It’s the holiday season again, which means it’s time to make your list and check it twice. And if you’re a New Yorker, in addition to your friends and family, you’ll want to factor in the people you see almost daily — like your apartment building’s doorman, super, and maintenance staff. In NYC, it’s common courtesy to tip these workers during the holidays.
Not sure how much to tip, or who to tip? StreetEasy’s holiday tipping guide, created specifically for New York City renters and homeowners, includes how much to tip your doorman, super, and other local workers during the most wonderful time of the year.
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How Much to Tip Your NYC Building Staff for the Holidays
Many New Yorkers will agree that when it comes to tipping your building staff, a good rule of thumb is to give what you can comfortably afford based on the staff member’s job duties and helpfulness. Here are some recommended ranges to work with:
- Super: $25 – $100
- Doorman: $25 – $150
- Maintenance staff: $25 – $75
If you want to ensure your holiday tips go to the intended recipients, reach out to your building’s management and ask how they’ll be collecting and distributing the tips.
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How Much to Tip Non-Building Workers for the Holidays
Not sure who else to tip, aside from your building workers? While this will differ based on what services you utilize, here’s a list of workers and service providers that are vital to New Yorkers, along with holiday tipping suggestions.
- Housekeeper: One week’s pay
- Dog walker / groomer / pet sitter: One week’s pay
- Trash attendants: $30
- Food or grocery delivery workers: 20% to 25% per order
- Babysitter: Two days’ pay
- Nanny / au pair: One to two weeks’ pay
- Daycare staff: $25 – $75 and a non-cash gift from your child
- Schoolteachers: Cash tips should be avoided, but find out if the class is arranging a group gift for the teacher and how you can contribute. Otherwise, a non-cash gift from you and your child is appreciated.
- Mail carrier: It’s actually against the law to give USPS mail carriers cash tips, or even gift cards. Consider giving baked goods or a small non-cash token of your appreciation instead. However, you can tip FedEx and UPS delivery workers – $20 will do.
Do Renters Need to Tip?
The short answer? Yes, renters should get on the holiday tipping bandwagon. However, renters are not expected to tip as much as homeowners, because they did not invest in their homes. If you live with roommates in your unit, each roommate should tip individually, and it should not lower the amount each roommate gives.
In choosing how much to tip, you may want to consider factors such as:
- The size of your building
- How long you’ve lived there
- Seniority of the staff you’re tipping
- Quality of service
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Generally, the larger the building, the smaller your tip can be, because the staff are receiving tips from a high number of tenants. Renters who’ve lived in their building for a long time tend to tip more, due to their stronger relationships with staff members. And remember, tipping is ultimately about rewarding great service. If you find yourself frequently reaching out to your doorman for assistance with things, and they’re happy to fulfill your requests, consider giving them a bigger holiday tip. But if you regularly tip the staff throughout the year, don’t feel obligated to give a huge holiday tip.
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Should You Tip for Bad Service?
Things can get tricky if you think that your building staff hasn’t provided you with good service. Maybe the super takes weeks to fix things in your apartment, or the doorman is routinely absent on the job. Whatever the case, in many instances, it’s best not to assume wrongdoing. There are things building staff can’t control, which could be the root of many of the issues you notice. Also, neglecting to give a staff member a holiday tip, especially if you’re giving one to everyone else, could be seen as an insult — and probably won’t help to improve the quality of service you’re receiving from them.
The Ultimate Holiday Tipping Question: Cash or Gift?
While cookies and flowers never go unappreciated, most building staff prefer cold, hard cash. If you want to ensure each worker knows who the tip is from, put it in a card or envelope that includes your name and apartment number.
These days, it’s also increasingly acceptable (and sometimes preferred!) to send your holiday tips electronically via PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, or a similar service. If your building uses an online rent payment system, you may even be able to send it through that. But first, be sure to ask your building management which method the staff would prefer.
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Are You Supposed to Tip Your Landlord?
As a renter, you have absolutely no obligation to tip your landlord. That said, if you have a great relationship with your landlord, consider giving them a nice bottle of wine or other small gift that isn’t cash.
Enjoy your holidays in NYC! There’s no better place to be this time of year.
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