Washer/Dryer Hookups

[Chris S.]

I have a two family i currently occupy which has washer dryer hookups in the basement. My downstairs tenants have a washer and dryer hooked up in the basement. I am in process of moving out and looking to rent my apartment and would like to offer new tenants washer dryer hookups as well. How do i extend the current hookups so that someone else can put in another washer and dryer?

[Timothy W.]

As a landlord who is also an insurance adjuster, may I recommend something.

Keep washing machines off the second floor if at all possible. There are two weak points in the plumbing system of every residence that account for the majority of water damage to a residence. The first is the internal assembly in a toilet. The second is the black rubber washing machine hose - particularly the ones with orange insulators. There is an ongoing civil lawsuit against the manufacturer of these hoses for damages to properties because they fail so often. They just make so much money selling them that it pays them to keep selling them rather than retrofit their production to fix the problem.

A washing machine hose rupture in a basement is nothing - that's what basement drains are for. If (when) one of these hoses ruptures on your second floor - you will have disastrous water damage throughout the floor of your second floor, and then leading into the ceilings of your first floor, the walls of your first floor, the tenants personal property on the first floor and possibly even the floor of the first floor.

I wouldn't do it. Just advertise it without a washer/dryer. If they complain about the first floor tenant having it, tell them that's why they pay x dollars a month extra. Or blame me - just say "the insurance adjuster" told you not to do it.