Apartment building owners and supers know that the building’s laundry room isn’t just a helpful amenity for tenants, it’s a revenue stream and component to retain tenants. But when machines start to underperform or break down, it becomes noticeable, and tenants will express their dissatisfaction and potentially seek new housing.
If you notice that complaints are starting to pile up and you have a few machines that aren’t performing to your best, it may be time to upgrade your central laundry room. Here’s a few signs that you should take notice of before tenants start to leave:
Constant Breakdowns and Service Calls
If an ‘out of order” sign has taken up permanent residence in your central laundry room, it can be considered a red flag for tenants. Older machines require more frequent and extensive repairs, finding reliable replacement parts can take time, and if there’s a constant need for service and maintenance, the costs will start adding up.
Repeated service calls often cost more than simply replacing the old unit with a newer and more reliable machine. If your machines are 8-10 years old, and the repair costs are about 50% of what the cost of a new machine would be, you may want to start considering an upgrade.
You’re Becoming Flooded with Tenant Complaints
When your building’s laundry machines and dryers aren’t functioning properly, it can lead to a surge in tenant complaints. These issues can include glitching card systems, abnormally long dry times, and even clothes not getting clean. If residents are continuously dissatisfied, they could begin looking to move into another facility, creating a vacancy that may not get filled right away.
Utility Costs Rising
When you have older equipment in your building that aren’t running at peak efficiency, it can cause them to use significantly more water and electricity. This leads to higher costs in your utilities. Having new commercial-grade systems in your building can offer:
- Shorter and more efficient drying times
- Low water/wash cycles
- Reliable functionality and ease of use
Upgrading your machines will help keep tenants happy and your water and energy consumption down, resulting in a better return and lower energy costs.
Your Equipment is Outdated
While getting a lot of use out of a machine is crucial, if that machine is outdated and manufacturers are no longer making replacement parts, it may be time to upgrade. Older machines reach a point where replacement parts become increasingly difficult to find, resulting in backorders, and can be more expensive than it would be to repair a new machine.
This extended downtime can chip away at tenant satisfaction and compromise retention.
Boost Your Revenue & Satisfaction with Automatic Industries
When you’re starting to experience an influx of tenant complaints due to down or inefficient laundry machines and dryers, it may be time to upgrade. Automatic Industries can help. We can design and install a new central laundry room in your building. We rent the space, so there’s no dip in revenue and your tenants will have new and efficient machines, helping to keep them satisfied, resulting in a higher retention rate.
If it’s time to start thinking about laundry upgrades, you can look to Automatic Industries to help you. Get in touch with us today!