Every multi-housing property is different when it comes to amenities. Some properties offer fitness facilities while others offer dog parks. However, one of the most overlooked amenities at an apartment community is the on-site laundry facility. Whether management owns their equipment or partners with an apartment laundry service, this amenity is crucial to keeping your resident’s happy and satisfied.
What is an apartment laundry service?
An apartment laundry service is where a multi-housing property partners with a laundry service company to provide commercial laundry equipment and related services to the property. This can come in the form of a variety of arrangements:
- Purchase of equipment
- Purchase of equipment with a service program
- Rental of equipment
- Leasing of equipment (also known as Revenue Sharing or Route)
Take a look at this helpful info-graphic / blog article for further clarification!
How does an apartment laundry service work?
Your management team works hard everyday to make their property the best that it can be. That includes repairing toilets, fixing ranges, and turning rooms after a resident has moved out. If your property has an onsite laundry facility, your maintenance team is also tasked with managing a different dilemma; repairing and collecting commercial laundry equipment .
Commercial laundry equipment is typically more difficult to repair and troubleshoot to those who only have experience with residential equipment. By partnering with a commercial laundry equipment distributor like Advantage Equipment, you set your property up to handle repairs in a timely manner. When your equipment is down, your residents become inconvenienced and often times leave the property to do laundry. This results in a loss of revenue for your property.
Which multi-housing laundry service is the best for me?
Outright Ownership
Outright ownership is where your multi-housing property purchases laundry equipment from a commercial laundry distributor. After the equipment is installed by the distributor, support is offered through parts & service. As residents begin to use the equipment, revenue is generated either through a card system, mobile operation, or coin operation. The property collects the revenue on an “as-needed” basis. When equipment breaks down, the property can call the equipment company for service and parts, but it will billed (generally at an hourly rate plus parts pricing).
Outright Ownership With A Service Program
Another option would be the same setup as the above section, but with a contracted service program. This service program typically includes all parts and service for free, in exchange for a monthly or yearly fee. This fee varies depending on the equipment package and length of contract, but it is a great option for those who are concerned about maintenance fees down the road of ownership.
Rental Program
The third option for multi-housing facilities includes a rental program. In exchange for a monthly fee, your property will receive brand new equipment, and the support to back it up. During the term of the rental agreement, all parts and service will be included for free. You will never pay a service bill again! The only thing your management team is responsible for is collecting the revenue the machines collect, and alerting us when equipment needs service. Out-of-pocket costs include first and last month’s payments.
Leasing or Route Program
Finally, the fourth option for apartment laundry services includes leasing or route agreement. For this agreement, your property will receive brand new commercial washers, dryers, and a card system for free. In addition, ongoing parts and service is also free for the duration of the agreement. Only a monthly basis, the apartment laundry service provider will collect the revenue that the location makes and split the revenue with the property. Leasing laundry equipment for apartments is the most popular laundry operation method in the industry.
Multi-Housing Commercial Laundry Equipment
As you evaluate your multi-housing laundry service provider, there a couple areas to focus on. One would be whether they are apart of a local or national apartment association like National Apartment Association and the Northern Ohio Apartment Association. Another important area is the equipment being quoted. At Advantage Equipment, we pride ourselves in offering LG Commercial, Continental Girbau, and Econo. These commercial laundry lines offer industry leading energy efficiencies and warranties, as well as an easy to use interface for residents of all ages.