ANCHOR, Senior Freeze & Stay NJ: Which NJ Property Tax Relief Program Do You Qualify For?

New Jersey’s 2026 property tax relief programs can be confusing, especially now that ANCHOR, Senior Freeze and Stay NJ have overlapping eligibility rules and the same November 2 filing deadline for the current benefit year.

So if you've been wondering whether you're supposed to apply for ANCHOR, Senior Freeze, Stay NJ, or somehow all three, you're definitely not the only one trying to sort it out.

Here's the part that makes it much easier:

If you're a New Jersey homeowner age 65 or older, you generally don't have to choose between the three programs yourself. You file the state's combined PAS-1 application, and the Division of Taxation determines which programs you qualify for and how much you're eligible to receive.

The programs still have very different rules, though. Here's what each one actually does.

NJ Property Tax Relief 2026: Quick Comparison

Program	Who It Mainly Helps	2025 Income Limit	What It Does
ANCHOR	NJ homeowners and renters	Homeowners: $250,000; Renters: $150,000	Provides a set property-tax relief benefit based largely on income and whether you owned or rented
Senior Freeze	Certain homeowners age 65+ and qualifying disabled residents	$168,268 for 2024 and $172,475 for 2025	Reimburses eligible increases in property taxes above an established base year
Stay NJ	NJ homeowners age 65+	$200,000	Provides additional property-tax relief based on the tax bill, income tier and other property-tax benefits received

The November 2, 2026 deadline applies to the current 2025 property-tax relief application cycle.

ANCHOR: The Program That Covers the Most People

ANCHOR — short for Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters — is the broadest of the three programs because you do not have to be a senior and you do not have to own a home.

For the 2025 benefit:

Homeowners

If your 2025 New Jersey gross income was:

• $150,000 or less: the benefit is $1,500
• $150,001 to $250,000: the benefit is $1,000
• More than $250,000: you are not eligible

The home generally must have been your principal New Jersey residence on October 1, 2025.

Renters

Eligible renters with 2025 New Jersey gross income of $150,000 or less can receive:

• $450 if age 64 or younger
• $700 if age 65 or older as of December 31, 2025

Yes, renters qualify for property-tax relief too. For ANCHOR purposes, eligible mobile-home owners in mobile-home parks are also treated as renters.

I have a separate guide that goes deeper into NJ ANCHOR eligibility, benefit amounts and filing, so if ANCHOR is the only program that applies to you, start there.

Senior Freeze Doesn't Literally Freeze Your Tax Bill

The name can be a little misleading.

Senior Freeze doesn't stop your municipality from increasing your property taxes. Instead, it establishes a base year and reimburses eligible homeowners for qualifying property-tax increases above that amount.

In simple terms, if your qualifying property taxes in the application year are higher than your established base-year taxes, the difference can become your Senior Freeze reimbursement.

For the 2025 application, you generally must:

• Be 65 or older as of December 31, 2025, or actually receive qualifying Social Security Disability or Railroad Retirement disability benefits;
• Have owned and lived in the home since December 31, 2022 or earlier;
• Meet the program's income limits for both years:
  • 2024: $168,268 or less
  • 2025: $172,475 or less; and
• Meet the other property and program requirements.

That ownership requirement matters.

Someone can be 70 years old and meet the income limit but still not qualify for the 2025 Senior Freeze if they only bought their current home recently.

Stay NJ: Property-Tax Relief Specifically for Senior Homeowners

Stay NJ is specifically for qualifying New Jersey homeowners age 65 or older.

For the current 2025 application, you or your spouse must have:

• Been 65 or older during 2025;
• Owned and lived in the New Jersey home for the full 12 months of 2025;
• Used it as your principal residence;
• Lived in a qualifying property subject to property taxes or an eligible P.I.L.O.T. arrangement; and
• Had income of $200,000 or less under the program's rules.

Renters and mobile-home owners do not qualify for Stay NJ.

How Much Can Stay NJ Provide?

