Coin operated outlet for laundry

Investor · chicago · Member since 2026 · 18 posts · 22 votes

Hello, I have a small multifam of 4 units.

I inherited some washer and dryers from old landlord, I want to set up a coin operated system. I don’t want to retrofit the machines themselves, is there coin operated outlets where it can time the washers dryers?

Should I even put a coin operated laundry or that would affect my tenant interest/pool? In east Garfield park.

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Harrison C.

Member since 2017 · 38 posts · 18 votes

Check what the dryer runs on first. An electric dryer is 240v, so a plug-in timer outlet won't handle it, and you'd want an electrician before you buy anything. A gas dryer is easier.

With only 4 units I'd think hard about coin at all. The machines make little money at that size, and some renters see coin laundry as a worse building than one with laundry included. In my houses it's included and I just price it into the rent. One flat number, no coins to collect, nobody fighting over quarters.

If the old landlord's machines are the only ones, the bigger cost is usually water and repairs, so check what that adds up to for you before deciding.

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Harrison C.
Member since 2017 · 38 posts · 18 votes
2d
Check what the dryer runs on first. An electric dryer is 240v, so a plug-in timer outlet won't handle it, and you'd want an electrician before you buy anything. A gas dryer is easier.
With only 4 units I'd think hard about coin at all. The machines make little money at that size, and some renters see coin laundry as a worse building than one with laundry included. In my houses it's included and I just price it into the rent. One flat number, no coins to collect, nobody fighting over quarters.
If the old landlord's machines are the only ones, the bigger cost is usually water and repairs, so check what that adds up to for you before deciding.
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Divin KanyamaBusiness Member
Accountant · Seattle, WA · Member since 2025 · 361 posts · 134 votes
2d
@Isabel Rao Coin or card-operated timer boxes do exist, but I would be careful using one with regular residential machines. The washer needs enough time to finish its cycle, and the electrical setup should be checked by an electrician.
For only four units, I would compare the cost of a retrofit with a simple card or app-based system—or just include laundry and account for utilities in future rents where allowed.
Paid on-site laundry probably will not hurt tenant interest in East Garfield Park; reliable laundry is usually a plus. I would check nearby listings and run the utility and maintenance numbers before deciding. The right setup depends on the machines and wiring, so confirm it with a local professional.
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Richard (Ryszard) Cieplechowicz
Member since 2026 · 84 posts · 25 votes
2d
Before changing the machines, I'd check what the current leases say about laundry. Then total the actual water, power and repair costs for those four units. Coin collection adds another job, so compare what you'd keep after those costs rather than just the quarters coming in. I'd settle that before buying a timer box.
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Leo SteinBusiness Member
Property Manager · Orange County, CA · Member since 2025 · 56 posts · 16 votes
1d
Isabel, with four units I would not retrofit the washers and dryers themselves. Coin boxes that time the cycle exist, but an electric dryer is usually 240 volts and a cheap timer plug-in will not handle it. An electrician should confirm the wiring before you buy anything.
The other question is whether coin laundry is worth it at this size. Four units do not generate much coin revenue once you add water, power, and repairs. Some renters in a small building see coin laundry as a worse place to live, and East Garfield Park is competitive on that. I would add up the actual utility and repair cost for those four units first, then compare it to what you could get by including laundry and putting that cost into the rent.
If the current leases already say laundry is included, changing that mid-lease is its own problem. Check the leases before you change machines. Happy to compare notes by message.
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Simon W.Business Member
Real Estate Consultant · Lehigh Valley PA & New York City · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 667 votes
1d
Good points above on the wiring and whether coin is even worth it at 4 units. If you do go with it, I'd think about the money side before you buy anything.
Coins are cash, and cash with no record is the easiest income to lose track of. Empty the boxes on a set schedule, write down the amount, and deposit it into the property's account instead of keeping a jar of quarters. Book it as its own laundry income line so at year end you can see whether it was worth it.
Then compare that to what the machines actually cost you in water, gas or electric, and repairs. At four units it often comes out close to zero, which is why a lot of owners just include laundry and price it into the rent.
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Jim Johnson
Real Estate Agent · Memphis · Member since 2026 · 568 posts · 334 votes
1d
There are external pay boxes that can control power to existing machines, so you may not need to retrofit the washer and dryer themselves. I’d have an electrician confirm what will work with your specific setup, especially on the dryer side.
For only four units, I’d look harder at whether the extra laundry income is worth the setup and ongoing hassle. Paid laundry itself probably isn’t the issue as much as what tenants in that area are used to and how your property compares with nearby rentals.
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Isabel Rao
OP
Investor · chicago · Member since 2026 · 18 posts · 22 votes
1d
Thanks everyone for the feedbacks!
I inherited the machines so I don’t plan to buy new ones. Summarizing from everyone’s point seems like installing even an external coin paybox is not worth the hassle. I just don’t want my tenants to overuse washer and dryer you know.
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Leo SteinBusiness Member
Property Manager · Orange County, CA · Member since 2025 · 56 posts · 16 votes
1d
Makes sense to keep the machines you already have. If overuse is the worry, a few low-hassle options: put laundry hours or a simple fair-use note in your house rules, set a shared schedule (assigned days per unit works fine at 4 units), and watch the water and gas bills month to month so you can tell a real jump from normal use. Some owners also add a small flat monthly laundry fee in new leases instead of coins, which covers utilities without anyone handling quarters. Check your local rules before adding a fee to an existing lease. How many people are in each unit? That usually tells you whether overuse is likely to be a real problem.
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Richard F.
Honolulu, HI · Member since 2008 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
1d
What kind of space do you have for the equipment? Is this one common area, in the basement that everyone would access, or are you trying to put them in each unit? I'll assume you have a decent space to create a clean, well lit laundry area. Repairs to equipment is expensive, coin op or not. If they work, sell them for $50 a pop to get them hauled away. Then contact a coin/card op vendor and have them look at the space and operation. For only 4 units, they might not offer much, but if you get a $500 signing bonus for a 5 year contract, would you complain? They provide the equipment, take care of repairs, and pay you 50% of the gross. They know exactly what energy consumption is for each cycle, which allows you to determine where to price them per load. All profit, no headaches. Just be sure if it is a basement, that in cold weather an access door cannot be left open to freeze all the pipes.
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Matthew Tregoning
Property Manager · Melbourne, FL · Member since 2019 · 283 posts · 128 votes
22h
Have the bills shown unusual usage yet, or are you trying to prevent it? I'd get a baseline before adding anything tenants have to manage. Four households can make the machines look busy even when each is doing a normal amount of laundry.
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