Managing a multi unit property is hard. Every property manager wants to have the most successful rental property possible, which usually looks like acquiring and keeping top quality tenants. Everyone knows that attracting these tenants involves giving them a great rental, but what about amenities such as a top quality laundry room?
The Apartment Complex Laundry Room Is More Important to Your Business Than You Think
Believe it or not, a top quality laundry room can be a big deciding factor for tenants. If your apartment complex laundry room is sub-par or has lots of problems, it could be scaring away good tenants and costing your business money. Read on to learn some of the top laundry room issues that could scare off potential renters, and how to run a successful laundry room.
Common Apartment Complex Laundry Room Issues
Laundry rooms are an important aspect of managing rental properties. However, a multi-unit apartment complex laundry room can come with various challenges that can tank tenant satisfaction and retention. Here are some common problems you may encounter in laundry rooms.
Outdated Washers and Dryer Malfunction
Technology has grown in leaps and bounds within the past few years, and modern laundry machines have not been exempt. But older, less efficient washers and dryers tend to malfunction and break down, either due to a lack of proper maintenance or just general wear and tear. These broken machines cause tenant complaints, and can cost your business money in repairs and replacements.
Falling Behind on Maintenance and Repairs
Laundry machines are much like cars in that they require regular maintenance to function well. If your property manager is too busy or doesn't have the skills needed to perform regular maintenance, your laundry room is in trouble. A lack of repairs and maintenance can lead to the machines becoming so damaged they must be replaced. In addition, laundry machine breakdowns need prompt and efficient repairs, or else you risk a dip in tenant satisfaction.
Tenant User Behavior and Poor Laundry Room Etiquette
A major problem for the success of laundry rooms is also one that is largely outside of management control. The human element of a laundry room can cause big problems. Tenants can cause damage by overloading machines, leading to increased wear and tear and potential breakdowns. They can also fail to properly clean the lint traps or wash items that are not suitable. There is also the possibility of vandalism, theft of clothing and laundry supplies that drives tenants away from your business.
Dated Laundry Room Payment Systems
Almost all payments are cashless these days. So why should your apartment’s laundry room only take quarters? If your tenants have to not only take out cash but make change to do their laundry, they will lively take their business elsewhere. Updating your laundry room machines to accept cashless payment is crucial to laundry room success.
Poorly Designed Space
Ask yourself, is your laundry room laid out for maximum ergonomics? Some properties may have small or inadequate laundry room spaces, leading to congestion and inconvenience for residents. Poorly placed machines can make the laundry room feel smaller and dirtier than it actually is, and can lead to accidents and injuries while doing laundry.
Old Inefficient Laundry Machines
We already know that old laundry machines require more costly repairs than newer models. But did you know that your building’s old laundry room might also drive up utility costs? Older, unmaintained machines use more water and electricity than newer models, adding to the overall cost of your properties laundry room.
Not Adhering to Laundry Room Regulations
It is management’s job to ensure that laundry facilities comply with local regulations and safety standards, which vary from state to state. If your property's laundry facilities are not up to code, you could be open to legal action. In addition, laundry rooms that are not up to code are a bigger property damage risk.
Lack of Laundry Room Security Measures
We all would like to believe that laundry rooms are safe places. Your tenants should be able to do their laundry any time of day or night, without having to worry about theft, vandalism or other criminal elements in their building. By implementing monitoring systems or security measures to prevent misuse or damage to the laundry room, you show your tenants that you care about their wellbeing and the safety of their property, as well as your own.
Laundry Room Cleanliness
A clean laundry room not only improves the look of your property, it shows that you care about your tenants. Regular cleaning and maintenance of both the laundry room and the machines goes a long way towards preventing the buildup of dirt, lint, and other debris that can affect the efficiency of machines.
Now that we know the major roadblocks to having a great laundry room, what can be done to fix these problems?
SmartoMat Laundry Room Management Service– The Easiest Way to Run a Successful Laundry Room
Addressing the majority of these laundry room challenges requires a proactive approach, including regular maintenance, effective communication, and implementing systems to encourage responsible use of laundry facilities. However, the majority of property owners and managers do not have time to tackle these problems on top of all their other duties.
Smartomat is the easiest way to ensure that you have the best laundry room for your tenants, while saving your business money. Here is how Smartomat improves your laundry room success rate:
New Machines at Reasonable Prices
There are many ways a good laundry room can go bad, but the first is the most obvious: not having enough machines. It could be that you do not have enough washers and dryers for all the tenants in the building, causing long wait times and encouraging them to go elsewhere like a laundromat. It could also be that the washers and dryers that are available are poorly functioning or so frequently broken that there are long waits to use them.