Under the FY2027 budget, the maximum annualized Stay NJ benefit for the 2025 tax year depends on income:

Income	Maximum Stay NJ Benefit
$100,000 or less	$6,500
More than $100,000 up to $150,000	$5,000
More than $150,000 up to $200,000	$4,000
More than $200,000	Not eligible

Stay NJ is designed around property-tax relief totaling up to half of the qualifying property-tax bill, subject to the applicable income-based cap and the way other benefits such as ANCHOR and Senior Freeze are calculated. The Division of Taxation determines the final benefit for each applicant.

One important detail: New Jersey currently describes those Stay NJ maximums on an annualized basis, and future portions of the benefit remain subject to State budget appropriations.

Can You Qualify for ANCHOR, Senior Freeze AND Stay NJ?

Potentially, yes.

A qualifying senior homeowner may be eligible for all three programs.

That does not mean you simply add every advertised maximum together. New Jersey calculates the programs together, and total property-tax relief cannot exceed the qualifying property taxes paid on your principal residence for the year.

That's one reason the state now uses the combined PAS-1 Application for Property Tax Relief for senior homeowners and certain disability-benefit recipients.

You provide the information once, and the state determines your eligibility across the programs.

Who Uses the PAS-1?

Generally, senior homeowners and residents receiving qualifying Social Security Disability or Railroad Retirement disability benefits must file the combined PAS-1 application.

Most eligible homeowners under 65 who are not receiving those disability benefits — along with most renters — were automatically filed for ANCHOR using prior information. New Jersey mailed ANCHOR Benefit Confirmation Letters beginning in August 2026.

If you were expecting ANCHOR but did not receive a confirmation letter, that does not automatically mean you're ineligible. Eligible residents who were not automatically filed can still submit their own application by November 2, 2026.

One Income Detail That's Easy to Miss

Here's where I would be careful about looking at one number on your tax return and assuming you're under the limit for every program.

ANCHOR homeowner and renter eligibility uses New Jersey gross income, generally the amount reported on Line 29 of the NJ-1040.

The combined property-tax relief application used for senior programs can require income that isn't taxable in New Jersey or isn't included on the NJ-1040. The Division of Taxation specifically tells PAS-1 applicants to include income received during the application year even when it isn't taxable in New Jersey, subject to the application's rules and exclusions.

So don't assume that the word income means exactly the same calculation for every program.

A Few Real-Life Examples

You're 45, own a home and earn $120,000

Senior Freeze and Stay NJ would not apply based on age.

If you otherwise meet the requirements, ANCHOR may apply, with a homeowner benefit of $1,500.

You're 68, have owned your home since 2019 and earn $85,000

You may potentially qualify for ANCHOR, Senior Freeze and Stay NJ, assuming you meet the remaining requirements.

This is exactly the type of situation where you file the PAS-1 and let the state calculate the programs together.

You're 70 but bought your current home in March 2025

Being over 65 doesn't automatically qualify you for every senior program.

You would not meet Stay NJ's requirement to have owned and occupied the home for all 12 months of 2025, and you would not meet Senior Freeze's current ownership requirement going back to December 31, 2022.

Depending on your income and where you lived on October 1, however, ANCHOR may still apply.

You're 67 and rent your home

You don't qualify for Stay NJ or Senior Freeze simply because you're over 65.

But if you meet ANCHOR's renter requirements and your 2025 New Jersey gross income was $150,000 or less, the current renter benefit for someone 65 or older is $700.

The Deadline That Matters Right Now

For the current 2025 property-tax relief application cycle, the filing deadline is:

November 2, 2026

ANCHOR payments began going out on a rolling basis September 15. Senior Freeze payments began earlier in the year and continue according to the state's processing schedule. Stay NJ benefits tied to the 2025 application are scheduled into 2027, subject to applicable State budget appropriations.

Where South Jersey Homeowners Should Start

These programs are statewide, so homeowners in Galloway, