How Adding a Laundry Facility to Your Apartment Complex Can Create a Passive Income Stream
If you own or manage an apartment or condo complex, you’re constantly looking for ways to increase revenue without adding another full-time job to your plate. Here’s one of the most overlooked (and underutilized) opportunities: an on-site laundry facility.
With the right equipment and setup you can easily turn your new amenity into a passive income machine that can start paying off in just a few months.
Why Laundry is a Smart Move for Property Owners
Today’s renters expect convenience. They want modern features, clean common spaces, and anything that makes daily life easier. If your building doesn’t have on-site laundry—or worse, has a basement full of rusty coin-operated dinosaurs—you’re missing a major opportunity to improve tenant satisfaction and create a new monthly revenue stream.
Here’s the best part: with the latest commercial laundry equipment and card-based systems, you can offer tenants exactly what they want with minimal maintenance and zero time spent collecting quarters. You don’t need a full staff. You don’t need to run the machines yourself. You just need to offer a clean, efficient, and reliable laundry experience—and we’ll take care of everything else.
What Your Tenants See (And Why That Matters)
Picture this from your tenant’s perspective. They’re touring your building—maybe it’s their third or fourth stop that day. Rent prices are similar across the board, the units are decent, and they’re weighing pros and cons. Then they walk downstairs and see your clean, modern laundry room with new, energy-efficient machines and a card system that doesn’t require hoarding quarters or downloading some clunky app from 2008. For most renters, that’s an instant win.
Especially in dense urban areas or older buildings without in-unit laundry, a well-maintained on-site facility is a huge convenience. It means they don’t have to drag their clothes down the street to the nearest laundromat. It means they can throw in a load while making dinner or watching the game. It saves them time, effort, and hassle—and that peace of mind translates into real value.
That’s where you, the property owner, benefit beyond just laundry revenue. A quality laundry facility isn’t just a side hustle—it’s a marketable amenity that allows you to raise rent rates or close leases faster. Many owners are able to bump monthly rent by $25–$50 per unit just by offering secure, convenient laundry access. Multiply that by 20, 30, or 50 units, and now you’re talking thousands in additional annual income—all because you turned a forgotten room into a tenant favorite.
Tenants remember the little things that make daily life easier. And when your building makes laundry effortless, it makes everything else feel a little more worth it. That’s not just good for occupancy—it’s great for your reputation as a property owner who takes care of your building and your residents.
Features of a Successful Laundry Facility
A high-performing laundry room isn’t just a couple of washers in a utility closet. Here’s what separates the successful ones from the forgettable ones:
Modern, energy-efficient machines: Commercial-grade washers and dryers with high G-force extraction for faster dry times and reduced utility costs.
Card or app-based payment systems: Easy for tenants to use, eliminates the hassle of cash or coins, and gives you digital reporting to track your earnings in real time.
Ventilation and drainage setup: Proper airflow and drainage to protect your equipment and keep your laundry room fresh and functional.
Security and lighting: Clean, well-lit spaces with secured access help tenants feel safe and respected.
Clear signage and posted instructions: Simple, visible directions reduce user error and keep the machines running smoothly.
These aren’t just “nice to have” features—they’re what make your laundry facility feel like a benefit instead of a chore. And that’s exactly what keeps tenants happy and income flowing.
What Can You Earn? (Let’s Talk Numbers)
Let’s say you own a 30-unit apartment building and install four washers and four dryers. You set your machines at $2.50 per wash and $2.00 per dry—pretty standard for most of New Jersey. If even half your tenants do three loads of laundry a week, that’s:
45 washes x $2.50 = $112.50/week
45 dries x $2.00 = $90.00/week
Total: $202.50/week = $810/month = $9,720/year
Now, that’s conservative. Many buildings see $12,000 to $20,000 in annual revenue from laundry alone depending on foot traffic, usage, and pricing. In many cases, owners earn back their initial investment within the first 6 to 8 months, and after that, it’s nearly pure profit. Plus, laundry revenue often offsets property utility costs or gets reinvested into property improvements—making it a smart financial play no matter how you slice it.
How Easy is the Setup? (Hint: We Handle It All)
At New Jersey Commercial Laundry Repair, we make it ridiculously easy to go from “I think I want a laundry room” to “I just made money in my sleep.” Here’s how it works:
Site Evaluation – We come out, assess your space, utility access, and building layout.
Custom Equipment Selection – Based on your property’s size, tenant demographics, and budget, we recommend the best machines for your needs—from mid-tier commercial to top-of-the-line energy-efficient options.
Installation & Setup – Our certified technicians install your machines, set up your card or app-based payment system, and make sure everything is running smoothly.
Training & Support – We show you (or your property manager) how to operate the system, access digital revenue reports, and keep everything in check.
Ongoing Service & Maintenance – Need a repair down the line? We’ve got you covered. Our team is local, fast, and reliable.
That’s it. No guesswork. No shopping around for plumbers, electricians, or vending providers. We do the whole thing start to finish—you just sit back and collect revenue.
Turn an Empty Room Into a Reliable Revenue Stream
If you’ve got a basement, utility closet, or unused ground-floor space, you’re sitting on a potential income stream. Adding a modern laundry facility isn’t just a value-add for your tenants—it’s one of the simplest and most effective ways to boost your property’s monthly cash flow without adding work to your already full plate.
Let our team at New Jersey Commercial Laundry Repair walk you through the process. We’ve helped dozens of property owners across the state turn underused space into high-performing laundry rooms—and we can help you do the same.
Want to see what’s possible for your property?
Let’s talk. We’ll give you the straight facts, real numbers, and a plan that works for your building, your tenants, and your bottom line.
