Move-in week hits and the off-campus apartment has a laundry closet with hookups but no machines. It's one of the most common surprises for students across the Triangle. You've basically got three choices: haul baskets to a laundromat all year, buy a washer and dryer you'll have to resell in May, or rent a set for the school year and let it get picked up when your lease ends. For most students on a nine-month lease, renting is the one that actually makes sense.
Why buying rarely makes sense for a school year
A new washer and dryer set runs $900 to $1,600, plus delivery. Buy in August and you're a seller by May, either paying to move heavy appliances to your next place or dumping them on Facebook Marketplace at a loss during the exact week every other student is doing the same thing. Used sets are cheaper up front but you're buying blind, arranging a truck, and hoping nothing breaks mid-semester. Neither fits a lease that ends in nine months.
How renting fits the school year
Renting a matched set from Carolina Laundry Rentals is a flat $60 a month, which covers delivery, professional installation on your existing hookups, and every repair for as long as you rent. The 6-month plan covers a school year cleanly: after six months it goes month to month, so you keep it through finals and we come pick it up when your lease is up. No hauling a dryer down a stairwell, no resale, no repair bills in the middle of exam week.
If money's tight or your place only has room for one, you can also rent a single washer or dryer for $45 a month. And if you split a house with roommates, $60 across two or three people is a few dollars each a month for laundry at home.
For parents
If you're a parent sorting this out for your student, renting is the low-stress option: one flat monthly bill, no big appliance purchase, professional delivery and install, and repairs handled without a service call landing on you from three hours away. When the lease ends, it's gone, nothing to store, move, or sell. You can reserve a set for your student in a couple of minutes, and we'll coordinate delivery around move-in.
We deliver near every Triangle campus
- NC State, Meredith, Shaw, Wake Tech (Raleigh): off-campus around Hillsborough Street, Avent Ferry, Centennial, and Trailwood. See washer & dryer rental in Raleigh.
- Duke & NCCU (Durham): from East Campus and Ninth Street to the neighborhoods off 15-501. See Durham.
- UNC (Chapel Hill): the rentals around Franklin Street and out toward Carrboro. See Chapel Hill.
- Everywhere in between: Cary, Morrisville, Apex, and the rest of our service area.
Reserve before the August rush
Delivery is usually within the same week you reserve, but August is our busiest stretch as leases turn over across the Triangle. If you know your move-in date, reserve early so your set is ready soon after you get the keys. All you need is a standard laundry hookup, and if you're not sure what your place has, here's how to check your hookups, or text a photo to (419) 340-7759.
New to the area for school? Our renter's laundry guide for people moving to the Triangle covers the rest. When you're ready, you can reserve a set for the school year in a couple of minutes.
Skip the laundromat, get a set at home
A matched washer & dryer, delivered and installed across the Triangle, for a flat $60/month. Repairs included.
Reserve your setFrequently asked
Can college students rent a washer and dryer for the school year?
Yes. Carolina Laundry Rentals rents matched sets for a flat $60/month across the Triangle, which fits a nine-month lease well: the 6-month plan goes month to month afterward, so you keep it through finals and we pick it up when your lease ends. A single washer or dryer is $45/month.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy a washer and dryer for college?
For a nine-month lease, renting almost always wins. Buying means $900 to $1,600 up front plus having to move or resell the machines in May, usually at a loss. Renting at $60/month has no big upfront cost and nothing to sell at the end.
Do you deliver washers and dryers near NC State, Duke, or UNC?
Yes, we deliver and install across Raleigh (NC State, Meredith, Shaw, Wake Tech), Durham (Duke, NCCU), Chapel Hill (UNC), and the wider Triangle, usually within the same week you reserve.
What happens to the rental at the end of the school year?
When your lease ends, we come pick the set up, no hauling appliances down stairs, no resale. You're only responsible through the month you return it, after the 6-month minimum.