It’s no secret that tenants often make decisions about where to rent partly based on the quality of the laundry facilities. Laundry access is an important part of the decision because it’s something that everyone must do, and it happens fairly often. Here’s how to improve your apartment building laundry room to attract more renters to your property.
Laundry Room Improvements at a Glance:
- Increase reliability with more machines, maintenance checks, and rule communication
- Improve security with cameras, room access controls, and coin-free payment systems
- Add amenities that improve the tenant experience like snack machines and folding tables
Increasing Reliability
The most important thing about a laundry room is how well people can actually do their laundry there. If there’s a major problem making the laundry process difficult, you might see some tenant turnover.
Working Machines
First and foremost, you should have working machines in your laundry room. Make sure to regularly inspect the machines to see if they function properly. You might consider leaving a notepad or suggestion box in the room for people to communicate with management directly if they notice problems with a machine.
Communicate the Rules
Unfortunately, laundry room etiquette isn’t universal. You can help make things easier by posting the rules for your laundry facilities. Rules like how long people should wait before taking someone else’s laundry out of a machine help manage tenant expectations and prevent conflict.
The other important thing about rules is that some people, like young college students, may be new to using a communal laundry room. They might not know how to add bleach to a load or that it’s rude for one person to hog all the machines. Posting the rules can educate tenants about how to do laundry properly.
Improved Security
The second most important way to improve your apartment building laundry room is to increase security. People often do laundry alone and after dark because of their work shifts or personal preference. People who are by themselves are easier targets for crime or creepy behavior from a neighbor.
Security Cameras
Security cameras let the apartment security office see what’s going on in the laundry room at all times to ensure people use it appropriately. Cameras also record evidence when and if a crime or other problem does occur in the laundry room. And at the very least, a visible camera may help deter some people from doing things they shouldn’t, even if there’s no one actively watching the feed.
Limited Room Access
Another way to protect your tenants is to require a key or keycard to access the laundry room itself. This should prevent anyone from getting inside who is not a tenant.
Laundry Payment System
While tenants also appreciate an easy-to-use payment system like a laundry room app, one of the major benefits for the property owner is that it prevents crime. Since there are no coins to steal from a laundry room using modern payment technology, criminals won’t bother visiting the property.
No Coins Equals More Space
Here’s a pro tip: when you get rid of coin and card-based systems, you don’t need all those extra machines for exchanging coins and loading laundry cards. This allows you to install more laundry machines or add other amenities to improve the tenant experience. It’s a win-win situation!
Adding Amenities
While your tenants absolutely care about the reliability and security of your laundry room, they also evaluate apartments based on laundry room amenities. If all other things are equal, they may choose to go with a property that has higher quality laundry facilities.
Snack and Drink Machines
Laundry takes a long time, and people often get hungry or thirsty while waiting for their clothes to finish. Having snack and drink machines inside the laundry room makes it easier for people to stick around and guard their clothes. This is especially helpful for people who are worried that someone may take over their machine if they run back to their apartment for a snack.
Having snack and drink machines inside a limited-access laundry room also helps control who has access to those machines. If you don’t want people wandering off the street onto your property to use the vending machines, put them inside a locked laundry room so that only your tenants can use them.
Tables for Folding Clothes
When you’re doing multiple loads of laundry, it can be nice to fold immediately to avoid ending up with wrinkled clothes. Plus, it makes more clothes fit in your laundry basket when you go to carry things back home. Putting a table in the laundry room makes it easier for tenants to fold laundry without placing the clothes on rumbling machines or in areas with lint.
Power Outlets
Lots of people charge their phones while doing laundry, especially if they’re stuck watching movies on their devices while they wait. You can make this easier by installing more power outlets, especially the kinds that include USB ports. This way, more people can plug into the same outlet at once.
Good Wi-Fi
Since so many people use their phones while they wait for laundry cycles to finish, it’s smart to make sure the Wi-Fi connection in your laundry room is strong. This way, people can stream shows and play games while they wait.
Places To Sit
If you don’t want people abandoning their laundry and hogging the machines, providing seats will encourage them to stick around and wait. Some people also use seats to prop up laundry baskets while they reach for upper machines, making them ergonomically useful, too.
Make Things Easier for You and Your Tenants
If you’re looking for quick ways to improve your laundry room, check out ShinePay’s laundry payment app. No coins or cards needed—your tenants can just scan a machine’s QR code and get right to work. Our app sets up in minutes, and it doesn’t even require a Wi-Fi connection. Plus, it keeps track of all your income and expenses in one place, making it easier for you to oversee.
