In New York, there are many benefits to living in a building with a doorman or other staff. You’re treated to luxury amenities year-round, including concierge service, someone to accept package deliveries, maintenance of the building, general safety, and more. At the end of the year, it’s thoughtful (and often expected) to tip your building doorman and staff accordingly. But the question is – whom do you tip? And moreover, how much do you tip them?

In the spirit of the holiday season, tipping shows your gratitude for the work your building staff does all during the year. And while you don’t necessarily have to tip, if you don’t, you’ll be one of the few who doesn’t. Here is what you need to know about how to handle tipping your building staff.

When to tip

When tipping for the holidays, it’s best to tip in the beginning of December. Many people like to use the tips they receive at the end of the year to help with holiday shopping. However, it can still be appropriate to give year-end tips up until February.

How much to tip

Brick Underground publishes a yearly comprehensive list that breaks down who you should tip, how much you tip them, and answers dozens of questions about the ins and outs of tipping in New York. In general, this is what is recommended:

  • Super, resident manager: $75-$175
  • Doorman, concierge: $25-$150
  • Maintenance staff: $20-$30
  • Garage attendant: $25-$75

These numbers can change depending on a number of factors, including whether or not you rent or own, how many units are in your building, the size of your residence, how long you’ve lived there, how often you use the services of the building staff and the quality of the service. In most cases, the larger your building is, the smaller the tip and vice-versa. Also, renters generally tip less than owners.

If you want to get a recommendation for how much to tip based on your specific circumstances, you can plug your information into this online calculator. This tool takes into account your doorman’s salary, the size of your building and how generous you’d like to be.

Who to tip

In addition to the staff outlined above, you may also want to consider tipping other building staff, even if you’ve never met them. This can include security guards and night porters. You can ask your building superintendent the size of the staff, and tip each one around $20.

If your building has a tipping pool, it is also common to individually tip those staff members who help you the most.

What to tip

Cash is always preferred for tips. But if you’re handing tips over to your superintendent to give to the staff, you may want to write individual checks. This ensures that the tip actually gets into the hands of the person it was meant for. You can also include a short note, especially when tipping a staff member with whom you often come into contact. Let them know exactly what they do that you really value or that brings a little extra happiness into your day.

Any questions?

Do you have any questions about holiday tipping or buying and selling real estate in the Financial District? Then please don’t hesitate to contact us. Our team is here to help you and we’re always available to answer your questions.