Tipping Cleaners

[Bruce518]

Hello, we have stayed in Airbnb homes perhaps a dozen times, but recently encountered something new to us.

We’re staying in an apartment in the US for several days, for which we paid a cleaning fee. After checking in, we found a note from the cleaners, seeking a tip.

Is this now a “thing”?

[M199]

@Bruce518 

Have you contacted and asked the host?  He/she/they may not be aware the the cleaner is asking for tips. 

[Bruce518]

Thanks, that’s a fair point, but I guess I assumed, since she’s “on-site,” that she at least occasionally visits the apartment.

[Sarah977]

@Bruce518  No, as far as I'm aware, this is not a "thing". Hosts should be paying their cleaners a living wage, guests shouldn't be expected to have to leave tips because the host is a cheapskate.

Either the cleaners did this without the host's knowledge, or the host suggests this to them. Ask the host.

[Bruce518]

I agree about the living wage issue, but I guess I wondered whether this is a “COVID-19” thing, like tipping extra for takeout food. As I said above, I’m skeptical that the cleaners do this without her knowledge.