NYC doormen, building service people don’t expect big holiday tips or get them either

More than half of city apartment dwellers plan to dish out $500 or less in holiday tips in their buildings, according to an online survey.

That may sound like plenty of cheer, but fully staffed properties have 20 to 30 workers, all of whom count on the extra cash to brighten their holiday seasons.

"People tip the staff they see," said Teri Rogers, of BrickUnderground.com, which did the unscientific poll. "The people who mostly get burned are porters and handymen. They're not as visible to residents, but they do the hardest work."

Doormen on late-night shifts will likely wind up with fewer fat tip envelopes, too.

"You can pay your bills . . . get a little extra cash in your pocket," said Richard Figueroa, 28, of Brooklyn, who's expecting about $2,000 in tips from a 35-unit building in Chelsea. "I don't ask for too much, I don't expect too much."

Doorman Rick Cintron says he's thankful tips keep getting better at his building on Seventh Ave. in Manhattan, despite the economic downturn.

"It hasn't changed that much, even in the bad economy," said Cintron, 48, who lives in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, adding that he doesn't care when people tip. "It doesn't matter as long as they come."



The holidays haven't been so cheery the past two years for Richard Boakye, who works at a building on W. 21st St.

"Sometimes you get presents. Sometimes you don't get anything," said Boakye, 66, of the Bronx. "It doesn't look good, but when it comes, I'll appreciate it."

Rogers did extensive interviews with doormen on the upper West Side, the upper East Side and Greenwich Village to generate a holiday tipping guide.

Most are happy with the tips they're expecting to get this season, except for those in buildings with high vacancy rates or lots of subletters, who are typically low tippers because they feel like transients.

The doormen know not to expect too much from elderly tenants on fixed incomes but may balk at doing extra work in their apartments for free, Rogers said.

Some cheapskates say they resent having to tip, while others are clueless new arrivals to New York City apartment living or are making a statement about poor service.

Photo caption: Joseph Boakye, who works as a doorman, doesn't expect big holiday tips, but appreciates it.

Residential rents inch up from earlier in year, but drop from last year

Citi Habitats' February market rental report found that rents inched up slightly from the previous month but fell from the same period last year (see below for full report).

According to the report, which includes only apartments leased by Citi Habitats, the average monthly rent for a studio increased 2 percent to $1,756 in February from $1,725 the previous month. Both figures are down from $1,764 in February of last year, according to Citi Habitats data.

Average rents for one- and two-bedrooms each increased 1 percent in February of 2010 from the previous month, the report found, with one-bedroom rents rising to $2,335 from $2,318 and three-bedroom rents increasing to $3,283 from $3,257. The average rent for a one-bedroom fell 3 percent to $2,405 from February of 2009, and two-bedroom rents fell 6 percent year-on-year from $3,483.

According to the report, the average rent for a three-bedroom apartment in February 2010 was $4,347, roughly on par with the previous month but down 4 percent from $4,528 last year.

Vacancy of rental apartments for February 2010 was 1.54 percent, the report found, virtually the same as January's figure of 1.59 percent. The report estimated that were approximately 10,355 available Manhattan rental apartments available at any given time in February.

Citi Habitats said it brokered "over 775 transactions" in February, but did not release the exact figure, saying it was "similar" to the number of deals it did in the same period of last year.

Manhattan's rental market is known for its lack of transparency, and the Citi Habitats data is one of several competing and often contradictory reports.