Washer and Dryers for Apartment

Installing Washer/Dryers in Your NYC Apartment

The dos and don’ts

Washers and dryers in New York City are status symbols. Only about 20% of apartments have the hookups necessary to install washer and dryer units and those that have them should consider themselves lucky. But why do so few buildings allow residents to install washers and dryers? The waste piping systems in many older buildings can be too small or too packed with sediment. The result is that soap and water will back up and affect your neighbors. This presents a high risk that your building likely doesn’t want to take. Yes, there is some logic to it, it’s not just to punish you or keep you in shape!

Can I put a washer and dryer in my apartment?

If you’re renting, your lease will probably specify pretty clearly whether or not you can install a washer/dryer. The first clue will be if you have the hookups for them. If you have the hookups, congratulations! You can stop reading here and go buy yourself a washer/dryer! (Or keep on for a minute and we’ll tell you where to put it…)

If you don’t have the hookups, well, keep reading…

Can you have a washer and dryer without hookups?

Not having the hookups, as a renter, is pretty dismal. You can triple check your lease and call up your landlord, and maybe he’ll say yes, but if he doesn’t that’s kind of the end of the road.

Unless… You want to go illegal on this. If you don’t care what your landlord will think or you think you can get away with it, there are some more options for you.

Small washer and dryer for apartment

With modern advancements, a small washer and dryer for apartment units in NYC is very feasible these days. You can either hand wash your clothes and then dry them in a ventless or vented dryer, you can purchase a portable apartment washing machine and then air dry your clothes, or buy both for your apartment in New York City.

Portable apartment washing machines are handy in that you don’t need a hookup to utilize them. Simply fill the machine with water either manually or via a hose (which connects to your sink) then turn the machine on. Once you’re done, you can drain the water back into your bathtub through a hose. Portable washing machines have the added benefit of being more affordable and portable than your typical washing machine which requires hookups.

Dryers are a bit more bulky and come with two options, vented or ventless. For most in the city, a ventless dryer will be the better option. However, even the most modern dryers can be bulky and pricey, so for most folks, a drying rack might be the easier method for drying your clothes following a wash.

Renting washer and dryer in unit apartments

If you don’t want to go the extra mile and purchase your own portable apartment washing machine and ventless dryer, then consider renting apartments with washer and dyer units already installed. It may be an added cost, but to some, that added cost of an apartment washer and dryer is more than worth it, if it means you don’t need to lug a laundry basket downstairs.

Consequences of installing apartment washing machine

Beware: you will be breaking an important clause in your lease, you could be evicted, and if there is a flood due to your machine or a fire from the dryer, you will be responsible for the damages. Going rogue is not suggested in almost any circumstance and it could cost you a fortune.

“The core problem with washer-dryer units is that the flow of water often overwhelms the limiting plumbing capacity of older buildings,” says Dean M. Roberts, a real estate attorney with Norris McLaughlin & Marcus in Manhattan. These overflows can lead to the discovery of your machine, especially if it leaks into the apartment below you. Some good news: “ You probably won’t be evicted unless you refuse to give up the machine, says Goidel.

“The fact that several other tenants may have a washer/dryer can’t in and of itself justify acquiring similar equipment,” he says. “Perhaps the landlord is unaware or perhaps the tenants are rent-regulated and their leases allow it.”

At the end of the day, there are easier ways to get your laundry done than by risking thousands of dollars and doing your laundry in the dark of night. If you don’t have the hookups, look into some pickup and delivery services, or haul those heavy bags down to the laundromat and bring something fantastic to read.