I was without a washer for a week. This one, I had to hire my handyman to fix, and I thought I should do a post in regarding “How to buy Appliances for Rental Property”.
1. If you can, don’t provide washer and dryer. You only need to provide washer and dryer hook ups in rental units. People tend to take W/D with them when they move. This cut down the headache of having to fix them in the first place. It’d fall on your renters’s responsibility.
But if you do have them this is the brand to buy: Maytag, whirlpool
Stay away from foreign makes like Samsung and LG
Reason: Parts are cheaper and easier to buy. Maytag washer and dryer have 1/4 in screw and the center has Phillip’s head. This is important. First, water and rust never get to these screw because the design never allow water to get to them. Second, if the screws get rusted out, you’ll have 2 ways to remove it.
I had a Samsung washer. It was troubled from the get go. The water leaks, parts start to break, I had to use tape to tape it off. There isn’t as robust instructions of how to fix them. When I open the door up, and lift the bottom, up. The whole thing is rusted. Almost fall apart. Inside, where water should never get to these places, I found rust. Save yourself some headache and stay away from Samsung’s products.
*beside products are exploded. They don’t offer waranty beyond 1 year versus Maytag 10 years warranty. .
Customer service is terrible. I was on the phone with them for 2 hours waiting, all I got was they could give me a phone number for some random company which I’m going to be responsible for payment because their 1 year warranty is out. They want these guy to see if it was user error or it was Samsung’s. I told them, I fix machines, I can’t get to your parts because the whole thing is rust and fall apart. Still, customer service is next to nothing.
2. Always buy top loader and non-foreign brand.
Reason: to get to the to the parts. The one that fail most is the drain pump. Front loader requires open the door, a lot of the tops the door spring is exceptionally hard to put back on. Top loader is easy access from the font or the bottom, especially from whirlpool or Maytag.
3. Never install garbage composer in a rental. This tip is from NoNoneSenseLandlord. Yes, everytime tenant misused the thing, or stop working, it’s a plumbing emergency, because the water doesn’t drain. And tenants do misuse them VERY often.
4. Buy white appliances. Whenever there is rust or look old, a coat of white appliance spray paint will fix it to brand new again. Very cool.
5. Electric appliances are easier to replace or buy used. Yes, gas is cool for personal use – whenever there is a hurricane, stormy weather and the electric is out, the gas powered appliance like hot water heater, stove, washer and dryer will continue to work. But when they stopped working, people charge a lot more to have them for hook up or removal. Department store don’t hook up gas stove for free like they would with electric powered.
6. You can buy used off of craigslist or habitat of humanity – Stove, W/D, Fridge, Dishwasher could go from $75-150.
7. Always try to fix failed appliances. Learn to fix these items would save you tons of money in the long run. Hey! Sweat equity is king. LOL 🙂
**The pictures are the Samsung door, my handyman had to drill the screws out. Samsung door was totally rusted and almost fall apart. It doesn’t seem like that apply the same standard of paint and the right type of materials. The screws are in the wrong place right below the filter.
*This is important, whenever to totally gut a property for renovation, convert those hook up to electric.
Well, I hope this help anyone who will become a landlord to save sometimes in decision making on what and how to buy.
Good points Vivianne, just keep the rental units as basic as possible, but with hookups. That’s definitely the way to go. We only have one unit with a dishwasher, all the others just have a sink. Trying to keep liabilities and risks to a minimum.
Looks like you guys figured it out ways before I did. I’m still pretty naive at this landlording business. Maybe you guys could posts some landlording pointers.
We are still newbee too, I always go to nononsenselandlord. He is way more of an expert. But you might be right, a short write up of pointers could be a good idea.