Should I purchase a dryer in a shared house ?

Hi Keith

I would have thought a coin or token operated machine would be more trouble than it's worth. It's likely to cost more in the first place. Then you need to think about what happens when somebody puts in money or a token and it doesn't work. That will cause frustration. Chances are that there will be somebody to tries to work out how to get it going without paying or getting the tokens out to put them back in too and that could result in damage and you will not know who to blame. I'd suggest that if you have good tenants you put a normal dryer in at your own expense and possibly talk to them about adding just a bit on to the rent to cover the cost. That said, I don't have any shared houses so I'm possibly not the best person to ask. It will be interesting to see that other shared house landlords come back with.

Seems like a very good idea - keeping tenants happy in a market where tenancies are shorter makes sense. You could look at the equipment that campsites use for the power feed to electric showers. I wonder if the duration is variable? Maybe this site would help? http://www.stephenpwales.co.uk/Product/timers/home_timers.htm

I put them in where there is a problem with condensation - this is normally caused by inadequate ventilation, the biggest cause is drying clothes everywhere.

I've just converted a house into 7 x studio flats for students and provided a washer/dryer for each of them. For me, the coin ops were just not worth the hassle. Factor in the number of visits over say the lifespan of the house with you. Add an hourly rate for your time and 40p per mile to reflect wear and tear on your car. Is it worth it. Give them a £300 washer dryer and if necessary adjust their rent slightly on the next review to reflect the extra amenity.

I think it is a good idea to supply a dryer in the circumstances you portray.

Treat people with respect and the majority of them respect you (and your property) back.

I would just let them use the dryer like a normal householder. Supplying coin operation feels "institutionalised" to me!

If you go to Grattan.co.uk you can buyer washer/dryers for a few pounds per week over an extended term so no capital outlay. Alternatively, you could rent one from somewhere like Forbes which would have the added advantage of being fully tax deductible too! 🙂 A small increase in rent could cover the monthly hire charge. If it breaks down, Forbes come out and fix it or offer a new replacement, so worth considering.

Drying clothes causes damp problems as others have mentioned, so it seems a false economy not to address the tenants needs for a dryer.

Vanessa Warwick
Landlord & co-Founder of Property Tribes forum
http://propertytribes.com

An ordinary vented dryer, hardwired to a 50p slot meter, for one hour's drying time. It won't make you any money, but will reduce condensation damage and make your tenants happy. Cost Dryer £150 and slot machine £250. When the dryer breaks only it needs replacing. The reason to charge is to prevent your property becoming a free launderette. Go on, give yourself the edge over the downmarket landlords who would rather have mildew.!

My advice would be not to install anything which you had to rely on collecting funds from your tenants to fund. I can see nothing but problems. Presumably your tenants pay the electricity bill which is in their name. On that basis I suggest that you instal a dryer for them, making sure this is properly vented as if not you will have enormous problems with condensation. If you want to you can incraese the rent a bit but I think that providing a washer and dryer is to be expected in 2013.
I always let properties with a combined washer/dryer. This takes up less room in a kitchen and is usually sufficient for a single person/couple flat. In a multi occupancy house you might need separatae machines.
What you do need to be careful of in a multi occupancy dwelling like a shared house is not becoming a local launderette and I would certainly ensure that your tenants are paying their electricity bills which, hopefully, are in their name, so there are no problems going forward.

I agree with all those who say that the hassle of coin ops isnt worth the extra time / mileage re maintaining / fixing. If a dryer is appropriate for a property increase the rents to cover extra electricity used and rent the washer / dryer inc a maintenance contract.

That's a very interesting point about properties being used as a "free launderette" David. I've never had that problem but that's perhaps more to do with the demographic of my tenants and the properties I've purchased. I don't offer shared houses or HMO's. I can imagine the "free launderette" issue occurring where other surrounding properties are student houses or HMO's and the tenants don't have drying facilities. Have you ever had experience of being used as a "free launderette"? I would imagine the electricity bills could be enormous where that is the case, especially if you rent "bills inclusive". YIKES!!!

My last post was eaten I will try again.
I supply washer/dryers which I hire. The tenants can call the hire company directly and get free next day service and its very tax efficient. I would not rent without a dryer because unless we provide an alternative a tenant could say that the damp/mould caused by drying clothes could not be avoided.
I know several landlords who pay the bills and they have found that some clients, students in particular, "take in washing" at their expense.
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