In our small apartment building we have a coin-operated washer and dryer. A couple of days ago one of my tenants called and told me the dryer coin box had been broken in to and the coin slot could not be used. It was jammed. When we got down there someone had pried open the electrical box thinking they could get to the coin section. You can't. This also happened several years ago and no money was taken. We had to make some repairs to the boxes. The coin boxes are very sturdy with good locks on them. The strange thing is both washer and dryer boxes had very few quarters in them when it was time to empty them and they should have had a couple hundred dollars in them. There was no damage to the coin boxes whatsoever. Just appeared as if someone used a key and removed the coins. It looked like they had also pried on the electrical box on the washer. The strange thing is if they had a key why go to all the work to try to pry into the electrical. How did they get a key? Guy at the equipment store said these were very good locks. He said if someone picked them they wouldn't have been able to lock them again. We are replacing coin boxes with new locks and installing some cameras. Just mystified! Any thoughts? --74.137.xxx.xxx

don't know your answer but I would get the money out of there a lot sooner - wouldn't wait for a couple hundred dollars sitting there to be taken... would minimize my loss in the future. --72.70.xxx.xxx

Nicole, without knowing how far Beverly has to go to empty the laundry, it's hard to say what the optimal pick up empty schedule would be Don't want to waste gas and time driving over to pick up $10 a day when weekly would suffice as long as the coin box is not over flowing. --71.182.xxx.xxx

Probably should pick it up sooner. Even though only pays a very small portion of the water bill when I get my bill just kind of triggers me to go by and pick up the money. We only get that every other month. I should probably do it once a month. I believe the previous problem was from a tenant, now long gone. This, too, could be a tenant as a new one went in a few months ago. The tenant that called me suspects his friends. We have very little turnover and every one else has been there longer than 2 years. --74.137.xxx.xxx

If your coin boxes have the tubular Ace type of locks, these are very easy to pick with an ace pick. Once you pick the first lock, you then can use the pick as a key on the others. You can have these locks changed out to a higher security type of lock or weld a hasp that covers them then use a abus disk type lock as a secondary lock. --173.19.xxx.xxx

Some tenants will break into the service access where they can use the washers and dryers without using any coins. While have a coin laundry in most apartment buildings is a necessary as some tenants do not drive cars where they can go to a Laundromat once in while some will try to use machines for free. --74.220.xxx.xxx

Possibly those things have the same key for the same brand. My generator locks but the key is the same for all of them. There is a different key for the electric box and the coin box though. --73.33.xxx.xxx

Third I install a secret smoke detector camera or light bulb camera and catch the thief, most likely a tenants son. Then I evict the family seeking lost funds, and with holding the deposit return. Since I'm under rent control the evicted family will have to find accommodations else where for almost double the rent -- teaching the parents that because their child wanted to save a $1.50 washing machine expense,now the family has to pay $600 a month more in rent. A fair punishment. --173.55.xxx.xx

Thanks all. Michael, not the tubular style on the coin boxes, only the electrical. Coin boxes have very good medico type locks. Robert, some good suggestions. This was more than just a free load. The mystery is why did they go to all the work to pry open the electrical when it looked like they just used a key and opened the coin boxes. It is almost as if they pried open the electrical and then found the keys afterwards. My husband said they must have found some keys we lost. I don't think we ever lost any. I have the keys which are no where near the apartment building. I always get the money out. One time I let my husband do it and when I went back the next time he had not got the coin box in snugly and so everyone had free laundry or the one person that knew it was not in correctly emptied it. After that incident I always get the money and I make sure the boxes are in securely. --216.24.xx.x

It sounds like you have top load washer, I once watched a guy with a turkey baster and plastic hose from a car lift out many coins from the electrical side from a smoke detector/video camera. --75.94.xxx.xxx

I installed a motion sensor camera in the laundry room. If someone ever tried to steal quarters from washer/dryer, I would be able to watch the recording and know which tenant to get rid of... We cannot prevent every bad thing from happening but the key is to prevent it from happening again. --50.249.xxx.xxx

If you go into you tube there are numerous videos on how to break into machines and set an override to get free use of machines. Check back of machines for a wire or string that is fed back to coin mechanism and fools machine into thinking that coins are inserted. --73.181.xxx.xx

You are right, Patrick. We do plan to install cameras with video recording. --216.24.xx.x

This way, there's no cash in the laundry room. No cash emptying needed and nothing to rob. --99.125.xxx.xxx

Some coin operating laundry machines have a universal key to access the motor/electronics. I has such a set of keys to work on clients machines. Greenlee number xxx tubular or flat wafer lockset. Replace the lock with your own personal key code. You can order a replacement lock online or take the access door off your machines and go to a local locksmith. For around $25 he will/can give you a good pick resistant lock. --173.55.xxx.xx

Love robert Js reply. Complete lies. You cant evict a tenant if their child whos a minor doesnt steal from you. Depending on if they actually damaged the machine you may be able to file charges which is still not grounds gor eviction. So blatant liar. But the best part for me was the "unpickable padlock" im still laughing as i post this. There is no such thing as an unpickable padlock. And if u want free laundry u just pick the coinbox and reuse the quarters. This is a great way to get back at awful landlords like supposdly this robert j is. Coin operated laundry machines in a rent controlled apt? Yeah you're a slumlord dude. Looking to evict tenants to up your rent. Good thing my state is cracking down on criminals like you. Smh. Trash. --98.5.xx.xxx

Robert gave excellent advise, I’m blown away that you leave “couple hundred” bucks in quarters in there. I’d be emptying that weekly, bi-weekly at most. It’s not so much that I am worried about the $25 in quarters, but the damage caused by the theft. If they know you empty it weekly they are less likely to bother breaking into it. It’s a win-win. --72.93.xxx.xx

If a tenant’s kid steals from me, they are leaving. I will get an eviction one way or another. --71.89.x.xxx

I have someone who is accessing my washing machine and has removed the jumper cable from the interface control panel. This is a whirlpool commercial top load. This is some one who knows for sure how these machines work. I know for the past two months I’ve been very short on coin. Is there any way to make the interface coin jumper fuse permanently so they can not remove it? --172.58.xxx.xxx

We had 4 machines broken into and got our quarters. Our cctv saw the whole thing and the perp even peed in the sink twice. He had the four coin boxes open in less than 5 minutes. The police said he had hit other buildings and were able to identify him and press charges. --66.30.xx.xx

This is all funny you do realize there are 2 different types those who just can't afford laundry and those looking to make quick cash and so you know the ones who just want of clean laundry we don't need to break into the washers to achieve that it's simple little trick called test mode or diagnostics manuals available to anyone who is into a little light reading --174.251.xxx.xxx

Sometimes the advice is illegal and/or dangerous. Other times it is so far fetched you wish you had the time back you spent reading it. --107.147.xx.xx

The economy must be worst than I thought. --172.59.xxx.xxx

LLTL. --108.7.xxx.xxx