Many people may think otherwise, but property owners generally have no responsibility to supply renters with any appliances in most jurisdictions. According to the Implied Warranty of Habitability, property owners are not responsible for furnishing the rental home with appliances. Even if appliances are included in the property, most leases stipulate that tenants are allowed to use the appliances but should usually pay for any repairs or replacements.

When you own a rental property, you need to keep current with many things, such as changes in local building regulations, the requirement of construction permits, and government regulations about everything from taxes to COVID-19 management. One of the often-overlooked areas is the decision of whether to furnish a rental unit with appliances. There are pros and cons to each side.

On the one hand, you increase your responsibilities and duty of care, and which can be quite intimidating to many passive rental owners. However, you can earn more profit, attract a higher quality of tenant, and influence tenants to renew their leases by providing appliances that include a washer and dryer. There’s no right or wrong strategy, only advantages and disadvantages to each option.

This decision should be based on your ability to handle the extra work requirements that adding a washer and dryer can create for you. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to do the work yourself. You can hire and supervise staff to handle the details or entrust the entire process to an expert property management company, such as Specialized Property Management Atlanta.

The Benefits of Adding a Washer and Dryer to Rental Property

Property managers often include appliances as part of the deal to make their properties more attractive to tenants. Finding reliable tenants usually a big concern for property owners, and supplying well-maintained appliances is one thing that you can add to make a property more desirable. Getting a reliable tenant makes it easier to collect rent on time, avoid property damage, and limit disruptions. Plus, including a functional washer and dryer to a rental property ranks as one of the biggest tenant benefits.

In-unit laundries provide many benefits to tenants, and these include the following advantages:

• Privacy and convenience when doing laundry
• A higher value of the property
• Security benefits
• Saves time
• Ability to do laundry while doing other things

Adding laundry facilities to your properties can definitely make the property more attractive to prospective tenants, but the question remains whether the effort is worth the trouble.

Adding Laundry Facilities from the Property Owner’s Viewpoint

You could potentially raise rent an average of $300 per month by adding a simple washer and dryer to the properties. It’s one of the few ways to increase the marketability of any property. There’s not a lot you can do about small rooms or subpar neighborhoods, but you can always add a washer and dryer.

According to the National Association of Home Builders, many home buyers consider a washer and dryer more important than garages, walk-in closets, patios, and many other home features.

Should You Include an In-unit Laundry?

Including a washer and dryer in your property is mostly a question of convenience for tenants because most are willing to spend extra on an apartment with a washer and dryer. Even tenants who spend $15 to $20 per week on coin laundries probably won’t save much money when you consider the surcharge, utility costs, and the cost of laundry supplies.

The pros of supplying tenants with a washer and dryer are:

• The convenience of laundry facilities helps to retain tenants on a long-term basis.
• You can make things especially attractive to younger, well-to-do renters who prize special features that are ready to use.
• You strengthen your reputation as an all-inclusive landlord.
• Any equipment and maintenance costs can sometimes be passed along to the tenant as increased rent or utility costs.
• You can earn more profit by offering appliances.
• You can offer apartments with or without appliances to satisfy any potential tenant.

If you’re building or refurbishing a property development, you should definitely consider offering laundry facilities as a money-maker, attractive feature, and tenant-pleaser. However, it’s critically important that you maintain the appliances in good condition and don’t let things like flooded laundry rooms become a problem.

The cons of furnishing in-unit laundry facilities to your tenants include:

• Extra work for service and maintenance personnel
• Risks of malicious or accidental damages to machines
• Risks of uncontrolled or not properly cleaned laundry rooms
• Considerable investment required
• Arguments with tenants because of needed repairs that you don’t cover
• Regular replacement of machines needed

Many of the risks can be mitigated with the proper form of insurance coverage. According to one source, rental property owners can purchase home warranties that cover normal wear and tear of appliances and systems, theft, tenant damage, and other threats. [3] These can apply to single-family rental homes, townhomes, and multi-family properties.

Another Option: The Community Laundry Room

Landlords also have the option of supplying their tenants with community laundry rooms. These washers and dryers can be made available for free, but most are coin-operated. That’s a big advantage for landlords who can’t afford to finance a washer and dryer for every tenant. Conversely, a coin-operated laundromat won’t give you an excuse to raise the rent, but you can make your property more appealing to hardworking people and earn a regular profit at the same time.

Usually, one communal laundry room is sufficient, and many landlords only furnish one room for several buildings. A separate building is ideal but installing a laundry room in the basement is a common practice. It might be feasible to combine the laundry room with gym facilities, meeting rooms, and other amenities.

The benefits of a community laundry room, regardless of whether it’s coin-operated or free, include:

• Steady income to help cushion the costs of machines, maintenance, and repairs
• Ability to cover all tenants with a fraction of the number of machines
• Ability to invest in industrial-grade hot water resources
• Possibility of renting hot water heaters
• Great appeal to busy people who have little time to visit the local laundromat
• Ability to attract demanding tenants who appreciate industrial-grade laundry facilities
• Tenants can develop friendships and good neighborly conduct that reinforces tenant loyalty
• Ability to earn additional income from laundry supplies
• The cons of community-based laundries in development properties include:
• Possible altercations and arguments over access
• Need for regular cleaning, repairs, and maintenance
• Service needed for coin-operated machines
• The decision of whether to make laundry a free benefit or paid service
• Risks of sabotage, graffiti, and children misbehaving
• Potential liabilities for injuries
• Additional need for building maintenance
• Risks of flooding and the expense of uncontrolled water running and leaks
• Need to establish a code of laundry room behavior
• Regular monitoring required

Unfortunately, some landlords just aren’t in the financial position to supply each tenant with a washer and dryer, but the compromise of a community laundry room can satisfy tenants and generate positive income. It’s highly recommended that you get appropriate insurance to protect you from liabilities and damaged property.

The Overwhelming Benefits of a Property Management Company

Hiring a property management company is often the best solution that passive, and even relatively active, property owners can make. Regardless of which decisions you make, you still have the ability to define which features to include in your property rentals. Based on your judgment, you can invest in a washer and dryer in a rental property and turn over the management headaches to your management company.

Companies like Specialized Property Management Atlanta can take over your community laundry room and run it like an expert. We can also plan a program of regular maintenance and repairs for appliances that ultimately saves on capital investment costs. We are the company that can manage all your Atlanta Property needs with these expert services:

• Knowledge of local laws and regulations
• Never miss an important deadline for reports, business opportunities, and lease renewals
• Finding qualified tenants for your properties, rent amount, and personal expectations
• Keeping meticulous records about every aspect of your rental business
• Scheduling maintenance, repairs, and replacements to minimize costs and maximize performance
• Dealing with tenant issues and complaints
• Collecting rent, paying expenses, and depositing funds directly into your account
• Managing laundry rooms, gyms, and other community features
• Offering in-house legal assistance
• Handling emergencies and special tenant requests
• Dealing empathetically with customers who lost their jobs because of COVID-19
• Conducting regular property inspections
• Issuing reports that cover every aspect of services performed
• Scheduling all landscaping, mowing, painting, structural repairs, etc.
• Taking all recommended COVID-19 precautions, such as cleaning communal areas frequently

You can be as passive or involved as you like in the management process. Hiring a property management company is a personal decision, but you can greatly benefit from expert advice, efficient management, and hands-on experience of Specialized Property Management Atlanta. For more information, call us at 404-596-8429 or contact us online!