The ruling on taking what is called a gratuity from those in charge of residences

Question : The questioner says: I am living in an apartment in one of the buildings here, and there is a person responsible for renting out the apartment. He asked me for money, which he calls a gratuity, and he receives a monthly salary from his sponsor. Is it permissible for me to give him money, or is it considered a bribe?

Answer : We say that this employee of the building, who has a salary from his sponsor, is not permitted to ask the tenants for anything, whether a gratuity or anything else he estimates. Yes, if something is gifted to him, there is no blame on him. But if he asks for it, that is forbidden for him and not permissible, because he is content with the wage his sponsor has set for him. As for the tenant, if this sponsor, or this guard, or the person in charge of the building asks him to give a gratuity, he should not give it, because that will accustom him to asking and persisting with people. As for whether it is a bribe, it is not a bribe, because a bribe is when a person uses it to invalidate the right of another or to obtain what is not his. That is the reality of a bribe. Yes.