House fees and tip-outs

What you are paying for

At most clubs you pay to work, rather than being paid to work. The house fee is a flat amount paid to the club for the shift. On top of that you tip out the staff who make your night possible: the DJ, the house mom, sometimes bouncers, bartenders or the floor manager. Some clubs also take a percentage of dances or a cut of room sales.

None of this is fixed across the industry. Amounts, who gets what, and whether it is a set number or a percentage vary by club, by city and often by shift. Ask at the club before your first night, and ask more than one person.

The usual pieces

• House fee: paid up front or at the end of the shift. Some clubs charge more for arriving late or for busier nights.
• DJ tip: often expected and sometimes effectively mandatory. The DJ controls your stage time and how you are introduced, so this is money well spent even where it is optional.
• House mom tip: the person who runs the dressing room, keeps supplies, and looks after new dancers. Where there is one, tipping her is both custom and common sense.
• Security or floor staff: varies widely. In some clubs it is expected; in others it is a thank you for a specific favour.
• Percentages on dances or rooms: some clubs take a share of every private dance or room, and the split can be substantial. Know the number before you sell anything.

Late fees, fines and charges for leaving early exist at some clubs. Whether they are legal where you work depends on how you are classified and on local law; that is a question for a professional.

Working out what you actually make

Count your fees as the first money you earn each shift. Whatever the house fee and tip-outs add up to is what you must make before you have earned anything. On a slow night you can lose money by showing up. Knowing your break-even number lets you compare shifts and clubs honestly.

Write every fee and tip-out down each night alongside what you took home. Fees paid to work may matter for your taxes, and you will want a record either way. An accountant who works with dancers can tell you what counts.

Questions worth asking

• Is the house fee the same every shift, or does it change by day and time.
• Is the fee due before or after the shift, and what happens if you have a bad night.
• Exactly who is tipped out, and roughly what is customary here.
• What percentage, if any, the club keeps from dances and rooms.
• Whether there are fines, and for what.

A club that is vague about its fees is telling you how it treats dancers. The good ones will give you clear answers because they want you to stay.