News: Society Swimming Pools Raise Costs but Often Lie Empty-28-02-2026

Swimming pools feature in almost every housing project advertisement, yet a Reddit discussion has questioned why so many stay largely unused once residents move in. The post that started the thread said buyers are pleased to see a pool during the site visit, but afterwards it is mostly empty, with some residents busy at work and others complaining of high maintenance charges.

One user replied that pools exist because they sell flats, adding that every society needs one for selfies if not for swimming. Others noted that a private pool in India is still tied to exclusivity and upward mobility, since it is rarely available outside premium clubs or hotels. Real estate brokers say that where competing projects are similar in location and price, a pool signals lifestyle and lifts perceived value during visits, even if usage later proves limited.

Another user put it down to habit: buyers are keen to swim or learn at first, then keep postponing it to tomorrow or next week.

Upkeep matters as well. Pools need regular filtration, chemical balancing and lifeguard supervision, and poor maintenance can cause hygiene problems, including skin infections. Brokers pointed out that when only a handful of residents use the pool, management committees may be reluctant to keep paying for cleaning and staff, which leads to neglect and still lower usage.

Not all agreed. One Redditor said usage depends on crowd management and membership models, contrasting an overcrowded neighbourhood pool in Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar with the Sirifort facility, which runs on temporary memberships and fixed slots.

Kiran Kumar of Hanu Reddy Realty said a pool carries a measurable premium. Maintenance charges in societies with a pool are typically 15-20% higher, depending on the pool’s size and the number of apartments sharing the cost. Larger gated communities spread the burden more thinly, but a premium remains. He said the amenity still matters to families with children and younger buyers, and that in many urban micro-markets, especially mid- to premium-segment housing, gated communities without one are hard to find.

Pool-facing flats often cost more, Kumar added. In one Bengaluru project he cited, such units can sell for about Rs 1.3 crore, against Rs 1.1-1.2 crore for similar units facing internal roads, a premium of roughly 10%.

This report is based on user-generated social media content that HT.com has not independently verified and does not endorse.