What can we do to get the letting agent/landlord sort the laundry facilities?

Question

I live in a converted hotel with sixteen other people. We have two coin-operated washing machines. One is officially recognised as broken. The other is pot-luck as to whether it works from one wash to the next.
So far, our landlord's response to this has apparently been to "write to the manufacturer". Is there anything we can do to poke him to take more urgent action as the course he is pursuing could take months, and in the meantime we all have to go home at weekends or take stuff to the laundrette, which is more expensive and massively inconvenient.
(We are all "professionals" not students and this is reflected in our rent).

Answer 1

Often the legal action you can take to get your landlord to do what you want takes months - you might be gone by then, anyway.

Get a specialist in to look at the washing machines. Ask the specialist for A) the cost of repair and B) the cost of replacement.

Write your landlord a letter, signed individually by all seventeen tenants, that you want either A or B paid for. B will probably be cheaper in the long-run, since your washing machines sound ancient.

You could take a gamble, be proactive, and divide the cost of A or B between the seventeen tenants before contacting your landlord. Then send your seventeen lots of rent in, en masse, minus the cost of A or B. What I've found is, landlords don't often begrudge paying for things, but they do resent the time it takes to chase up manufacturers or repair men. This is usually why they simply don't bother fixing problems.

Answer 2

Contact the Agent by writing.
Outline the following:
We rent here based upon the offerings stated as available when we initially rented at this location.

Unfortunately, now we are no longer receiving the benefits of the "coin-op laundry facilities" This is a hardship for us.
More importantly, I should think to you, is that the owner of this property is not receiving the income that they should from the laundry.

Since we based our decision to move here upon this representation and we no longer receive this feature, we will be deducting $30 per mo. until the machines are in good working order. If this is unacceptable to you. Have the machines repaired and we will continue happily along as per our contract.
Otherwise, consider this letter our affirmative notice that due to the change in the contract on your part, we are adjusting the contract on our part.

We have consulted with legal and real estate professionals that tell us this is well within our rights.

While we do not plan to inform the other tenants of our actions. Consider if all tenants assert their rights. It is surely cheaper solution for you and the property owner to repair/replace the machines.

Most regrettably,

Mr. and Mrs. dirty clothes.

Answer 3

Is it written in your lease that working laudry facilities are absolutely guaranteed? This issue doesn't really bring your landlord down to a slumlord and doesn't put your in an unsafe environment. Yeah, I'd complain to the management at nauseum, but I don't think there much you can do about it other than to not renew your lease.