Holiday Tipping Guide
There are so many unsung heroes in our daily lives. The holiday season is a great time of year to show gratitude. Of course, it can be tricky to navigate. Here’s my guide and rundown that most of my coworkers tend to follow.
Do I have to tip?
No. Tipping the staff during the holidays is a custom, not a requirement, but you’ll be in the minority if you don't. Many building staffers tell us they treat non-tippers the same as tippers, just as plenty of others admit to extending fewer favors and smiles to non-tippers, or subtly encouraging them to "pay as you go"—in other words, to tip for each extra service staffers perform.
How much should I tip the building staff?
The precise amount depends on the size of your building (the larger the staff, the smaller the individual tips), quality of service, staff seniority, length of time you’ve lived there, whether you own or rent, personal chemistry, your financial circumstances, and whether you're frugal, generous, or somewhere in between.
Here's a general framework, for you to use as you see fit:
Super, resident manager: $150-$300 on average; $100-$500 broad range
Doorman and/or concierge (the latter handles more personal requests, like lining up an emergency dog-walker): $75-$200 on average; $50-$1,000 broad range
Porter, handyman, and maintenance staff: $25-$50 on average; $20-$100 broad range
Garage attendant: $25-$75 on average; $20-$100 broad range
One of my doormen is a jerk, and I never see my super. Do I have to tip them?
Rather than make what could be interpreted as an insult by completely withholding a tip, many residents in this position tip on the low end of the scale. You might withhold a tip and then forget about it completely, but building staff are not likely to forget your gesture or lack of one.
65 percent of nearly 600 voters with "bad" doormen said they still planned to tip them, usually in the range of $25-$50 apiece. As for those with delinquent supers, only 49 percent of the 455 respondents planned to give them some extra cash. Those who did were clustered in the lower end of the $25-$100 range.
Should I tip the new doorman the same as the one who’s been here 20 years?
Newer doormen in their first few years of service often receive smaller tips. For instance, a first-year doorman may collect half of what a senior doorman does. Again, it is ok to use your common sense here.
Is it ok to tip my favorite doorman more than the rest?
It’s ok to play favorites, like tipping some doormen better than others depending on how useful they are to you. Just try to keep everyone’s tip within the range of acceptability.
Should the amount I tip correspond to the rent I pay, or to how many people live in my apartment?
Tipping is (theoretically) about rewarding service, not about how big your apartment is or how much you pay for it. If you’re a family that enlists a lot of help at the door corralling kids and helping with your stroller, or someone who works from home and receives a lot of deliveries or visitors, you probably get more assistance from the staff than a single person who travels a lot for work and doesn't place many online orders, so tip accordingly.
I’ve had a financial setback and can’t afford as much as last year. What should I do?
Building staff are accustomed to senior citizens on fixed incomes tipping lightly, and they're usually “forgiven," though some workers say they won’t perform extra services for these residents for free.
As for lost jobs, divorce, and other life challenges, many doormen tell us that if they receive a small amount—particularly from someone who normally offers generous tips—they automatically attribute it to financial trouble. They tell us they don't need to hear you say, “wish I could do more!” Of course, this won’t fly if you’re still taking your annual jaunt to St. Barts and waltzing in with Prada shopping bags. And if you ask for favors often, the I’ve-hit-a-rough-patch excuse won’t land very well.
My building has a tipping pool. Do I need to give individual tips on top of that?
With a tipping pool, residents contribute what they wish into the pool, which is then divided according to seniority and full-time or part-time status. The anonymity of the process means that tenants feel they will get equal treatment by the staff—no special favors for the big tippers. But in practice, in many buildings with tipping pools, owners continue to tip individually; at least for the staff members they see the most.
Do you have any advice for daycare or teachers?
Many classrooms have one parent pool gifts, this can also help ensure that all staff receive something (after care, assitant teacher, etc.)
I’ve organized these in the past and seen a range from $25-$300 per child. This does often correspond to what your family can afford and the time your child is in class (full-time vs part-time).
How much should I tip non-building workers?
Cleaning person/housekeeper: One to two weeks of pay.
Cleaning service: Tip 15-20 percent throughout the year, as a portion of their earnings goes to the company. A holiday tip (one week's pay) is appreciated if the same crew cleans your apartment each time.
Full-time nanny: One week's pay minimum, or two or three if you can afford it. Or, one week's pay and one week of vacation.
Regular babysitter hired occasionally: $25-$50 in cash or a gift card
Regular dog walker: One week's pay
UPS delivery: Since UPS assigns drivers to specific addresses, $25-$50 if you have a lot of packages delivered. More if you have a lot of business-related deliveries.
Mail carrier: By law, mail carriers can't accept cash or anything worth more than $20. In reality, some residents tip in the $25-$50 range, especially if they receive a lot of deliveries or have a lot of mail that requires signatures.
When is the best time to give a holiday tip?
Doormen collect tips from December into February, but the bulk of the holiday cash is handed out in the weeks before Christmas.
However, staffers do not necessarily prefer this. Many doormen tell us that the beginning of December would be better because it helps with their holiday shopping. A few say they prefer the gratuities to be spread out, cutting down on the temptation to spend them all at once.
Do I have to tip at the holidays if I tip all year round?
Residents who tip year-round for extra services often go on the lighter side at year's end—at least with the staff who’ve been receiving those a la carte tips.
Do I have to tip for a full year if I just moved in?
It’s okay to prorate your gratuities unless you didn’t tip for services performed in connection with the move.
Are checks ok, or do I have to give cash?
Cash is preferred, but if you’re handing the tip to a super or another staff member to pass on, write a check as a precaution against sticky fingers. Most doormen we spoke to prefer to get their tips directly rather than via the super or another doorman.
Is it okay to Venmo a tip to my doorman?
Can you use Venmo? Yes! It’s fast, convenient, and contactless. Most New Yorkers use it, so get with the program.
Ideally, a building would share staffers’ usernames to make tipping electronically seamless, but if yours doesn’t, you’ll have to find your doorman on the app by searching for their name. And if you don’t see it—ask. They will appreciate that you are making sure your gift gets to them.
Keep the transaction “private” or between you and the recipient, as opposed to public, to avoid having staff members compare their tips.
Should I include a card or a note?
If you’re tipping in cash rather than by app, a plain white envelope is fine. No expensive cards are necessary. Most people keep notes short and sweet (“Thank you for your help this year” or “We enjoyed seeing your smile”), and that’s perfectly acceptable, though some doormen tell us they do appreciate a personal note explaining what exactly is most valued about their service.
Are food or gifts an acceptable substitute for cash?
They’re appreciated, but gifts are no substitute for money until colleges accept cookies for tuition payments or Con Ed for utility bills.
Are tips tax deductible?
If you run a business from home, you can claim a small deduction of up to $25 per staff member, categorized as a "business gift" on your tax return
Brett Perkins, CPA, owner of Perkins CPA, explains the rules from the IRS on business gifts:
You can deduct no more than $25 of the cost of business gifts you give directly or indirectly to each person during your tax year. If you and your spouse both give gifts to the same person, both of you are treated as one taxpayer.
Any item that could be considered either a gift or as entertainment is generally considered entertainment and cannot be deducted.
You need to have records that prove the business purpose of the gift as well as the details of the amount spent.
It might seem like a small amount, but Perkins says New Yorkers do take these deductions. In some cases he moves gifts to "marketing or promotions" if it is a function of the business. There are no limitations placed on those items.
The rules are clear and easy to follow, he says, but outdated.
“Do I think they need to be revised? Absolutely! The $25 limitation no longer makes sense today. They should have been adjusted for inflation,” he says.