Key takeaways
- URA treats a laundromat, where customers use washing and drying machines themselves, as its own use. It is not the same as “shop” use, so check the unit’s approved use first.
- Laundromats can be lodged for instant approval in eligible commercial buildings and first-storey shophouses. HDB commercial premises need a URA change of use application and HDB’s consent.
- Water, drainage, electrical load and dryer exhaust decide whether a unit works. Check them before you sign the lease.
- Machines and payment systems are a package: coin, card, QR and app payment each change how you reconcile takings.
- A franchise gives you a brand and supplier support at a cost. Compare the fees and supply obligations with running your own laundromat.
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Official rules and fees quoted were taken from the agency pages linked below, checked on 28 September 2026. Confirm the current position with each agency before you sign a lease or pay a deposit.
Self-service laundromats have spread through Singapore’s neighbourhoods, serving residents without space for a dryer, households washing bulky items such as duvets, and foreign workers and students. Many are run as franchises; others are independent. This guide covers what is specific to a laundromat. For the general steps of setting up a shop business, such as registering with ACRA, read our guide on how to open a retail shop in Singapore.
How a self-service laundromat makes money
Revenue comes from each wash and dry cycle, plus add-ons: detergent and softener sales, bulky-item washes, and in some shops a staffed wash-and-fold or dry-cleaning collection service. Costs are mostly fixed: rent, machine financing or lease payments, water, electricity, cleaning and maintenance. That means a laundromat’s profit depends on machine utilisation. Machines standing idle most of the day still cost rent and financing.
Before you commit, estimate utilisation honestly: how many households nearby lack dryers, where the nearest competing laundromats are, and what peak times look like (typically evenings and weekends). We have not quoted typical cycle prices or revenue because they vary by location and machine size; visit nearby laundromats at different times to see how busy they are.
Where you can open a laundromat: URA and HDB rules
URA defines a laundromat as premises where washing and drying machines are provided for use on a self-service basis, such as a coin-operated laundry (URA). Its list of shop examples includes a launderette that only collects goods to be cleaned elsewhere, but excludes laundry and dry-cleaning shops (URA). So a unit approved as a shop is not automatically approved as a laundromat.
| Type of premises | What URA says for a laundromat |
|---|---|
| Eligible commercial buildings | Laundromat is on the list of uses eligible for lodgment (instant approval) in qualifying commercial buildings (URA) |
| Shophouses | First-storey units zoned Commercial, Commercial & Residential or White, with commercial use on permanent approval, can use lodgment; conserved shophouses in Historic Conservation Areas cannot (URA) |
| HDB commercial premises | Submit a change of use application, and get HDB’s consent |
| Residential units in mixed developments | Not allowed |
| Industrial buildings | Not allowed |
For HDB shops, HDB says every trade must be approved by HDB and meet the relevant authorities’ requirements, and that the business must not create a nuisance (HDB). A laundromat’s machine noise, heat and drainage are the kind of issues HDB and neighbours will ask about. Our guide to renting a retail shop explains how to check a unit’s approved use before signing.
Utilities: water, drainage, power and ventilation
Utilities decide whether a unit can hold a laundromat at all. Check these with a licensed plumber and electrician before you sign:
- Water supply and drainage. Commercial washers need adequate water supply and floor or wall drains that can take the discharge. PUB says sewers collect used water from homes and commercial premises such as shops, and that trade effluent is controlled under the Trade Effluent Regulations (PUB). Ask PUB or your plumber whether anything beyond a normal sanitary connection applies to your machines.
- Electrical load. Dryers and large washers draw significant power. Confirm the unit’s supply capacity and whether an upgrade is needed, who pays for it and how long it takes.
- Gas or electric dryers. If you choose gas dryers, gas supply and fire safety approvals come into play. Many small laundromats use electric dryers; ask your supplier what the unit can support.
- Heat, lint and exhaust. Dryers need proper venting, and lint must be cleaned regularly to reduce fire risk. Plan where exhaust goes so it does not bother neighbours.
PUB’s water efficiency guide for the commercial laundry sector is written for industrial laundries, but two of its tips suit a laundromat too: check meter readings regularly to catch leaks early, and keep a maintenance schedule so you know when a machine’s efficiency has dropped enough to replace it.
