Hey all, first apartment in a pre-war walkup in Dyker Heights area. Kitchen faucet has been leaking for like a week. I put in a request with the super. He came today, looked under the sink, and said he can fix it but "it would help if you took care of me" and then just stood there. I asked if I should go through management and he shrugged. Is this normal in NYC? Do I have to tip the super before repairs? I don't want to make him angry, but I already pay rent. Help.

Nah, you don't tip before the work. That's a shakedown. A tip after a big job or around the holidays, sure, if he actually does you a solid. But standing there with his hand out before touching the sink? Red flag. I'd call the landlord/broker and say the faucet is still leaking and the super asked for cash to prioritize it. That usually stops it real quick. If he comes back and fixes it, maybe hand him a few bucks after if you're feeling generous. But pre-paying? Hell no. Unless you want to become the building's weekly ATM.

This comes up more than it should. In most rental buildings, the super is an employee or contractor paid by the landlord. Repairs inside your apartment are not a tipped service, and you are not required to pay anything in advance to have maintenance performed. The only time a cash transfer is even arguably normal is a holiday tip, or if you're asking for something outside the scope of your lease—like mounting a heavy TV or installing a dishwasher. A leaking kitchen faucet is ordinary maintenance, not a favor.

I'd recommend three things:

• Don't hand over cash. It won't guarantee a faster or better repair.
• Email management. Write a neutral note: "I reported a leak on [date]. The super visited on [date] and mentioned an extra payment before repairing. Please let me know if this is the building's policy or when I can expect the faucet to be fixed." Keep it factual.
• Document the leak. Take a short video and a photo under the sink in case the damage spreads and you need to prove you reported it.

In my old Astoria co-op, our super never asked upfront—he'd refuse mid-job tips, and we'd give him an envelope at the end of the year. If you're in a market-rate rental, a reasonable property manager would not be thrilled about a super shaking down tenants for standard repairs. The possible exception is a small landlord who uses a handyman and expects you to pay per job, but that would usually be spelled out in your lease. More often, it's just a super testing what a new tenant will put up with.

Thanks both. I didn't pay him. I called the management office this morning and they said the super definitely shouldn't be asking for anything upfront and they'd talk to him. But now I'm kind of nervous because he's the one with the key to my unit lol. He hasn't come back yet. Should I ask management to send someone else or is that overreacting? I just don't want my faucet to stay broken until the holidays because I "snitched." Also, if he fixes it later today, do I still tip after what happened? This stuff is confusing when it's your first apartment.

No, asking for someone else isn't overreacting, but I'd give management one chance to handle it before escalating. If the super comes back and does the repair without mentioning cash again, you can decide whether to tip at the end. I'd lean against tipping right after a complaint—it can reward the wrong behavior and blur the line you just drew. A polite thank-you is plenty. If he's cold afterward, that's a management problem, not a you problem.

One thing I left out: document the current condition. A quick photo of the leak and the area under the sink. If water damage spreads because he's slow to return, you'll have a timestamped record. Also, you don't need to hide that you contacted management. You can say something like, "I checked with the office so I knew the right way to handle it." Keep it light. You're not snitching; you're following the chain.

If the faucet is still leaking after the repair, report that separately and don't start negotiating with him directly again. Stick to the management office. After a few of those, most supers get the message.

Yeah, don't stress. Supers get salty all the time, but they still fix the sink because it's their job. If he doesn't, you call the office again and say "still leaking." You got a paper trail now. And nah, I wouldn't tip after an upfront ask. Maybe at year-end if he ends up being decent going forward. Otherwise, you're basically paying him twice—once through your rent and once in cash. My old super on 113th used to fix things fast, but if you didn't take care of him at Christmas, your heat complaints went to the bottom of the pile. Not saying it's right, just saying some buildings run on petty. Hold your ground now so you don't set the tone. Good luck.