Social IssuesMAR 3, 2023

"A Tip? I'm Not Tipping My Landlord": People React To This Tone-Deaf TikTok Of A Landlord Saying He Expects A Tip

It’s pretty normal to give the delivery person a bit extra, they did bring something literally to your door. And you might tip your server, because, let’s face it, they do a lot of the work for pretty little pay. Now, imagine it’s the end of the month, and you’re paying rent to your landlord. They take your cash and stand there, expectantly, waiting for a tip.

This is the proposal a Real Estate TikTok channel had in a skit that went viral recently. They argued, with no real evidence, that landlords work harder than service people and deserve tips for charging you money every month. Predictably, the idea did not go over well and the commenters both roasted and shared disbelief at such a bizarre concept.

As housing prices remain affordable and rent increases, tenets are feeling more and more under pressure

Image credits: twoguystakeonrealestate

A real estate TikTok account decided to make a skit about a controversial idea

"Landlord: Alright, thanks for paying your rent this month. Go ahead and sign here. It's just gonna ask you a couple of questions.
Tenant: A tip? I'm not tipping my landlord."

After all, people tip servers and delivery people

Image credits: twoguystakeonrealestate

So why not tip your landlord for all the hard work they do?

Image credits: twoguystakeonrealestate

"Landlord: So you'll tip a barista who pours overpriced coffee into a cup, but not the guy who's on call 24/7 to make sure you have a safe home.
Tenant: I'm not tipping you, this isn't a restaurant."

They made the argument that landlords provide a bigger service than the people one normally tips

Image credits: twoguystakeonrealestate

"Landlord: Okay, so you'll tip an extra 25% for somebody to carry you a basket of chicken wings, but you won't tip someone who responds for after-hours emergency calls.
Tenant: I...uh...
Landlord: Yep. Well, I guess when it's time for your lease renewal, I'm gonna make sure gratuity is included in your rent. It's a little tip I learned from Two Guys Take on Real Estate."

Including being on call 24/7 to fix any of the tenant's problems

Image credits: twoguystakeonrealestate

You can watch the full video here

Tipping culture is already a problem without involving landlords

Even though tipping culture is commonly presented as an American cultural artifact, it originated in Tudor England, where servants would get a monetary reward for exceptional service. Social pressure and the need to maintain appearances over time created the norm of always tipping. Soon guests in coffeehouses, guesthouses, and other locations would be expected to give the servants some extra money. Despite being a somewhat more egalitarian society, upper-class Americans who wanted to appear aristocratic started to tip servants and servers.

Interestingly, many Americans were vocally against tipping, seeing it as a remnant of European aristocracy. Between 1909 and 1926, six states outlawed tipping. Some saw the idea of a worker living off just tips as an extension of slavery, though it was hard to enforce anti-tipping laws, as most workers would happily accept cash. The anti-tipping movement actually spread to Europe, where stronger labor protections helped remove the need for tips. One can still tip in Europe freely, but it is not as expected as in the United States.

Image credits: Sam Dan Truong (not the actual photo)

Rent is high enough as it is, without a completely unnecessary service fee

Either way, tipping was something an individual of higher social status used to reward someone economically below them. So a landlord (note the word lord and consider its historical implications) asking for tips is both massively out of touch and a bizarre twist on the entire concept. The last few years have seen steady increases in the cost of renting in the US. Large cities like New York and Los Angeles have constantly high costs of living and rent, driving many, relatively well-paid remote workers to other cities. As a result, this has had a cascading effect, as the average rent in Tennessee has risen by 18.61% and by 18.41% in South Dakota. These are just two examples, but most states have seen costs go up.

Mortgage rates also remain out of reach of most people, forcing them to endure rent increases. The average mortgage rate for a 30-year fixed is 7.16%, which is nearly double that of the beginning of 2022 (3.22%). In general, the prices of housing remain high, while inflation eats up most people’s ability to build savings. So a landlord believing themselves entitled to tips for just existing is in very poor taste in the current economic climate. Yes, many landlords do work hard to fix issues and improve the property. But who doesn’t work hard? Most people do their job without the security of land or apartments to fall back on.