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.

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.

Manhattan Rentals Under $3,000 on StreetEasy Article continues below

South Harlem

2054 Adam C Powell Boulevard

$2,500 No Fee

2 |

1

Yorkville

311 East 85th Street

$2,450 No Fee

Studio |

1

Fulton/Seaport

150 Nassau Street

$2,900 No Fee

Studio |

1

East Village

531 East 11th Street

$2,829 No Fee

1 |

1

East Harlem

243 East 116th Street

$2,950 No Fee

3 |

1

Upper West Side

53 West 76th Street

$2,700 No Fee

Studio |

1

Hudson Heights

4469 Broadway

$1,998 No Fee

Studio |

1

Hudson Heights

1380 Riverside Drive

$2,575 No Fee

1 |

1

Lenox Hill

345 East 77th Street

$2,500 No Fee

Studio |

1

Hell’s Kitchen

330 West 55th Street

$2,700 No Fee

Studio |

1

East Village

234 East Seventh Street

$2,650 No Fee

Studio |

1

Kips Bay

210 East 29th Street

$2,600 No Fee

Studio |

1

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

Brooklyn Rentals Under $3,000 on StreetEasy Article continues below

Stuyvesant Heights

1110 De Kalb Avenue

$2,361 No Fee

Studio |

1

Fort Hamilton

325 Marine Avenue

$2,000 No Fee

1 |

1

Bushwick

1119 Broadway

$2,275 No Fee

1 |

1

Bushwick

72 Himrod Street

$2,750 No Fee

1 |

1

Greenpoint

195 Driggs Avenue

$2,550 No Fee

1 |

1

Park Slope

439 17th Street

$2,800 No Fee

1 |

1

Crown Heights

481 Montgomery Street

$2,500 No Fee

1 |

1

Flatbush

2913 Snyder Avenue

$2,700 No Fee

2 |

1

Cobble Hill

177 Congress Street

$2,900 No Fee

Studio |

1

Bushwick

946 Bushwick Avenue

$2,931 No Fee

2 |

1

Prospect Park South

219 East 17th Street

$2,000 No Fee

1 |

1

Stuyvesant Heights

545A Quincy Street

$2,995 No Fee

2 |

1

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.

Queens Rentals Under $3,000 on StreetEasy Article continues below

Briarwood

139-21 85 Drive

$1,995 No Fee

1 |

1

Flushing

143-23 Barclay Avenue

$1,900 No Fee

1 |

1

Kew Gardens

83-80 118th Street

$1,900 No Fee

1 |

1

Jamaica Estates

87-01 Midland Drive

$1,700 No Fee

Studio |

1

Flushing

143-16 Barclay Avenue

$1,675 No Fee

Studio |

1

Astoria

25-87 37th Street

$2,900 No Fee

1 |

1

Sunnyside

51-01 39th Avenue

$2,516 No Fee

2 |

1

Maspeth

58-31 60 Lane

$2,700 No Fee

3 |

1

Jackson Heights

25-50 83rd Street

$2,250 No Fee

1 |

1

Ditmars-Steinway

45-02 Ditmars Boulevard

$2,700 No Fee

1 |

1

Astoria

31-60 29th Street

$1,700 No Fee

Studio |

1

Ridgewood

1926 Madison Street

$2,500 No Fee

2 |

1

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.

NYC Homes Under $1M on StreetEasy Article continues below

Hamilton Beach

99-78 164 Road

$825,000

3 |

2

West Chelsea

410 West 24th Street

$565,000

Studio |

1

Midtown

17 West 54th Street

$790,000

1 |

1

Brighton Beach

1014 Banner Avenue

$569,000

1 |

1.5

Jersey City

23 Old Bergen Road

$999,000

Studio |

3

Jersey City

662 Palisade Avenue

$975,000

3 |

2.5

Bayonne

100 West 55th Street

$529,000

4 |

2

Lincoln Square

165 West End Avenue

$579,000

Studio |

1

East New York

1755 Linden Boulevard

$850,000

5 |

3

Brownsville

289 Remsen Avenue

$659,000

3 |

2.5

Sutton Place

345 East 56th Street

$679,000

1 |

1

West Harlem

362 West 127th Street

$725,000

Studio |

1

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.

^{StreetEasy is an assumed name of Zillow, Inc. which has a real estate brokerage license in all 50 states and D.C. See real estate licenses. StreetEasy Concierge team members are real estate licensees, however they are not your agents or providing real estate brokerage services on your behalf. StreetEasy does not intend to interfere with any agency agreement you may have with a real estate professional or solicit your business if you are already under contract to purchase a property.}