Mention the words “multifamily amenities,” and first thoughts include resort-style pools, rooftop decks, yoga rooms and coffee bars. Sometimes overlooked in apartment features lists is the humble on-site printer.
A shared printer in a property’s lobby or dedicated business center isn’t a splashy, visually appealing amenity. But WithMe Inc.’s Ben Meth, Senior Director of Sales, tells Connect CRE that the humble device is one way to make tenants’ lives much easier.
“A pool might be used a handful of times in a season,” he added. “Access to a reliable printer supports needs that come up week after week.”
The Potential Printer Problems
It isn’t news that printers have been an on-site multifamily convenience for years. But Meth explained that the amenity hasn’t been used very efficiently.
In some cases, the leasing team takes on the responsibility of printing documents, adding to already full workloads. “It can also expose residents to privacy issues, because personally identifiable information (PII) could be retained instead of properly deleted,” he said. “This could lead to data breach vulnerabilities or misuse.”
Then there are the apartment communities that offer printers as part of a “business center.” However, the setup generally requires flash drives or manual driver downloads to get the print job onto an unsecured desktop computer. And once again, “unsecured” means more security vulnerabilities.
Furthermore, “the process is inconvenient, is plagued by frequent equipment failures and leads to unclear costs that frustrate residents and staff,” Meth commented.
Speaking of Costs . . .
If shared printers are so frustrating, why don’t apartment residents buy their own? Starting prices for personal printers range from $80 to $400, depending on features and type (inkjet or laser).
While the initial investment is relatively inexpensive, the hidden costs are not.
“Ink is notoriously overpriced, paper always seems to run out at the worst time, breakdowns require time-intensive troubleshooting, and most residents don’t want to sacrifice valuable apartment space for a machine they only use occasionally,” Meth said.
Plus, printer ownership can also lead to privacy issues. Meth pointed out that many home inkjet printers can have vague data practices, with some storing and even selling user information. “For residents who need to print sensitive items like financial documents or IDs, this creates risks they may not even recognize they’re taking on,” he said.
The Parts of a “Perfect” Printer Setup
The well-functioning shared printer set-up in an apartment community involves more than buying it, plugging it in, and then leaving residents and staff to figure out the rest. Meth said that a successful shared printer has three essentials:
#1. Reliability. A reliable printer stays in the background, runs quietly, and is dependable and ready for every project. According to Meth, residents shouldn’t have to worry about machine breakdowns or snafus. Nor should staff. Working with a service like PrintWithMe (and its cloud-based platform) helps ensure that on-site printers are functional when needed.
#2. Simplicity. The printer’s technology should be intuitive, easy to operate and unsurprising. The user should be able to send a document to a printing system, press “print,” and get the hard copy with no hassle. “Today’s renters are used to digital-first conveniences, and they bring these expectations to every amenity, including printers,” Meth noted.
#3. Security. Residents need assurance that an on-site printer won’t store or misuse their PII. The shared system should offer automatic safeguards and end-to-end encryption to protect sensitive document information. While the multifamily industry isn’t bound to the same compliance standards as HIPAA or FINRA, “residents increasingly expect that same level of protection,” Meth said.
Saving Costs and Keeping Tenants
Meth said that multifamily owners and operators investing in essential amenities like shared and secure printers can attract and retain prospective tenants.
“As multifamily communities grapple with high turnover and rising costs, owners and operators are realizing that the amenities residents truly depend on — the ones that make everyday life easier — quietly deliver the strongest ROI,” he said.
Additionally, well-managed on-site printers can help reduce staff workload and generate better cost predictability. “Cloud-based management, automated supply shipments, and live support free on-site staff from troubleshooting and manual inventory management, making the system as simple to manage as it is to use,” Meth said.
An earlier version of this article was published on ApartmentBuildings.com.
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