For some renters, having a washer and dryer in their apartments is a necessity; for others, it's just a nice perk. Those renters who don't care so much are probably saving a boatload of money on rent because, especially in Los Anglees, apartments with those in-unit laundry facilities are quite a bit more expensive than those without, according to a survey by real estate listing site Trulia.
Trulia took a look at all the listings on its site in multi-family buildings, then ran the numbers for 13 of the largest metro areas to see how much more renters in each area were paying for the privilege of not having to leave their apartments to wash their clothing. (Since it's the "metro," the LA area includes Orange County, Long Beach, and parts of the San Gabriel and Antelope Valleys.) Across the county, apartments with washers and dryers "command a 10% per month premium on average," but in LA, they're going for a 17 percent premium, higher than anywhere else besides Philly. The average rent premium for a laundry-equipped unit in Los Angeles is a hefty $325.
Those looking for a unit that has a laundry setup would do well to look in South Pas/Pasadena near the Rose Bowl and in Northridge, where 90 and 91 percent of listings, respectively, have in-unit machines. Maybe don't spend so much time searching in Woodland Hills, View Park–Windsor Hills, Wilshire Center, or Koreatown, which have the lowest percentage of units advertising in-unit washers and dryers. It should be noted, though, that the master map showing where there are more laundry-equipped units is organized by zip code, not by neighborhood boundaries (which would be impossible to do considering no one agrees on where those are). The interactive map below offers info about the median rent of each zip code area and the percentage of listings on Trulia that feature washers and dryers.
· Spin Cities: Where Renters Pay The Most For In-Unit Washers and Dryers [Trulia]
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