exact payout share in each booking's details. Courts need almost no prep between bookings, so they can earn year-round in mild climates.

If you've got a pickleball court, tennis court, or basketball court, Swimply lets you rent it out by the hour to players who want guaranteed court time without a wait list.

Why courts are such an easy house hacking idea:

No water chemistry, no towels, no cleanup beyond a quick sweep
You set bookable hours, buffer time between bookings, and advance notice in the availability settings
Courts don't depend seasonality like pools do, so you get more consistent income

The catch: Lighting matters. Courts without lights lose the evening slots that working players want most. Consider adding lighting to your court for maximum house hacking potential.

4. Rent a spare room or ADU to a long-term tenant

Effort: High.

Typical earnings: The national median rent is $1,390 per month across all bedroom sizes, and $1,221 for a one-bedroom, per Apartment List's August 2026 rent report. A standalone ADU typically rents for $1,900 to $2,600 per month, according to Old Republic Title.

This is the original house hack, and it still produces the steadiest monthly check. A long-term tenant in a spare room or a backyard unit can cover a meaningful chunk of your mortgage.

The catch: It's the opposite of passive. You're a landlord, with lease agreements, tenant screening, and landlord-tenant laws that vary by state. Some cities also restrict how ADUs can be used. Los Angeles County's rules, for example, prohibit ADUs from being used as short-term rentals, per Avalara's summary of the 2024 ordinance.

5. Rent your home short-term (and know the 14-day rule)

Effort: High.

Typical earnings: Varies wildly by market and season, so check comparable listings in your area before you count on a number.

Listing your home on Airbnb or Vrbo while you travel is the most hands-on idea here, but it comes with a tax perk worth knowing. The IRS says that if you rent out your home for fewer than 15 days in a year, you don't report that rental income at all (and you can't deduct related expenses). Read the exact wording in IRS Topic 415, then talk to a tax pro about your situation.

The catch: Short-term rentals are heavily regulated in many cities. Los Angeles, for instance, requires a home-sharing permit, caps a standard permit at 120 nights per year unless you qualify for an extended permit, and charges a 14% transient occupancy tax, according to a property manager's summary of LA's rules. Check your city's planning department for current terms. You're also handing strangers your keys and your bed. That's why renting your pool, yard, or court is so much simpler: guests never enter your home.

6. Rent your garage, basement, or shed for storage

Effort: Very low.

Typical earnings: Garages earn $100 to $600 per month, basements $51 to $119, and sheds $50 to $200, according to Neighbor's host earnings data.

Neighbor works like a peer-to-peer storage unit. Someone pays you monthly to park their boat, store their furniture, or stash seasonal gear in your empty garage. Neighbor's data shows garage rates climb to $467 per month in New York and $412 in San Francisco.

The catch: Once someone's stuff is in your garage, it's there for months. You lose that space, and you're responsible for keeping it dry and secure.

7. Rent your driveway or parking spot

Effort: Very low.

Typical earnings: $50 to $150 per month for a driveway, per Neighbor's host earnings data.

If you live near a stadium, a downtown core, a hospital, or a commuter rail station, your driveway is worth money. Monthly parking renters are the easiest tenants you'll ever have. They show up, park, and leave.

The catch: Earnings are modest unless you're in a dense city. Check whether your HOA or city has rules about commercial parking on residential lots.

8. Rent your home as a photo, film, or meeting location

Effort: Medium.

Typical earnings: Neighbor's guide reports that shoots and micro-events can bring in $500 to $5,000 or more per day, depending on your home and market.

Platforms like Peerspace connect homeowners with photographers, production crews, and companies hosting offsite meetings. Peerspace says it has paid more than $500 million to hosts and includes up to $25,000 in damage protection per booking for U.S. venues.

The catch: Production days are long, crews move furniture, and your home needs to look like a magazine spread. This idea rewards homes with great natural light, distinctive architecture, or a lot of open floor space.

9. Put solar on your roof

Effort: High upfront, then zero.

Typical earnings: EnergySage estimates the average U.S. homeowner saves about $60,500 over 25 years by going solar, based on its 2026 marketplace data.

Solar is the only idea here that pays you by lowering a bill instead of generating revenue. In states with net metering, your utility credits you for extra electricity your panels send to the grid. EnergySage puts the average 12 kW system at about $31,135 before incentives, so you're trading a big upfront cost for decades of lower bills.

The catch: The federal solar tax credit expired at the end of 2025, per EnergySage, so your payback now depends heavily on state incentives and your local electricity rate. Savings range from roughly $41,000 in Washington to $155,000 in California over 25 years.

10. Rent your yard as a private dog park on Sniffspot

Effort: Low.

Typical earnings: Sniffspot says hosts can earn up to $3,000 per month, according to its host page. Larger, fully fenced yards earn the most.

Got a super plain backyard that isn't really set up for parties or gatherings? It can still earn. Sniffspot lets you rent your yard by the hour to dog owners who want a safe, private place for their dogs to run off leash, away from crowded public dog parks. Dog owners don't need a grill, string lights, or a bathroom. They need space, a fence, and privacy. Sniffspot includes $1 million in host protection insurance and $5,000 in damage protection.

