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: $75 – $175
• Doorman / concierge: $75 – $200
• 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 $3,500 on StreetEasy Article continues below

Manhattan Valley

209 West 104th Street

$2,450 No Fee

Studio |

1

Hell’s Kitchen

533 West 49th Street

$2,750 No Fee

1 |

1

Sutton Place

238 East 58th Street

$3,150 No Fee

1 |

1

Lincoln Square

180 Riverside Boulevard

$3,287 No Fee

Studio |

1

Sutton Place

160 East 55th Street

$2,500 No Fee

Studio |

1

Washington Heights

920 Saint Nicholas’s Avenue

$1,895 No Fee

Studio |

1

Carnegie Hill

123 East 90th Street

$2,395 No Fee

1 |

1

Hudson Heights

225 Bennett Avenue

$2,200 No Fee

Studio |

1

Hell’s Kitchen

613 Ninth Avenue

$2,995 No Fee

1 |

1

Lenox Hill

435 East 74th Street

$2,295 No Fee

1 |

1

Chelsea

310 West 21st Street

$3,499 No Fee

1 |

1

Central Harlem

215 West 145th Street

$2,150 No Fee

1 |

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 tip their building staff for the holidays, too. 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 deciding 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

Homecrest

3315 Nostrand Avenue

$1,675 No Fee

Studio |

1

Flatbush

880 Rogers Avenue

$2,885 No Fee

2 |

1

Bedford-Stuyvesant

1516 Fulton Street

$2,800 No Fee

1 |

1

Stuyvesant Heights

1110 De Kalb Avenue

$2,314 No Fee

Studio |

1

Stuyvesant Heights

733 Madison Street

$2,600 No Fee

1 |

1

Borough Park

905 43rd Street

$1,963 No Fee

2 |

1

Stuyvesant Heights

168 Sumpter Street

$2,895 No Fee

2 |

2

Canarsie

586 Remsen Avenue

$2,900 No Fee

3 |

1

Dyker Heights

6705 Twelfth Avenue

$2,500 No Fee

2 |

1

Park Slope

558 11th Street

$2,450 No Fee

1 |

1

Stuyvesant Heights

84 Chauncey Street

$2,252 No Fee

1 |

1

Prospect Heights

755 Dean Street

$2,295 No Fee

1 |

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

Ridgewood

1822 Putnam Avenue

$2,350 No Fee

1 |

1

Astoria

31-67 37th Street

$2,299 No Fee

1 |

1

Woodhaven

84-25 85 Road

$1,850 No Fee

Studio |

1

Kew Gardens

84-16 127th Street

$2,650 No Fee

2 |

1

Astoria

34-46 Vernon Boulevard

$2,430 No Fee

Studio |

1

Astoria

23-20 Broadway

$2,000 No Fee

1 |

1

Ozone Park

87-12 Pitkin Avenue

$2,050 No Fee

1 |

1

Ditmars-Steinway

22-60 24th Street

$2,800 No Fee

1 |

1

Astoria

25-26 44th Street

$1,899 No Fee

1 |

1

Kew Gardens

83-00 Talbot Street

$2,795 No Fee

1 |

1

Astoria

31-60 29th Street

$1,700 No Fee

Studio |

1

Flushing

189-16 37th Avenue

$2,500 No Fee

1 |

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, 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

Rego Park

97-37 63 Road

$425,000

2 |

1

Brighton Beach

40 Brighton 1st Road

$525,000

1 |

1

Glen Oaks

269 Grand Central Parkway

$579,000

1 |

1.5

Glen Oaks

270-10 Grand Central Parkway

$595,000

1 |

1.5

Glen Oaks

269 Grand Central Parkway

$849,000

2 |

2.5

Glen Oaks

27010 Grand Central Parkway

$439,000

1 |

1.5

Sunset Park

255 50th Street

$799,900

4 |

3

Jersey City

110 Pamrapo Avenue

$750,000

4 |

2

Jersey City

110 Pamrapo Avenue

$750,000

3 |

3

South Harlem

208 West 119th Street

$625,000

2 |

1

East Tremont

2158 Hughes Avenue

$699,999

4 |

2

Union City

130 37th Street

$900,000

4 |

4

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.}