Do I really have to tip the housekeeper?

First of all, this was simply a faux pas of being totally unaware of this being a thing. This happens all the time, we are continually learning.
Second of all, not all tipping situations are the same. This sounds more like it's in between tipping your waiter (who, if they are underpaid definitely DESERVE a tip every time) and tipping at the coffee shop. The waiter is practically mandatory, the barista is highly optional. (NOTE: if you go to the same coffee shop RELIGIOUSLY it would be tasteful to leave a tip of any amount once in a while.)

Feel free to read this article to have a sense of what would be appropriate.
https://budgeting.thenest.com/tip-house-cleaner-24536.html

Seeing as it was a first time, it may have been appropriate to leave a 15% - 20% tip since the first clean is the heaviest and the ones that follow are upkeep. For the following weeks just do sporadic tips afterward since money is an issue for you ($3 - $5 every other week??? I don't know how much you're paying.) Tipping in this context is basically showing her appreciation for being a consistent person who is serving you personally instead of you having to deal with a different housekeeper every week who is unaware of your particular preferences and habits. Tipping your housekeeper is also like saying "thank you for continuing to do a good job." Also, if you have a horribly messy home and you are making her job much more difficult, then tipping can be way of saying "thanks, I know it's a lot of work."

It's difficult to know when tipping is expected, especially because it's something we don't find polite to talk about.
I do dog walking and I'm going into people's homes and working with their dogs personally, every person and dog has different routine and different expectations, however I don't expect a tip EVER even though I am tipped from time to time. Well that's not entirely true, we do have to service some dogs that live in hoarder houses, and THOSE places are practically health hazards and that is one situation that I would prefer to be paid a little extra for my troubles. Anyway even when I worked in retail I was given odd tips here and there from customers just for doing what I normally do. So tipping is kind of weird in that it's a sort of non-verbal communication of appreciation and debt.

Anyway, I can tell you that with house cleaning, tipping is definitely a thing, I've known people who used housekeepers and they tipped. I know, tipping culture is annoying especially when you don't have a lot of cash to throw around. I'm sure many of us would highly prefer just having an upfront rate with no strings attached. Instead, you enter into a commitment to pay for a service only to later find out that there are hidden "politeness" fees attached that no one ever mentioned, and if you ASK about it it's considered kind of unsophisticated and rude.

Jesus, cheapskate! The lady just cleaned your whole house the least you could do is tip her. That's like going to a restaurant, if you don't have enough money to tip then you stay your *** home and eat.

You are not obligated to leave a tip and it is, indeed awkward when a tip is prompted. That crappy tactic is used to almost shame you into giving a tip. That is pure greed on their part, I do believe.

No, you do not have to tip the housekeeper. Your housekeeper SHOULD do a great job, with or without the tip because they are being PAID to do a job and it is expected that they will do the job and do it well. Clean is clean. You hired someone to clean. Your house was cleaned. You agreed to a price to have your house cleaned.

If you go to the dentist and pay to have your teeth cleaned, do you feel like you have to leave him a tip because he did his job and cleaned your teeth? of course not.

I agree. Tips are for service people at their place of work, not your home,

Whether or not you tip her, it has nothing to do with the company that employs her, and they shouldn't ask.

Nobody can force you to pay a tip if you really wanted her to do a better job for you next time then it s worth to give her tiip.

you should if you want her to come back

Cheap A$$

I always tip. I stay in a hotel i leave cash for housekeeping, i eat out, i leave money for my waiter, i take a taxi, i leave the change, i get delivery, i tip. I leave bigger tips when i go to a bar. You should always be nicer, it never kills to be extra nice

Yea thats a bit rude!

Ya that wasn't good

If the person providing the service has a problem with her wages, that is something she needs to take up with her employer with the help of her union if necessary, it should not need to be up to the customer to make up the shortfall. If I agree on the price of a service, whatever it might be including a meal at a restaurant, that is the price I pay. That charge should cover the wages of the employee.

I was never tipped for doing the work I was paid to do, why should I tip others for doing the work they are paid to do? I understand that in third world countries where wages are appallingly low, tips are necessary but I refuse to tip in a first world country unless it is for exceptional service well above and beyond the requirements of the job. Tipping is not expected in countries like Japan, Australia and New Zealand because workers are paid properly. As I said, wages are a matter for agreement between staff and management. As long as customers tip, management will never pay reasonable wages. If your third world country has a tipping culture and you want to get into the first world, start paying people decent wages.