LA Masseurs pushing their price point to the limit!!!

[Hey_Jay]

It has gotten too high I think average starts around 180. I’ve seen some started at 140 now at 200. And please don’t start on me having “ask” on their rates. I generally pass. It’s ridiculous. I am NOT taking the plunge I hope their business is thriving - I highly doubt tho. Not to mention their a la carte menu… the list goes on and on lol

Welcome to LA where everything is expensive that other cities maybe except NY of at least at par. Can’t beat the weather tho! 

[Guest fm0322]

I agree. I have not tried to figure an average but fees have gone up way too much. Also "Ask" is a turn off for me. I have two favorites who I've hired for years. I favor giving a 100% tip for great service. Maybe the pandemic has led to pent up demand. 

[+ ButchAtl]

I am seeing the price "creep" also in some Atlanta regular visitors as well as local provides.  One visiting masseur I first saw around Thanksgiving was at $120.  At Christmas time he was $140.  I noticed yesterday he is visiting again later this month and his ad now lists $160.   

[Bluefin]

Prices are generally all over the place and have definitely gone up. I’ve also noticed Rent Masseur is creeping into Rent Men Lite.
I booked someone recently for a massage that escalated quickly and I rebuffed him and he laughed and said “oh you really came here for a massage”. Which honestly says more about the clients than him, but still…

[+ Lucky]

Costs for dog boarding have also risen. Inflation?

[TopHunter10]

I’m willing to pay the price depends on the experience of the masseur , I think an increment +20 , 180 to 200 is considered fair .

[GTMike]

On 2/20/2022 at 8:55 AM, Bluefin said:

Prices are generally all over the place and have definitely gone up. I’ve also noticed Rent Masseur is creeping into Rent Men Lite.
I booked someone recently for a massage that escalated quickly and I rebuffed him and he laughed and said “oh you really came here for a massage”. Which honestly says more about the clients than him, but still…

Yeah. I had one who listed 200, 180, 240, 220 over a span of 3 - 4 weeks pre Pandemic, and then for "extra" services requested 400 but admittedly that was for an extended multi-hour experience.

[Daniel84]

12 hours ago, TopHunter10 said:

I’m willing to pay the price depends on the experience of the masseur , I think an increment +20 , 180 to 200 is considered fair .

Rents have gone up everywhere especially with inflation. My renewal letter came in for my apartment and it’s 21% increase. $850 increase a month for a 1 year lease. To continue living in my current apartment I have to pay another $10,200 a year. I would have to give 56 more massages to cover the difference just in rent and that doesn’t include the increase in cost of food and other expenses. 
 

My rates aren’t the lowest but they are in top 10% but I have been a CMT for 10 years and actually know what I am doing and my massage can be labeled fun especially the Full Service that I offer as well. 

Edited February 23, 2022 by Daniel84

[Rod Hagen]

On 2/23/2022 at 10:08 AM, Daniel84 said:

Rents have gone up everywhere especially with inflation. My renewal letter came in for my apartment and it’s 21% increase. $850 increase a month for a 1 year lease. To continue living in my current apartment I have to pay another $10,200 a year.

Dude that really really really sucks.  I'm very sorry.  Any chance you can find a rent-stabilized apartment so that never ever ever happens again?  

Again, that's terrible.  Wow.

Edited February 25, 2022 by Rod Hagen

[soberguy]

This is a tough situation.  I can't imagine how difficult a career as a masseur must be at times.  But inflation adjusted prices for massages in San Francisco in 2000 (I was paying $80 very consistently), should be $130 now.  On average they appear to me to be much, much higher than that.  I sincerely don't fault the providers - what the market bears is, in fact, appropriate.  Unfortunately, I just get fewer massages now.  Econ 101...

[Onamission]

I am really glad to see some on here looking at it from the masseurs perspective. I am not a masseur, but I am a CPA who has masseurs as my clients. Their costs escalate just like everything else. Since rent and gas are their primary expenses, most are just trying to cover increasing costs. It can't be all about us as clients, we need to be fair to them as well. I certainly don't mind paying for exceptional services.

[shadeheffashade]

On 2/20/2022 at 1:18 PM, Lucky said:

Costs for dog boarding have also risen. Inflation?

It's called extortion. Prices have only gone up really for gas and used cars. Now everyone thinks they can price gouge and blame it on Biden. 

[Obstacle2la]

If anyone knows a good LA masseuse around 150 please DM me haha I’ve had the worst luck with massages here 

[Terpmaniac]

Man if my rent went up 21% I would say, simply say bye, bye. I guess I am lucky. With me its been the exact opposite. I in Maryland they put my rent on a freeze because of COVID. My rent has not budged in almost 3 years which leads me to believe they are gonna sock it to me when this is all over.

[+ Drew Collins]

On 2/23/2022 at 10:08 AM, Daniel84 said:

Rents have gone up everywhere especially with inflation. My renewal letter came in for my apartment and it’s 21% increase. $850 increase a month for a 1 year lease. To continue living in my current apartment I have to pay another $10,200 a year. I would have to give 56 more massages to cover the difference just in rent and that doesn’t include the increase in cost of food and other expenses. 
 