Machines and payment systems
Machines are the biggest investment. Decide on capacity (a mix of standard and large machines for bulky items), washer-dryer ratio, commercial-grade build and local service support. Ask suppliers for spare parts availability and response times in writing, because a broken machine is lost revenue every hour it sits idle.
Payment is the other half of the decision:
| Payment method | What to consider |
|---|---|
| Coins or tokens | Familiar, but needs collection trips, a change machine and cash security |
| Card and NETS terminals | Convenient for customers; check fees and how terminals connect to each machine |
| QR payment (PayNow, e-wallets) | Low hardware needs; confirm each payment reliably starts the right machine |
| App or stored value | Supports top-ups and loyalty, but locks you into the app provider |
Whichever you choose, make sure you can reconcile each machine’s cycles with payments received. Our guides to accepting PayNow and payment terminals explain the options. Searches for a “laundry POS system free” are common, but free systems often recover costs through payment fees or hardware; see our guide to free POS systems before choosing.
Laundromat franchise or independent?
Several brands offer coin laundry franchise packages in Singapore. A laundry franchise typically bundles the brand, machine supply, payment system, fit-out design and some operational support. In return you pay upfront and ongoing fees and usually buy machines and consumables through the franchisor.
- Ask for everything in writing: franchise and royalty fees, machine prices, payment system fees, marketing levies, territory protection, contract length and exit terms.
- Check who owns the customer data in the franchise’s app or payment system.
- Talk to existing franchisees, ideally ones the franchisor did not pick for you.
- Price it against independence: buying machines from a distributor, choosing your own payment system and building your own brand.
We have not quoted franchise fees because they differ by brand and change often. Compare at least two franchise offers and one independent set-up on the same site before deciding. Our guide to franchising covers the contract questions, which apply to service franchises too.
Running a laundromat unattended
Many laundromats have no staff on site most of the day. That only works with good remote systems:
- Remote monitoring. Use machine or payment dashboards to see which machines are running, faulty or idle. Vending operators rely on the same kind of telemetry; see our vending machine business guide.
- Customer support. Display a hotline or WhatsApp number clearly, and decide how you will refund a failed cycle.
- Security. CCTV, good lighting, secure cash boxes if you take coins, and clear house rules. Our guide to CCTV and PDPA covers signage and data rules that apply to shops as well.
- Cleaning and maintenance. Daily lint and floor cleaning, weekly machine checks and a service contract with fixed response times.
- Opening hours. If you run 24 hours, check the lease and any conditions on the approval, and plan for noise and security at night.
Add-on services and the POS
Staffed services lift revenue per square metre: wash-and-fold by weight, ironing, duvet and curtain cleaning, and collection for dry cleaning done elsewhere. These need a counter, order tickets, customer records and payment at drop-off or collection.
That is where a counter POS helps. ChaChaCha’s service business POS, powered by AppsPOS, accepts PayNow, PayLah!, NETS, cards and GrabPay with automated reconciliation, sends SMS notifications through its queue system when an order is ready, and supports points, stamps, stored value and vouchers for regulars. A self-order kiosk with a built-in card terminal and a retail kiosk mode are available for detergent and add-on sales. Hardware is supplied by AppsPOS as part of the package and pricing is quote-based. Whether the POS can link to your specific washers, dryers or machine payment system is something to ask us to confirm, and get in writing, just as you would with any vendor.
Opening checklist
- Unit’s approved use checked; URA lodgment or change of use approved, plus HDB consent for HDB premises.
- Water, drainage, electrical load and dryer exhaust confirmed by licensed contractors.
- Machines chosen with service terms and spare parts in writing.
- Payment system tested end to end, including refunds for failed cycles.
- Franchise terms compared with an independent set-up.
- CCTV, lighting, signage, hotline and house rules in place.
- Cleaning, lint and maintenance schedule written and assigned.
- Counter POS set up for any staffed wash-and-fold or collection services.
Planning wash-and-fold or collection services alongside self-service machines? Talk to us for a demo and a quote.
