New Jersey Property Tax Relief (for Renters too!)

By Steve Gelber on September 25, 2026

Did you know that New Jersey has three property tax relief programs? And they aren’t only for senior citizens, or homeowners!

ANCHOR Program

The ANCHOR Program stands for Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters and is available to all New Jersey Homeowners and Renters who meet certain income limitations, as of their prior year tax return filing. If eligible, you can receive a tax free benefit from New Jersey of anywhere between $450 and $1500 dollars. To be eligible, you must:

Homeowners: Must have owned and occupied a home in New Jersey as their main residence on October 1, 2025, with a gross income of $250,000 or less.

Renters: Must have rented a principal residence in New Jersey subject to property taxes, with a gross income of $150,000 or less.

Age Limit: There is no age requirement to qualify for ANCHOR.

Senior Freeze (Property Tax Reimbursement)

If you owned a primary residence in New Jersey, which was subject to property taxes, on December 31, 2025 and you were age 65, or older, or receiving federal Social Security disability benefit payments or Railroad Retirement disability benefit payments, you may be eligible for a reimbursement on the annual increase in your property taxes.

Your income qualification looks back over two years since this is a reimbursement on property tax increases over a base year (the first year you become eligible). The income limits (combined if you were married or in a civil union and lived in the same home) are:

• 2024 — $168,268 or less; and
• 2025 — $172,475 or less

We always advise our senior clients to confer with their accountant and apply, even if their income exceeds the limit for the most recent year. If your income does not meet the qualification one year, you won’t receive a reimbursement but your “base year” for calculating your reimbursement won’t reset until you exceed the income limit for two straight years.

Stay NJ – Property Tax Relief for Senior Citizens

The Stay NJ program offers property tax benefits to eligible homeowners aged 65 and older. The benefit, if eligible, is for 50% of your property tax bill, capped at up to $6,500! To qualify, you (or your spouse) must have:

• Been age 65 or older during 2025;
• Owned and lived in a home for the full 12 months of 2025;
• Resided in a home subject to property taxes or P.I.L.O.T. (Payments-in-Lieu-of-Tax);
• Income that does not exceed $200,000.

Renter and mobile home owners are not eligible for Stay NJ.

Application Deadline is November 2nd

If eligible for any of these programs, the deadline to file for your benefit is November 2nd.

If you are under age 65 and have previously filed for an ANCHOR benefit, New Jersey should have automatically filed on your behalf for the new year. You can file a new application for the benefit on the NJ Division of Taxation Property Tax Relief Website.

Seniors can apply for all three benefits on one consolidated PAS-1 Application without needing to file separate applications. They must apply each year prior to the filing deadline. You can file an application on the NJ Division of Taxation Property Tax Relief Website.