A homestay with a swimming pool in Johor Bahru almost always means a condominium pool shared with residents, not a private one. Opening hours, what you may wear and the days the pool is closed are set by the building, not by the host. Most have no lifeguard, so you supervise your own children.
Search "JB homestay with pool" and the first page of Google is listings. Nearly every one says "swimming pool" and shows an infinity pool at sunset. None of them answers the questions your children will ask at 9pm: is the pool still open? Can I swim in my T-shirt? Does the access card open the pool gate?
We manage more than 100 homestay units in Johor Bahru and Desaru, most of them in condominiums with a pool. This article explains what you actually get when a listing says "pool", what is outside our control, and what to ask before you pay.
Whose pool is it at a JB homestay?
In a condominium, the swimming pool is common property. It belongs to all unit owners together and is run by the JMB (Joint Management Body) or MC (Management Corporation) under the Strata Management Act 2013. A homestay host owns one unit. We cannot keep the pool open later, cannot allow clothing the building bans, and cannot stop the building closing the pool for cleaning.
Airbnb's own guidance for strata buildings in Malaysia says hosts should tell guests the opening hours of shared facilities such as the pool and gym, and lists "not having the proper attire" (for example, swimsuits in pools) as one kind of nuisance. When rules are broken, facility access can be restricted, and under the Strata Act the JMB or MC can issue a warning, fine up to RM200, or take the matter to the Strata Tribunal.
So who decides what?
| Item | Who sets it | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Pool opening and closing time | The building's JMB / MC | Ask for the actual hours for your dates; do not assume 24 hours |
| Allowed swimwear | The building's JMB / MC | Cotton T-shirts or jeans may not be allowed |
| Cleaning closure days | The building's JMB / MC | Can fall on your stay |
| Visitor limits at the pool | The building's JMB / MC | Relatives who drop by may not be allowed down |
| The access card that opens the pool | The building; handed over by us | One card often opens the lobby, lift and pool together |
| Which floor the pool is on | The building; we tell you | Ask us; we answer for that unit |
| Watching the children | You | Most condo pools have no lifeguard |
What time does a condo pool open, and when is it closed?
There is no single answer for every building, and we will not guess. Each building has its own hours, and some differ between the adult pool and the children's pool. What to know before you book:
- The evening closing time. Families who arrive after 6pm often only get a first-night swim if the pool stays open late. Ask.
- Cleaning days. Some buildings close the pool for a day or half a day to clean and treat the water. On a two-night stay, one closed day is half the holiday.
- Temporary closures. Repairs, a broken pump or repainting can shut a pool for days. That is the building's call, and sometimes the only notice is a sheet of paper in the lift.
What we can do: tell you what we know about the pool in that building before you pay. What we cannot do: promise the pool will be open on your dates. If the pool is the main reason you are choosing a unit, tell us on WhatsApp before you pay so we can check first. For what happens if you decide to cancel, read how much refund you get when you cancel a homestay booking.
Can you wear a T-shirt, a burkini or modest swimwear in a condo pool?
Muslim families ask this more than anything else about pools, and the answer depends on the building. Condo pool dress rules are usually about fabric, not about how much of the body is covered: swimwear is made of swimming fabric, while cotton T-shirts, jeans and outdoor shoes are often banned because they soak up water and carry dirt into the pool.
Modest swimwear made of swimming fabric, such as a burkini, is usually fine for the same reason. But we cannot guarantee that for every building, and we do not want a guard asking you to leave in front of your children. So:
- Pack proper swimwear for everyone, children included.
- If modest swimwear matters to you, ask us before booking and we will check that building's rules.
- If you need women-only or family-only pool hours, a shared condo pool rarely has them. We cover this in Muslim friendly homestay in Johor Bahru.
Does the access card open the pool? How many cards do you get?
In most Johor Bahru condos, the same access card opens the lobby, the lift buttons and the pool gate. In some buildings the pool is on a facilities floor and the lift only stops there for an authorised card. For a big family that means two things:
- A group that splits up needs cards. If one parent takes the kids down to swim and the other heads to the lift with the same card, someone is locked out. Ask how many cards come with your unit and plan who holds them.