My rates aren’t the lowest but they are in top 10% but I have been a CMT for 10 years and actually know what I am doing and my massage can be labeled fun especially the Full Service that I offer as well. 

I am SO sorry to hear that.  That jump should be illegal.  You must be in West Hollywood and not the City of Los Angeles.  Ugh!!!!

[acks01]

I say more power to the people who are able to charge what they want for their time/services. I imagine that if any of us were running a business and had people come up to us to complain about prices, we'd just tell them to move on and hope that they find someone who fits the bill better. If you have something I want, it's not my place to tell you that you should be charging me less for it.

[jeezifonly]

I think the tendency among clients of male massage is to compare massage rates to escort rates. 
We also have to compare to bodyworkers at spas and such. I go to a spa, I have access to clean facilities, fresh linens, steam, sauna, ogling, and really great therapeutic work on my body for about 200+tip. No release, nothing sexual, but really great care for my body.

I don’t host providers, so the clean towels, sheets, clean shower and toilet will all fall on the private masseur, in between clients. How much to pay for that?
$150 is nothing, IMO and if that’s what you pay, you’ll get an amateur-level massage experience. I pay more for the combo from masseurs who also do full service, if I want a massage to include all the sensual elements.
Otherwise, massage is mostly a spa thing for me. I’m rarely (not never 🤫) in the mood for a rub-n-tug from a frat boy. 

[Storm4U]

14 hours ago, Drew Collins said:

I am SO sorry to hear that.  That jump should be illegal.  You must be in West Hollywood and not the City of Los Angeles.  Ugh!!!!

Most West Hollywood apts (depending on when they were built)  are rent controlled and can’t go up more than 2.5%. I just moved in to one. But yes, any newer buildings aren’t binded by rent control but newer buildings in West Hollywood are very few and far in between.

Edited March 2, 2022 by Storm4U

[Swazca]

Some cities like Phoenix for example, do not have rent control laws or policy.  

You cannot really fault the providers that increase their prices when you get to enjoy their homes and services for an hour of more of their time.  As with any service provider, they need to factor their expenses and costs to provide you a service.  They pay to keep their utilities on, rent/mortgage, clean towels and sheets, gas and vehicle expenses to travel to you, etc.

This is 2022, not 1992!

Massage is a luxury in case many of you forgot, not a necessity. There's always MassageEnvy in case you want to pinch your pennies.  If you argue it's a health-necessity -- having a nearly naked or naked man providing this service, isn't exactly what I would say is "necessity," especially, if you expect a handjob or play at the end. 

Edited March 2, 2022 by Swazca
Grammar edit

[Love2GetMassaged]

22 hours ago, Drew Collins said:

I am SO sorry to hear that.  That jump should be illegal.  You must be in West Hollywood and not the City of Los Angeles.  Ugh!!!!

West Hollywood has frozen rent increases as well.  And when they lift the ban on rent increases, the annual increase is limited to 3% every 12 months. 

[Storm4U]

On 2/23/2022 at 10:08 AM, Daniel84 said:

Rents have gone up everywhere especially with inflation. My renewal letter came in for my apartment and it’s 21% increase. $850 increase a month for a 1 year lease. To continue living in my current apartment I have to pay another $10,200 a year. I would have to give 56 more massages to cover the difference just in rent and that doesn’t include the increase in cost of food and other expenses. 

 

On 3/2/2022 at 12:46 PM, Swazca said:

You cannot really fault the providers that increase their prices when you get to enjoy their homes and services for an hour of more of their time.  As with any service provider, they need to factor their expenses and costs to provide you a service.  They pay to keep their utilities on, rent/mortgage, clean towels and sheets, gas and vehicle expenses to travel to you, etc.

 

All of what's mentioned by @Swazca and @Daniel84.I no longer do massage in LA, but I did until very  recently but when I stopped my rates started at $180 and went up from there. I have seen multiple client guys on this forum mention that when they see a masseur, they expect  him to be able to host at a convenient and/or desirable location, and they want the masseur to host in a nice place. According to an Apartment List Rent Report, rent is up 17.6% in year over year increases overall. With that being said, a massage by a great massuer, in a desirable location, in a nice place is not going to be on the low end of a price range. Not to mention inflation making everything more expensive, gas, supplies, etc.  Masseurs have to factor all of that in, in order to make it worthwhile to even offer clients the service. It's a business.

Edited March 5, 2022 by Storm4U

[Rod Hagen]

On 3/2/2022 at 3:34 AM, Storm4U said:

Most West Hollywood apts (depending on when they were built)  are rent controlled and can’t go up more than 2.5%. I just moved in to one. But yes, any newer buildings aren’t binded by rent control but newer buildings in West Hollywood are very few and far in between.

Rent Stabilized, not controlled.  Rent Control is dead pretty much everywhere.  Rent Stabilization is a not-sucky compromise, but it is not as good as Rent Control.  

[Medin]

I understand gas, food and rent prices may have increased but I assume the biggest cost to masseurs is often the cost for hotel rooms and those rates plummeted for several years and still not back to pre-pandemic levels in most areas.    Did that decrease not cancel out any increases in other expenses?  I'm still having a hard time understanding the huge spike in provider rates we have seen lately.  

https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/hotel-price-changes-pandemic