Is it mandatory to have a lifeguard in a community pool?

In summer, knowing if it is mandatory to have a lifeguard in a community pool is one of the most frequent questions that arise in neighboring communities.

An unattended pool can be an unsafe place, especially if there are children playing in it. However, there is no state regulation, but each autonomous community dictates its own regulations.

When is it mandatory to have a lifeguard in a community pool?

When the community of neighbors has less than 20 homes , the previous regulation does not apply, so the community of neighbors will decide the rules and security measures.
As a general rule, it is established that pools for collective use of 200 square meters or more , must hire a lifeguard with a valid qualification make shure that the lifeguard has passed the lifeguard course.
In other words, a lifeguard with a degree in Aquatic Lifesaving and Rescue Activities issued by a competent body, or a private entity qualified for this type of qualification, will be necessary .

What number of lifeguards should my community of neighbors have?

Depending on the size of the pool, more than one lifeguard will be needed. The number of lifeguards will be the following:

In pools between 200 and 500 square meters, the services of a lifeguard will be necessary .
Between 500 and 1,000 square meters of water surface, two lifeguards will have to be hired.
When the surface of the pool exceeds one thousand square meters of water, there will be one more lifeguard for every 500 square meters.

That is to say, if a pool has 1,500 square meters, 3 lifeguards will be necessary, on the other hand, if it is 2,000 square meters, 4 lifeguards.

What else should I know about the homeowners' community pool regulations?

As we have been able to verify, the mandatory nature of the figure of the lifeguard will depend on what each autonomous community dictates.

However, there are certain common rules that are defined in the Horizontal Property Law on the use of this type of facility.
This law establishes that the pool must be in good water health conditions at all times , thus guaranteeing good hygiene conditions.
On the other hand, it must also have protection elements such as lifeguard floats or metal ladders.
Private rules of each community pool
In addition to the aforementioned rules, each community of neighbors will establish its rules of use for all owners.
Aspects such as opening and closing hours, access rules and capacity will be decided in the community.
These regulations must be found in a visible way at the access door to the enclosure, so that everyone can know them.