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Laundry Income Calculator

Common-area laundry adds real dollars to NOI at small and mid-size apartments. This calculator models both structures — owner-operated machines and leased revenue share — so you can compare before signing the operator contract.

Total units in building

Loads per unit / month

Price per wash cycle

Price per dry cycle

Your share if leased out %

50/50 is common

Ownership structure

Utility cost per load

Water + gas/elec

Equipment lease/depreciation /yr

Cap rate to value at %

Monthly laundry income to owner

$720

Annual income to owner

$8,640

Full gross annual (before share)

$8,640

Annual utility cost

$950

Annual equipment cost

$1,800

Laundry NOI

$5,890

Valuation at cap rate

$98,160

How the math works

Laundry income at small and mid-size apartment buildings lands between $8–$20 per unit per month. Owner-operated runs higher margin but ties up capital in machines; a third-party lease (revenue share) is typically 40–60% to the owner with zero equipment exposure. Both structures are common and both add NOI.

Modern coin-free systems (CSC, WASH, PayRange) raise utilization 15–25% because tenants use them more when they don't need quarters. Prices per cycle have risen to $2.50–$3.25 in urban markets. High-efficiency front-loaders cut utility cost per load from $0.80 to around $0.40 — meaningful at scale.

Editorial noteMaintained by EveryCalc - Reviewed June 2026

EveryCalc calculators are designed for fast, practical estimates with transparent inputs and no required account. We use plain formulas, visible assumptions, and related tools so visitors can check the result from more than one angle.

Results are informational only. For financial, tax, legal, medical, construction, or other high-impact decisions, verify the output against primary sources or a qualified professional.

Learn more about our review process on the EveryCalc methodology page.

How this calculator works

What this page estimates

This Laundry Income Calculator is built to give a quick, browser-based estimate for laundry income. Common-area laundry adds real dollars to NOI at small and mid-size apartments. This calculator models both structures — owner-operated machines and leased revenue share — so you can compare before signing the operator contract. The inputs stay on the page during normal use, and the result should be treated as an estimate for planning, comparison, or education rather than professional advice.

Calculation approach

The calculator applies the standard relationship implied by the inputs, then formats the answer so it can be checked and reused. For finance tools, the most important step is using consistent units, rates, time periods, and assumptions before comparing the result with another calculator or outside quote.

Example workflow

For example, start with a realistic value you already know, change one input at a time, and watch how the answer moves. That makes it easier to tell whether the result is being driven by the main amount, the rate, the time period, or a unit conversion.

Practical checks

Use current, real-world numbers when the result affects money, health, tax, or legal decisions.
Run a low, base, and high case when the inputs are estimates.
Check the related calculators below when the next decision depends on a different assumption.

How to interpret the laundry income result

Best use

Use the result as a planning number for comparing payments, rates, returns, tax reserves, or cash-flow choices before you request a quote or make a commitment.

Cross-check

Compare the answer with the contract, lender estimate, tax form, brokerage statement, payroll record, or invoice that will control the real-world outcome.

Watch for

Do not rely on a single optimistic rate, return, or fee assumption. Money pages work best when you run low, base, and high cases and keep professional advice separate from the estimate.

This page belongs to the Finance calculator library, so the answer should be read in the context of the decision you are modeling rather than as a universal rule.

Before relying on this laundry income estimate

Most calculator mistakes come from the inputs, not the arithmetic. Use this short audit before you reuse the answer in a spreadsheet, quote, application, or important conversation.

Confirm source numbers

Match balances, rates, fees, taxes, income, and payment dates against the lender quote, payroll record, tax form, statement, invoice, or contract.

Separate cash flow from total cost

A lower monthly payment can still cost more over time if fees, interest, taxes, or a longer term are hidden in the structure.

Run conservative cases

Test at least one higher-cost or lower-return case before using the output for a purchase, refinance, investment, loan, or tax decision.

Rerun this page when the rate, price, term, fee, tax rule, income, expense, or expected holding period changes.

How to Use

Enter total units in the building.
Estimate loads per unit per month (4-8 is typical).
Enter per-cycle wash and dry prices.
Pick ownership structure: owner-operated or leased.
Enter utility cost per load and equipment cost if owner-operated.
Enter revenue share % if leased.
Enter cap rate to value the NOI contribution.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is owner-operated or leased better?

Owner-operated yields higher margin but requires capital ($8k-$14k per machine pair), maintenance calls, and vend-card systems. Leased is zero-capital with 40-60% revenue share — lower dollars but lower headache. Most small landlords lease; most institutional operators own.

What's a reasonable revenue share?

50/50 is a common starting point. Owners with higher traffic get 55-60%. Smaller buildings (under 20 units) sometimes see 35-45% share because the operator's fixed servicing cost is a larger slice of revenue.

Do tenants use common laundry if they have in-unit?

Almost never. In-unit washer/dryer eliminates common laundry revenue. When amenity upgrades add in-unit laundry, underwriting should zero-out laundry income and re-price units to capture the amenity premium.

How do I price cycles?

Benchmark nearby buildings and local launderettes. Urban: $2.75-$3.50 wash, $2.25-$3.00 dry. Suburban: $1.75-$2.50 wash, $1.75-$2.25 dry. Small 25-cent increments annually are tolerated; big jumps drive tenants to launderettes.