What Is Being Done

More and more, municipalities are seeing first-hand benefits of instituting a plan that encourages multifamily owners and managers to utilize common-area laundry rooms instead of in-unit laundry hookups.

Case Studies

Make your laundry rooms a resident amenity, and objections disappear

Summary
The Seasons in Denver is luxury apartment living at its finest. Nestled in the heart of the desirable Cherry Creek shopping district, the three-building community is home to professional athletes, local celebrities and most of all, people with high-expectations of their apartment amenities. They also all have a common-area laundry room.

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Common Laundry Room Increases Occupancy

Summary
When Rob Johnston, president of First Communities in Atlanta, contemplated buying a property that contained 170 one-bedroom apartments he knew a common laundry room would make the difference. After creating a laundry "town center", occupancy rates rose 35%.

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Stone Arch Apartments Build "Green"

Summary
Steve Minn, a developer in Minneapolis has embraced the concept of building "green." He has incorporated common-area laundry rooms into the new Stone Arch Apartment complex. By including this water saving amenity, Minn qualified for a 20% discount on sewer access charges from a regional waste treatment organization. Like many other developers, Minn has taken advantage of not only green building credits, but also provided a conservation opportunity for both the property owner and residents at the Stone Arch Apartments.

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Metropolitan Council of Minneapolis Rewards Conservation Efforts

Summary
Water conservation is a hot topic for many municipalities. The city of Minneapolis and the surrounding metropolitan areas are offering incentives through Metropolitan Council Environmental Services to apartments and condos participating in conservation efforts. Credits are granted to complexes showing a reduction in wastewater usage.

By utilizing the Service Availability Charge (SAC), fees are imposed for new connections or increased capacity demand. The current per-unit SAC implemented by the Metropolitan Council allows credits for apartments and condominiums with common- area laundry rooms, offsetting the basic fees imposed...


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Portland Supports Common-Area Laundry Rooms for Conservation

Summary
Oregonians take pride in protecting and conserving their natural and renewable resources. In Portland specifically, peak water demand for the metropolitan areaís more than 787,000 residents has been as high as 193 million gallons per day in recent years.

Among many conservation methods and water use efficiency guidelines employed in the Portland area, the Portland Water Bureau (PWB) has specifically recognized the conservation effects of the common-area laundry rooms in multifamily buildings...

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