Installing a stacked washer/dryer--do I need a dryer vent?
Answers:
All dryers need to be vented, after all, the moisture in your clothing has to go somewhere. You will have to purchase materials for the vent separately from the washer/dryer unit. Hopefully your apartment already has some sort of duct or vent to which you can attach the dryer vent hose (commonly a foil expandable 4" pipe, sometimes sheet metal ductwork). If it doesn't, you'll have to contact the owner/manager because piercing the outer wall of a structure to install dryer vents is a fairly involved project. Assuming the exterior vent exists, you can just go to a building materials store like Home Depot or Lowes and just buy the vent pipe. It usually attaches with a pipe clamp or screws, one end to the vent on the back of the dryer, on end to the vent going through the wall to outside.
Other answers:
yes
yes
if the unit operates on 120v and does not require that 220v be run to your bathroom. take space and location of unit to be into consideration. an out side wall is the most convenient for that oh so necessary exhaust to a dryer
It's essential that you vent the drier, due to the moisture and lint that is exhausted from the dryer.
Do not exhaust inside the house, that will create more problems than you want.
There are kits available in all the hardware stores, and Lowes and Home Depot.
It does mean finding an area accessible to the outside. Then running a flexible hose to the outside vent.
If you aren't that handy, it may be better to pay a professional to do it. Check out some local handyman, for a good price.
all dryers need a vent connected to an outside wall, because your dryer will not cycle correctly and give you optimum drying without it, so the answer is yes, and if you buy the stack unit the owners manual will tell you how long the duct will have to be.