- A lost card is harder than a lost key. The card belongs to the building and only the management office can issue a replacement. Read what happens when a guest loses an access card before you take the card to the pool in a swimsuit pocket.
One more thing: if you ask "which floor is the pool" in our chat after booking, our chat assistant answers from that unit's facility floor record. If the record is not there, it hands the question to a staff member instead of telling you to go and look it up in a file.
Is a condo pool safe for small children?
We will not write "child safe", and we wish other listings would not either. These numbers are why:
| Data | Source |
|---|---|
| 1,359 drowning deaths in Malaysia from 2020 to 2024 | RTM national news report |
| 591 drowning deaths of children aged 0–14 from 2017 to 2021 | Department of Statistics Malaysia |
| 35 of 96 drowning deaths in Kelantan since 2023 were children under 14 (36%) | Kelantan Bomba, The Star, 27 September 2026 |
| July 2025: a 7-year-old boy was pulled from a condominium pool in Melaka and later died | Kosmo! |
| January 2026: two 7-year-old cousins nearly drowned in a 42nd-floor condominium pool in Penang; no staff were at the pool | Berita Harian |
Most of the national figures happen in rivers, beaches and lakes, not condo pools. But the last two cases happened in condominium pools, the kind JB homestay guests use most. Most condo pools have no lifeguard, and the security guard is usually at the lobby, not at the poolside.
The family rules we suggest:
- One adult is the "water watcher" and does not hold a phone. Swap every 30 minutes.
- Children who cannot swim yet stay within arm's reach, in the children's pool too.
- Do not let the kids go down first while the adults unload the car.
- When there is thunder, get out of the pool. Johor gets frequent afternoon thunderstorms.
For high floors, window grilles and balconies, read JB homestay with kids: 6 questions to ask before you book.
Condo pool, private pool villa or hotel: which suits your family?
| Condo pool (homestay) | Villa with private pool | Hotel pool | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared with | Residents and other guests | Only your group | Hotel guests |
| Hours | Set by the building | House rules | Set by the hotel |
| Lifeguard | Usually none | None | Depends on the hotel; ask |
| Dress rules | Building rules | Most relaxed | Hotel rules |
| Night noise | Rules and guards | Neighbours may complain | Hotel rules |
| Location | Near malls and food in the city | Usually in housing estates | Varies |
If the main point of the trip is the kids swimming all day and late into the night with no building rules, a villa with a private pool may suit you better, even though that is not the kind of unit we manage. If you want to be near malls, food and the city centre, with the pool as an evening bonus, a condo is usually the right choice. For the full cost comparison, read homestay vs hotel in Johor Bahru.
8 pool questions to ask before you book a homestay
| # | Ask | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "What time does the pool open and close?" | The first evening is often the only swim |
| 2 | "Is there a day the pool closes for cleaning?" | It can fall on your dates |
| 3 | "Is any pool repair work scheduled?" | Long closures are usually announced in advance |
| 4 | "What swimwear is allowed? Is a burkini OK?" | So you are not turned away at the poolside |
| 5 | "Is there a children's pool? How deep?" | A shallow pool is still deep enough for a 2-year-old |
| 6 | "Does the access card open the pool? How many cards for this unit?" | A group that splits up needs more than one |
| 7 | "Which floor is the pool, and do we need to go through the lobby?" | Matters for small children and older relatives |
| 8 | "Can visitors use the pool?" | Relatives who drop by may not be allowed |
If a host answers "all OK" to all eight at once without naming the building, ask them to check first. A real answer usually has at least one "no" in it.
What can we promise about the pool, and what can't we?
We can tell you which building the unit is in, what we know about its pool, which floor it is on and how many access cards you get, before you pay. We can answer "where is the pool" in chat after you book.
We cannot promise the pool is open on your dates, cannot change the building's hours or dress rules, and cannot provide a lifeguard. Those belong to the building, and watching the children belongs to you. We would rather you know all this now than be disappointed at a locked pool gate.
If you already know your dates and the building you want, check the available units on our booking page and ask your pool questions on WhatsApp before you pay.