Moving From Staten Island to New Jersey? Don't Miss These Property Tax Relief Programs Nobody Told You About

By Pete Weinman, Esq.

If you've spent your whole life in New York and you're buying a home in New Jersey for the first time, there's a whole category of benefits you've probably never heard of — because they simply don't exist on the New York side. New Jersey runs several property tax relief programs for homeowners, and the state just made it easier to apply for all of them at once. If you're moving from Staten Island, this is exactly the kind of thing nobody tells you about until you stumble onto it by accident.

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What Just Changed

New Jersey has combined three previously separate property tax relief programs — Stay NJ, ANCHOR, and Senior Freeze — into a single unified application, Form PAS-1. Instead of figuring out which program applies to you and filing separately, eligible homeowners now go through one streamlined process.

The filing deadline for the current cycle is November 2, 2026. If you're a new NJ homeowner and you haven't looked into this yet, that date is worth putting on your calendar now.

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The Three Programs, in Plain English

Stay NJ is aimed at senior homeowners age 65 and older. It offers meaningful relief on property taxes, with maximum benefits scaled to income — the highest tier, for households earning $0 to $100,000, can be worth thousands of dollars a year. Benefits phase down as income rises, with no benefit for households earning over $200,000.

ANCHOR (Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters) is broader — it's not limited to seniors. It offers property tax relief of up to $1,750 for eligible homeowners and renters, based on income and age, with homeowners qualifying up to $250,000 in income and renters up to $150,000.

Senior Freeze is specifically for seniors and certain disabled residents, and it works differently than the other two — rather than a flat benefit, it effectively "freezes" your property tax at a base-year level, reimbursing you for increases in future years as long as you continue to qualify.

Depending on your age, income, and situation, you may qualify for more than one of these, which is exactly why New Jersey consolidated the paperwork into one application instead of three.

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Why Staten Island Transplants Miss This

I'm a New York attorney who represents buyers crossing the border into New Jersey, and one thing I've noticed is that buyers navigating the property tax side of a New Jersey purchase often have no idea these relief programs exist — because there's simply no equivalent on the New York side. If you didn't grow up in New Jersey and nobody in your circle has filed for these before, there's no reason you'd stumble onto Form PAS-1 on your own.

This matters even more if you're an older buyer, or you're helping a parent relocate as part of an estate planning strategy. Between Stay NJ and Senior Freeze, a senior homeowner moving to New Jersey could be leaving real money on the table simply by not knowing to apply.

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Who Should Pay Attention

• Homeowners 65 and older — you're likely eligible for Stay NJ and possibly Senior Freeze, in addition to ANCHOR.
• Any homeowner under the income thresholds — ANCHOR alone is worth checking, regardless of age.
• Anyone under auto-enrollment age thresholds may be automatically enrolled for ANCHOR, while seniors and residents with disabilities generally need to manually submit Form PAS-1.
• Families helping a parent move to New Jersey — this is worth raising directly as part of the moving conversation, not something to leave to chance.

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What to Do Next

1. Confirm your eligibility based on age, income, and homeowner status for each of the three programs.
2. File Form PAS-1 before the November 2, 2026 deadline if you haven't already been auto-enrolled.
3. Gather your income documentation now rather than waiting until closer to the deadline.
4. If you're in the process of buying in New Jersey, ask your attorney to flag this as part of your closing checklist so it doesn't get lost in the move.

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The Bottom Line

New Jersey offers real, meaningful property tax relief that simply doesn't have a New York counterpart — and the state just made it easier to apply for all of it at once. If you're moving from Staten Island, this is exactly the kind of detail that's easy to miss during a transaction that already has a hundred moving parts. Don't let it be the thing you find out about a year too late.

If you're buying a home in New Jersey and want help thinking through what applies to your situation, I'm happy to walk through it with you.

Pete Weinman, Esq.

Weinman Law Offices, PC

260 Christopher Lane, Suite 201 | Staten Island, NY 10314

718-442-2010 | [email protected]

Licensed in New York and New Jersey

Legal Disclaimer

The information provided in this blog post is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed by reading this content. The information may not reflect the most current legal developments and may not apply to your specific situation. For legal advice concerning your individual circumstances, please consult with a licensed attorney. Do not rely on this information as a substitute for professional legal counsel. Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes in future cases.

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