Get a free laundry room in your building and say bye-bye to the laundromat forever

By Leah Hochbaum Rosner | April 2, 2015 - 4:00PM

In Case You Missed It: Every so often, BrickUnderground digs through the archives to find the best advice our experts have shared through the years.

Living in a building that lacks a laundry room? Why? They’re free to install. Here’s what you need to do to ensure that you never have to leave the comforts of your building to wash your delicates ever again:

Find a laundry room operator: This company will act as the middle man between your building and washing machine manufacturers, and will actually install washers and dryers, as well as paint and tile the laundry room in exchange for a cut of future revenue.
Figure out how much space you need: Is there an unused common area in the basement? Is there a place near the roof deck? Are there even small closets on all or some floors that can house the machines? All you really need is 28 inches of floor space, utilities, a drain and a good place to vent.
Get approved by the city: You can’t just go ahead and build it; you need to have your plans for the laundry room approved by the city, as well as pay any applicable fees.
Negotiate a fair contract with your vendor: Have your lawyer and property manager negotiate an agreement that, among other things, specifies that you want new equipment, how often maintenance will be performed, and figure out who’s on the hook if something should go wrong.

For more, read “Bye Bye Laundromat: How to Get a Laundry Room in Your Building—For Free.”

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