Cheers: New Yorkers were (slightly) better holiday tippers this year

By Virginia K. Smith | December 22, 2015 - 8:59AM

How much to tip the building staff—or if to tip them at all—is a reliable source of annual confusion (and curiosity) among New Yorkers. The results are in, and whether it's because our doormen and supers went above and beyond or because tipping has been in the news non-stop lately, it looks like most apartment dwellers were feeling a little more giving than usual this year.

More than 1,200 New Yorkers took our annual holiday tipping poll this year (you can see the full 2015 results here, and compare notes with the 2014 tallies here), and while there were still a few grinches in the mix—two percent of renters with doormen planned on tipping zilch, as did one percent of owners in doorman buildings—we also noticed more high rollers. To wit: 12 percent of renters with doormen planned to tip more than $2,500, as did six percent of owners with doormen.

There also seems to be more love going around for building supers and maintenance staff: in buildings without doormen, just 12 percent of owners and 24 percent of renters said they didn't plan to give anything out, as opposed to last year's 16 percent and 34 percent, respectively. Check out the full results below (click to enlarge), and if you're still putting off your own round of holiday gratuities, catch up on our comprehensive guide here.

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