NJ property tax relief: How to get ANCHOR, Stay NJ and Senior Freeze benefits
New Jersey residents have until Nov. 2 to apply for 2025 property tax relief benefits. Here's who may qualify, how much they could receive and when payments are expected.
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New Jersey residents can receive property tax relief through ANCHOR, Senior Freeze and Stay NJ, with eligibility depending on factors including age, income and whether they own or rent their home.
The deadline to apply for 2025 benefits is Nov. 2, 2026.
Senior homeowners and certain homeowners receiving Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability benefits use one combined application, known as PAS-1. Most eligible renters, including renters 65 and older and renters receiving qualifying disability benefits, are scheduled to have their ANCHOR applications automatically filed by the state.
Already applied? Check your 2025 NJ property tax relief status.
Which NJ property tax relief program is for me?
If you are... | You may qualify for... | What to do |
Under 65 and rent | ANCHOR | Most eligible renters will be automatically filed — watch for your confirmation letter |
Under 65 and own | ANCHOR | Most eligible homeowners will be automatically filed — watch for your confirmation letter |
Under 65, own and receive qualifying Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability benefits | ANCHOR and possibly Senior Freeze | File PAS-1 |
65+ and rent | ANCHOR | Most eligible renters will be automatically filed — watch for your confirmation letter |
65+ and own | ANCHOR, Senior Freeze and Stay NJ | File PAS-1 |
Not everyone who files PAS-1 qualifies for all three programs. Each has its own eligibility requirements.
How do I apply?
If you're 65 or older and own your home, or you're a homeowner receiving qualifying Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability benefits: File PAS-1. The state uses the combined application to determine which benefits you qualify for.
File the 2025 PAS-1 application
If you're a renter: Most eligible renters of all ages are scheduled to be automatically filed for ANCHOR on Sept. 15, including renters 65 and older and renters receiving qualifying disability benefits.
If you're an under-65 homeowner who doesn't receive those disability benefits: Most eligible applicants will also be automatically filed Sept. 15.
Don't assume you were automatically filed. Watch for an ANCHOR Benefit Confirmation Letter from the state. If you aren't automatically filed, you have until Nov. 2 to file yourself.
Deadline: Nov. 2, 2026.
Online PAS-1 filing requires identity verification through ID.me.
How much can I get from ANCHOR?
ANCHOR covers qualifying New Jersey homeowners and renters.
Homeowners generally must have owned and occupied their main New Jersey home on Oct. 1, 2025, with New Jersey gross income of $250,000 or less. Renters must have rented their principal residence on Oct. 1 and have gross income of $150,000 or less.
Eligible resident | 2025 ANCHOR benefit |
Homeowner — income $150,000 or less | $1,500 |
Homeowner — income $150,001-$250,000 | $1,000 |
Renter — age 64 or younger | $450 |
Renter — age 65 or older | $700 |
One important change for 2025: Senior homeowners will no longer receive the additional $250 ANCHOR benefit that was available for the previous benefit year.
The New Jersey Division of Taxation confirmed to News 12 that the fiscal 2027 state budget did not extend the additional $250 for senior homeowners. That means the maximum 2025 ANCHOR benefit for homeowners is $1,500, regardless of age.
The additional $250 benefit was extended for senior renters, meaning eligible renters age 65 and older can receive up to $700. The state's current benefit table reflects those amounts.
ANCHOR payments begin Sept. 15. The state says most applicants receive payment within 90 days unless additional information is needed.
Check ANCHOR eligibility and benefit information
Who qualifies for Senior Freeze?
Senior Freeze reimburses eligible seniors and qualifying disability-benefit recipients for increases in property taxes — or eligible mobile-home park site fees — above an established base-year amount.
Applicants generally must have been 65 or older by Dec. 31, 2025.
For applicants qualifying based on disability, the Division of Taxation told News 12 they must have been receiving Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability benefits as of Dec. 31, 2024 for the 2025 Senior Freeze benefit.
For a first-time 2025 applicant, the program generally also requires the resident to have owned and lived in the same New Jersey home since Dec. 31, 2022, and continued to own and live there through Dec. 31, 2025.
Senior Freeze income limits:
2024 income: $168,268 or less
2025 income: $172,475 or less
Senior Freeze counts some income that may not be included in New Jersey gross income, so don't use the ANCHOR income test to determine whether you qualify.
To apply for the 2025 Senior Freeze benefit, file PAS-1 by Nov. 2.
How much can I get?
There is no standard Senior Freeze amount. The reimbursement generally depends on the eligible increase between your established base-year property taxes and your current property taxes.
Payments for the 2025 benefit year began July 15.
Check Senior Freeze eligibility and benefit information
Who qualifies for Stay NJ?
Stay NJ provides additional relief to qualifying homeowners age 65 and older.
For the 2025 benefit, an applicant or spouse must have been 65 or older during 2025, meet the program's homeowner requirements and have income of $200,000 or less. Renters and mobile-home owners aren't eligible.
How much can I get?
The state lists these maximum annualized Stay NJ benefits:
2025 income | Maximum annualized benefit |
$100,000 or less | $6,500 |
More than $100,000-$150,000 | $5,000 |
More than $150,000-$200,000 | $4,000 |
Those annualized benefits will be divided into four installments, according to the Division of Taxation.
The first two installments, scheduled for February and May 2027, are authorized under the fiscal 2027 state budget. The remaining installments, scheduled for August and November 2027, are subject to appropriation in the fiscal 2028 budget.
Stay NJ is calculated after ANCHOR and Senior Freeze. The state first applies those benefits and then calculates the Stay NJ amount toward 50% of eligible 2025 property taxes, subject to the applicable Stay NJ maximum.
Do not simply add the maximum amounts of all three programs together to estimate your total benefit.
The Division of Taxation also told News 12 that Stay NJ payments will be made by check.
Check Stay NJ eligibility and benefit information
When will I get my property tax relief?
Program | Current payment schedule |
Senior Freeze | Payments began July 15 |
ANCHOR | Payments begin Sept. 15; most arrive within 90 days of filing |
Stay NJ | February and May 2027 installments are authorized; August and November 2027 installments are subject to FY2028 appropriation |
Stay NJ benefits will be paid by check, according to the Division of Taxation.
Check your 2025 NJ property tax relief status
Can I qualify for more than one program?
Yes. Residents 65 and older may qualify for ANCHOR, Senior Freeze and Stay NJ. The state determines eligibility for each program and coordinates the benefits.
If you're a senior homeowner and aren't sure which programs apply to you, file PAS-1 and let the state determine which benefits you qualify for.
What if I own a mobile home?
Mobile-home owners are treated as renters for ANCHOR, may qualify for Senior Freeze under separate mobile-home rules and do not qualify for Stay NJ.
What if I moved?
Moving doesn't necessarily mean you can't receive property tax relief, but the programs treat moves differently.
ANCHOR generally looks at your principal residence on Oct. 1, 2025, while Stay NJ has separate rules for qualifying homeowners who moved during the year.
For Senior Freeze, the Division of Taxation told News 12 that moving to another home causes the recipient to lose the base year established at the previous property. The first full year in the new home becomes the new base year, and the following year can become the new application year if property taxes increased.
What if I missed a year of Senior Freeze?
An established Senior Freeze recipient who fails to file for a year loses the previously established base year, according to the Division of Taxation.
However, if the resident was otherwise eligible that year, they can file the missing year's application to reinstate the previous base year and preserve continuity. If the statutory deadline has already passed, the resident won't receive the missed year's reimbursement.
Check Senior Freeze information for additional filing requirements
