The last thread related to this topic was back in 2020, so curious if anything has changed. Is it still:
Also, on tipping there seems to be something about being informally covered by maintenance fees, but some folk still do it anyway. Is that still current? If tipping, is it generally for days 4 and 7 or 7? I realize this is very much personal choice, but curious what folk do. First DVC visit coming up and I need to go get tipping cash.
will
My experience has been that they will generally empty the trash during their daily security checks.
Tipping is a personal decision. I have never heard that our dues cover tips in any way. I personally, do tip. To play it safe I leave a tip every day and extra the last day.
The maintenance fees are calibrated to specific costs that are listed in the annual budget, mostly capital costs. I’m sure it covers housekeeping but I don’t recall seeing anything to indicate that DVC tips them or pays them an increased wage compared to hotel staff.
All that to say that I usually tip. My personal preference is to tip the last day but there are benefits to tipping throughout.
There have been many discussions regarding the housekeepers new collective bargaining agreement on chat. The interpretation is that housekeeping in no longer a tipped position. Of course, there are college program kids that are not covered in the collective bargaining agreement and are housekeepers and there is no way to tell who will service your room.
This old thread from 2021 has some fascinating discussion about tips. It gets a little testy at times but it’s interesting nonetheless! 
thank you @PrincipalTinker and @Jeff_AZ .
I guess that collective bargaining efforts could generate stories about not needing tips, but who knows what really happened. …and yes, fully realize this is something with widely varying viewpoints! 
I had not seen that poll Jeff, that is insightful!
will
My first DVC owner trip was in April. When I used to stay as a guest, I tipped every day and gave extra if I made any special requests. This past time, I tipped on the days when I knew Housekeeping was coming, either for trash and towels or for a cleaning. Again, extra tipping for special requests. But I did not tip on days when I knew it was going to just be a room check, even though they did empty the trash. Before we left the room each morning, I always emptied all of the trash cans into the main trash bin in the kitchen to make removal easier for them.
I actually don’t think they can be actual housekeepers but housepersons - which is a role serving the housekeepers.
But I may be wrong
I’ll say this: we stayed for 5 nights at Grand Cal and there was absolutely zero housekeeping - not even trash service. It was one thing that really irked me
I have never heard of that role, that is interesting. Thanks! There have also been “discussions” on chat if the new rates also apply to part timers and new hires.
I used to tip when staying non-DVC.
Lately all I’ve seen is trash being emptied and that’s by the daily security check folks. We always stay 7 nights but rarely get any 4th day service. Certainly not since covid.
I absolutely tip when it seems appropriate and expected. The daily security check guys seem more interested in chatting. It’s more like a party than a security check. Pretty sure only one of the guys is real - other one or two are “helping” and may not even be employed. 
This is at SSR and it’s been more than one trip. The guys are a trip, come to think about it. 
I can’t ever figure out how the mousekeeping works. We stayed DVC using cash this summer and got mousekeeping everyday which wasn’t the case last time we did that. But we stayed at Yacht 2 months before and got it every other day. It seems to be inconsistent for me.
Cash stays at deluxe resorts, which includes cash bookings through Disney at DVC resorts, should have housekeeping every day. That would also apply to the YC and you could have said something to them.
I thought about it but it really wasn’t that big of a deal and we just used the hey disney to get what we needed. =)