Smart Washers and Dryers
Modern washers and dryers have the ability to connect to the internet and be monitored and operated through an app. These “smart” laundry machines can be started or stopped remotely, and can send an alert to your phone when they are done, or reminders to switch over a load of laundry. This cuts down immensely on forgotten laundry, leaving the machines open for those tenants who need to use them. These machines can also send alerts when they are in need of maintenance, and can help technicians diagnose problems.
Regular Maintenance Plans
“Maintenance is less expensive than replacement” is the golden rule of property management. But property managers have to focus on maintaining all aspects of the property– the heating and cooling, the plumbing, the electric wiring, etc. Often, laundry gets placed at the bottom of the list as other, more pressing concerns dominate a property manager's time.
Smartomat offers a variety of stress-free maintenance plans that take the work out of maintaining machines. Smartomat can handle everything from routine laundry machine maintenance and cleaning to repairs and upgrades. This leaves the property manager with more time to take care of other responsibilities.
Easy Maintenance Requests
There is nothing more frustrating to your tenants than repeatedly ignored repair requests. With Smartomat, tenants can directly request repairs and maintenance to machines. Smartomat guarantees response to these requests in a timely fashion, eliminating stress and making tenants feel heard.
Tenant Portal
Still doing maintenance requests with paper and pencil? Smartomat has a cutting edge user portal where tenants can make laundry room repair requests directly. Smartomat will respond and dispatch a skilled technician in a timely fashion.
Updated Cashless Payment Options
No more lugging around quarters. Smartomat has a variety of easy, cashless payment options. These can be in new “smart” machines or implemented with the laundry equipment already available on your property. Tenants can add money to their account using the Smartomat tenant portal, and no more trips to cash in quarters for the property manager. Everyone saves time!
Laundry Room Redesign and Upgrades
Smartomat is not just about servicing the machines, but improving the overall laundry room design. Laundry room design is extremely important to your building’s laundry room success rate. Here are a few ways that Smartomat can improve your laundry room design.
Ergonomic Space Usage: Smartomat can rearrange current machines for the best space usage, A good laundry room ensures that there is enough space for residents to comfortably sort, fold, and iron their laundry. Crowded and cramped laundry rooms can be frustrating for users.
Sufficient Washers and Dryers: In order to run a successful laundry room, there need to be enough functioning washers and dryers to accommodate the number of residents in the apartment complex.This equipment needs to be usable, accessible and up to date
Creating Clear Instructions and Signage: Smaromat will clearly label machines and provide instructions on how to use them. This can help prevent user errors such as overloading machines. Smartomat will also have clear instructions on how to submit a laundry room maintenance or repair request online, so tenants can get direct help for malfunctioning laundry machines.
Cleanliness and Maintenance: Can you believe Smartomat will even help keep your laundry room clean? Regular cleaning and maintenance of the laundry room will help create a pleasant and hygienic environment for your tenants.
Provide Ample Lighting: Good lighting is essential for a successful laundry room experience. Smartomat can help property managers choose the best lighting to ensure that the laundry room is well-lit to keep users safe.
Seating Area: Tenants who are waiting for their laundry will greatly appreciate including some seating. This can make the laundry experience more comfortable and enjoyable,
Storage for Supplies: In redesigning the laundry room, Smartomat can help you designate areas for tenants to put their laundry detergent, fabric softener, and other supplies while using the room. This can help keep the space organized and make it more convenient for users.
Regularly Updated Information: If there are any changes to the laundry room schedule, maintenance, or other important information, Smartomat can easily communicate these updates to residents through the online portal and through signage in the laundry room.
Compliance with Rules and Regulations
Laundry Room Rules and regulations include things like properly stored wiring, plumbing maintenance and lighting requirements. In addition, you may be required to make your laundry room accessible for people who use wheelchairs. The laundry pros at Smartomat are well versed in laundry room regulations, and can get your building’s laundry room up to code in no time.
Security Features
Smartomat can help you implement security features in your laundry room, such as surveillance cameras and well-lit surroundings to enhance the safety of the laundry room, especially if it is accessible during late hours.
A Better Laundry Room, a Better Rental Property
Tenant satisfaction keeps your rental business running smoothly. Providing a top notch laundry room on your property helps acquire and keep good tenants, many of whom view having a well maintained, clean and safe laundry room onsite as one of the major perks of apartment living. If your multi-unit building does not have that, you could be losing out on good tenants and money.
Smartomat can help you get the best laundry room possible for your property through better laundry machines, a better room design, and an overall safer, more comfortable place to do laundry. By hiring a laundry room management service like Smartomat, property managers show that they care about their tenants.
Check out Smartomat’s website today, and see how together you and Smartomat can create a laundry room that enhances the overall living experience for residents, making it a convenient and enjoyable part of apartment living.