I think that might be a UK thing. I saw it and immediately assumed it was England, because I've never seen a washing machine in the kitchen, except in British television.
It made sense when they added in indoor plumbing to old buildings that were built pre-1900's. The old 2-up, 2-down homes are a good example. They were often retrofitted to add a bathroom at the top of the stairs above the kitchen.
The only place to add in a washing machine was in the kitchen. Since people hung their washing outside to dry in the back garden it was a logical place as well.
I've seen it around Europe, my only guess is that there's already plumbing there, and European houses are much smaller than American ones so space is at a premium.
Holy shit! I've been on that street.
They've used the same type of chip board to make other stuff in the house too. I'm guessing the landlord was able to source it for free and fitted it themselves. Hope it's rated for interior use as others here have pointed out.