The catch: Fencing matters. Sniffspot says unfenced yards under half an acre generally don't work well unless they offer something special, like water access. Expect some wear on your grass, and walk the yard after each visit to make sure guests cleaned up after their dogs.

11. Rent your car on Turo

Effort: Medium.

Typical earnings: U.S. hosts earn an average of $10,489 per car per year, or about $874 a month with roughly 15 booked days, according to Turo.

If a second car sits in your driveway most of the week, Turo lets you rent it to travelers and locals. You set your price and availability, and you pick a protection plan. That plan decides what percentage of each trip price you keep and how much you could be responsible for if the car is damaged.

The catch: Mileage, cleaning, and wear add up, and you have to coordinate pickups and drop-offs. Check whether your personal auto policy excludes peer-to-peer car sharing before you list.

12. Host campers on Hipcamp

Effort: Medium.

Typical earnings: Hipcamp says most hosts earn over $10,000 a year, and top hosts regularly earn over $100,000, per its host earnings guide. Basic campsites typically go for $20 to $40 per night, and glamping sites for $100 to $300 or more.

If you have acreage, a large rural lot, or land near a lake or national park, Hipcamp lets you list tent sites, RV spots, or glamping setups for campers. It's free to list, with no contract or monthly fees.

The catch: This one works best on larger rural properties, so most suburban lots won't fit. Check local zoning rules first, and plan for basics like a toilet, trash pickup, and fire rules.

Which house hacking idea is right for you?

Match the idea to how much privacy and time you're willing to give up:

Want income with zero strangers inside your house? Rent your pool, backyard, or court on Swimply, or rent your driveway and garage.
Want the biggest monthly check and don't mind being a landlord? Rent a room or ADU long-term.
Travel a lot? Short-term rent your home while you're away, and remember the 14-day rule.
Have a photogenic home? List it for shoots and meetings.
Thinking long-term? Solar pays slowly but for decades.
Have a plain yard or extra land? List it as a private dog park on Sniffspot, or as a campsite on Hipcamp.
Have a second car that sits idle? Rent it out on Turo.

You can stack several of these. A pool listing on summer weekends, a court listing on weekday evenings, and a garage rented year-round can add up to a real second income from one property.

Three things to check before you list anything

Taxes: Rental income is generally taxable, and platforms may send you a 1099 form. The IRS explains rental income rules in Topic 415. Keep records from day one.
HOA and local rules: Some HOAs restrict rentals of any kind. Short-term stays often need permits and occupancy taxes, so check your city's rules before listing anything overnight.
Protection: Know what the platform guarantees and what your own homeowners policy covers. Swimply's Protection Guarantee provides up to $1,000,000 for guest injury claims and up to $10,000 in property damage protection per occurrence. It kicks in after your own homeowners policy, you must hold that policy to qualify, and property claims carry a $250 deductible ($500 for groups over 10).

Why hosting on Swimply is the easiest house hack to start

Swimply has facilitated over 4 million experiences through 15,000 hosts across 150+ cities in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Hosts set their own hourly rate, hours, guest limits, and house rules, and they choose Instant Book or request-based approval for every reservation. Payouts run through Stripe, release 48 hours after each booking, and usually land in your bank within 3 to 7 business days, according to Swimply's payout guide.

Hosts also get 24/7 support, weekly pricing webinars, a private host community, and a Host Success team to help them get booked out. As Anaise and Chris H. in Milwaukie, OR put it on the host page: "Our pool used to just sit there and cost us money." Now, they say, it funds home projects and has become a real source of income.

Private pools by the hour are the house hacking idea with the lowest effort and the highest upside, and your backyard and sports court aren't far behind. Listing is free and quick to set up: add photos, set your price and rules, and pick a go-live date.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the easiest way to make money from your house?

Renting out spaces you already own by the hour, like a private pool, backyard, or sports court on Swimply, is the easiest option. There's no tenant, no overnight guests, and you set your own hours, price, and rules.

How much can you make renting your pool on Swimply?

Swimply hosts charge anywhere from $25 to $100 per hour, with most around $45 per hour. Hosts who list a few days a week typically earn about $1,000 per month, and top hosts in big markets report $10,000 to $22,000 or more per month.

Is house hacking income taxable?

Generally, yes. One exception: the IRS says if you rent your home for fewer than 15 days in a year, you don't report that rental income. Check IRS Topic 415 and talk to a tax professional about your situation.

Can you rent out a backyard without a pool?

Yes. Swimply hosts can list a backyard on its own for parties, showers, and movie nights. Yards with a grill, fire pit, seating, and bathroom access book best.

Do you need anything special to host on Swimply?

You need to be a private homeowner (commercial pools can't be listed), a Stripe account to receive payouts, and your own homeowners policy to be eligible for Swimply's Protection Guarantee.

Start House Hacking with Swimply Today

You can easily turn your unused outdoor space into a reliable income stream right now. Listing your backyard, private pool, or sport court on Swimply takes only a few minutes.

You'll get to set your own hourly prices and choose the exact schedule that works for your lifestyle. Become a host today and start earning extra cash from your property.