Actually, if there is blame, place it on the architects who designed many of these buildings long before washing machines were a common household appliance. My building was built in 1929.
There's more to it than that.
Think of having an upstairs neighbor with a washing machine.
Think of the noise.
Then think what happens when his washing machine floods your apartment when his hose bursts after he forgot to turn the water off before he went off on vacation.
Or think of the lawsuits and dirty looks you'll get from your downstairs neighbors if you do that to them.
Then there's laundromats (aka, washaterias). Lovely places for spreading bedbugs these days.