dishwasher or no dishwasher?

[Randy Barnard]

Team bigger pockets, I need advice from experienced buy and hold investors:  to dishwasher or not to dishwasher, that is the question!

I’ve heard that it can be a love affair like Romeo  and Juliet, increasing rents by 10%, paying for itself in less than a year and improving tenants longevity.

I’ve also heard that if you think that something is rotten in the state of Denmark that it is usually the dishwashers stench from misuse by tenants.  Horror stories of leaking water leading to skyrocketing water bills soon follow.  

So Team Bigger Pockets, help me out!

[Jeremy Holcomb]

It depends on if you invest in Class A, B, C, or D. If classes a or b absolutely. If not, it’s just something else that can break and I wouldn’t personally do it. 

[John Teachout]

If the property was already set up for a dishwasher, we maintain one. If there wasn't one there or it's a "small" property, we don't install one. I don't think they're any more troublesome than any other appliance but it depends on the size of the property in my opinion. A larger home is likely to have more occupants and the need/advantage of a dishwasher would be greater. A one bedroom house most likely wouldn't need one.

[Derrick E.]

Agree with previous two posters. If it's a cheap rental then no I don't add/install one. If it's an A/B property then I always install one if it doesn't already have one. 

Regardless, if I buy a house that already has it then I maintain it and will replace it if it goes bad. 

I haven't had any issues out of mine. 

[Matt R.]

When I bought my rental, the previous owners had installed a rather nice stainless-front dishwasher that was only a couple of years old, so I kept it, and I haven't had any trouble out of it in 2+ years.

Around here (Kansas City), it wasn't until around the late 1970s or early 1980s that houses started being built with dishwashers in them.  Houses older than that often have DIY dishwasher installs that you may have to work on a little.

I made sure the dishwasher drain hose went from the dishwasher, all the way up to the underside of the countertop, and then back down to the drain connection on the disposer under the sink. This keeps sink water from siphoning into the bottom of the dishwasher.  A lot of DIY installs don't do this.

I also replaced the flexible connector between the dishwasher water valve and the house plumbing, in an attempt to prevent leaks.

Finally, the dishwasher was put on its own circuit.  It was previously on the same circuit as the disposer and one of the bedrooms; I'm pretty sure if anybody tried to do anything in that bedroom when the dishwasher was running, it would have popped the breaker.  Luckily the dishwasher was only about 15 feet away from the breaker panel, over an unfinished part of the basement, so there was a clear shot at running the new cable.

[Rich Kniss]

@Randy Barnard, we purchased a 4/2 rental from another investor without a dishwasher and it rents easily at $1,050/month. If it's there, I'd maintain it. Most people would want one.

[Mike D'Arrigo]

@Randy Barnard There's no question that dishwashers are often the source of a lot of maintenance calls which is why a lot of owners don't provide them. It all really comes down to your market and property class. Some markets don't demand them while in others, it could be hard to rent without. More importantly is the class of property. You'll pretty much have to provide one in A class properties and generally in B class also. You may be able to get away without one in C class. The best thing to do is talk to your property manager and get their advice. 

[Will Barnard]

As all others stated, it all depends on your market and the class of building. Without that info, it is difficult for anyone to answer your question. Any appliance will result in some future repairs along the way, dishwashers being no acception. If your property class and the potential tenants will expect one, then you should have one. If you do, make sure to properly inspect the unit twice annually and insure there are no leaks.

[Randy Barnard]

Thanks for the advice Will!