Lund council officials said they began switching from communal laundromats to installing washers and dryers in individual apartments in 1998 and nearly 4,000 of the 8,500 apartments in the council have made the switch, The Local reported Thursday.

However, Lund's council apartment association said progress has been halted on installing the machines while the issue is being reconsidered.

"It's a higher standard of living to have your own washing machine, and more flexible," said Gunilla Flygare, head of marketing for the council apartment association. "But now we have had requests from renting tenants to increase the number of communal laundry facilities again, mainly for the better drying facilities there."