Neighbors in Birmingham Furious After Massive Pool Party Spills Into Streets

Things got out of hand pretty quickly after someone in a very nice Birmingham neighborhood rented out their pool through the Swimply app.

If you've never heard of Swimply, it's basically Airbnb for swimming pools. Homeowners can rent out their pools by the hour for parties, gatherings, or just a day in the sun.

In this case, what was supposed to be a pool party for around 40 people turned into something much, much bigger.

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Birmingham Pool Rental Party Reportedly Attracts Hundreds

Neighbors told WDIV that more than 150 people flooded the area, clogging streets, blocking driveways, and turning a normally quiet neighborhood into what one person described as "total chaos." I'd be absolutely furious if that happened in my neighborhood.

Police made several trips to the home throughout the afternoon and evening. Early on, there weren't any major issues, but the crowd just kept growing. By the time officers shut the party down around 8 p.m., they estimated a couple hundred people had shown up.

Neighbors Describe Chaos During Birmingham Pool Party

Neighbors said people were parked everywhere. Basically, wherever they wanted, including private driveways and nearby parking lots. Some also claimed partygoers were drunk and doing things that were completely inappropriate for a neighborhood where families and kids were outside.

Police ended up issuing parking tickets, writing noise citations to both the host and homeowner, and arresting one person for driving with a suspended license.

The good news is nobody was fighting or shooting at each other like we hear about all too often these days. But that doesn't mean I'd want a couple hundred people taking over my neighborhood for the afternoon.

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Birmingham Officials To Review Swimply Pool Rental Incident

The whole thing got so out of hand that city officials are expected to discuss it during an upcoming meeting about short-term rentals. After what happened Saturday, I have a feeling there are going to be some strong opinions in that room.

The homeowner later told WDIV that he allowed a friend to host the party and said he wasn't aware of any illegal activity taking place. He also said he plans to address concerns with neighbors privately.