Washing and Drying

By Philip Shea, Associate Editor

MHN teamed up again this month with research and consulting services firm Kingsley Associates—which surveys over 1 million residents each year—to discover how renters view their community’s laundry amenities. A wide variety of suggestions and observations were made, ranging from the number of operable machines to hours of accessibility to payment methods. While the very provision of laundry services is something that can boost the appeal of your property, proper maintenance and renovation of this amenity is quite important. Residents come to expect a certain level of convenience and accessibility with such a routine facet of living. Furthermore, affordability and ease of use will ensure that residents use this amenity every time instead of seeking out another venue. By catering to one more need your residents have—and doing it well—you ensure an exceptional image and another reliable source of revenue.

“It would be nice if the office was open on Sunday, even for only an hour or two to allow residents to reload their laundry cards and conduct other business.” —Alexandria, Va.

“Two washers and two dryers are insufficient for our building. There is always a wait to do laundry, no matter the time or day.” —Austin

“The only suggestion I would have is to install a credit card machine for the laundry cards.” —Baltimore

“The laundromats need updating. Most dryers and washers are old and in constant need of repair.”  —Dallas

“There has to be better enforcement of the laundry rules. People leave their clothes in the laundry overnight or for long times and we are not able to use the machines.” —Los Felix, Calif.

“A coin machine would be great in the laundry room.” —Sanford, Fla.

“I have never understood why the laundry room is locked up at 10:00 p.m. Why can’t it stay open until at least 11:00 p.m., or preferably, midnight?” —Marina Del Ray, Calif.

“The laundry facilities are hugely overpriced. $3.50 for one full load of laundry? That’s a bit of a joke.” —Everett, Wash.

“I have been here a long time—about 10 years. I was glad to finally see new washers and dryers in the laundry rooms.” —Stegar, Ill.

“The washing machine and dryer are very noisy when in use. It’s bothersome to neighbors.” —Vernon Hills, Ill.

“We like living here. I would prefer to be able to either load my laundry card electronically or have access to put money on my card 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” —Silver Spring, Md.

“Stop raising the rent if you’re not adding amenities, or at least provide dryers that actually dry.” —Stoughton, Mass.