7 Things Your Tenants Are Looking For in Laundry Services
As a property manager or property owner of a multi-family housing unit, your income depends on keeping your units full of happy tenants. This success depends, at least in part, on your facility’s laundry services.
The good news is that, according to a survey conducted by the Multi-Housing Laundry Association, tenants are not necessarily sold on in-unit laundry connections. In fact, the survey concluded that:
When residents are given the option of a clean, convenient, attractive and affordable laundry room, most would not pay more rent to live in an apartment unit with laundry connections, or even a unit with a washer and dryer provided.
What that means to you is that a shared laundry facility can still be a selling point when it’s done right. It can be important, then, to consider what those tenants are looking for in those laundry services.
Safety
It should come as no surprise that tenants value their safety when it comes to laundry service. This can be a strong selling point for a complex with a secure laundry room, as it may prevent your tenants from having to frequent the laundromat down the street. If that facility is well lit, and comfortable, that will always help in sealing the deal.
Clean facilities
Like safety, the cleanliness of your laundry facility is a great way to show your potential tenants (or your current ones) that you take your whole building seriously. Nobody wants to do their laundry in a dark, damp, or dusty laundry room. Nobody wants to toss their clothes in a machine that looks like it’ll make them dirtier than they went in. Full garbage cans, clutter left around, and other signs of disregard may cost you a tenant or two.
Save money
Let’s face it. Your tenants (like you) don’t want to spend any more money than they have to, especially on their laundry services. If your equipment is small, inefficient, or outdated it may take them extra loads to get their laundry done. Well-maintained, high quality, and high-efficiency laundry equipment, on the other hand, can be a major selling point for your building. Help your potential tenants see how your laundry services can cost less than them buying and maintaining (and moving, and installing, and carving out space for) their own machines, and your empty units won’t stay that way for long!
Convenience and flexibility
Time is money, for you and for your tenants. Sure, a full-service laundry, or a wash-and-fold service would be convenient, but don’t underestimate the impact of an in-building laundry facility. When the alternative is to pack everything up and take it down the street, sit for hours, and tote it all back, in-building laundry services can be a very convenient option. If the facility is well equipped, properly sized, and made with convenience in mind, it makes for happy tenants indeed.
Thinking convenience can also lead to tenant-serving policies, like 24-hour laundry access, or (as we’ll talk about below) high-tech solutions like load-monitoring equipment.
Environmentally friendly
While this won’t be a deal-breaker for all tenants, an increasing part of the population is concerned about environmental issues. This comes into play with laundry services in a number of ways. Washers that are not water efficient, dryers that are not energy efficient, or other issues that impact your facility’s carbon footprint can deter tenants from moving in.
High-quality equipment
Part of the solution to the environmental concerns mentioned above is to equip your laundry room with up-to-date, well-maintained, and high-quality equipment. The latest developments in commercial laundry equipment are more energy and water efficient, and easier to use than ever before.
High-quality equipment also has a tendency to look and perform better. The aesthetics are important, sure, but imagine a world with no “out of order” signs!
Technology
And finally, tenants want the flexibility that up-to-date technology can provide. A well-equipped laundry service can allow for payment flexibility. If they want to pay by credit or debit card, machines can be equipped to handle that. If tenants want to pay remotely with a smartphone app, there is equipment that can make that possible. And there are even kiosks available that allow for several different payment options right in the same laundry room.
As the Multi-Housing Laundry Association explains:
When residents began putting pressure on owners and developers to build apartments with in-unit washer and dryer hookups, many in the industry believed — incorrectly — that it was because they didn't want community area laundry rooms. The reality is they just didn't want the common area laundry rooms of the past.
If you find that you are missing one (or more) of the expectations of your tenants (or potential ones), then you’ll want to reach out to SelfOp Laundry today!