Laundry in basement/Access to electric/phones/etc

[Jordan F.]

Hello fellow BP’s,

I am in Los Ángeles with a 20 unit property with no laundry room and no space to build one. But we do have a basement with a plumbing connection  for a few machines.  The only thing is  if we installed washers/dryers, tenants would have access to a rear alleyway as well as the electrical panels, fuse boxes, main panel, water heater, and phone connections.  I am worried about what could happen and liability issues.

We don’t have trouble with vacancies but people do complain about no on-site laundry room.  There is a laundromat about 5 minutes away by car.  What do you think?

[Andrew B.]

You could put chainlink fencing around the sensitive area to create a "cage" with a locking door so no one has access.

Actually, now that I think about it, you could frame and drywall it with a locking door also.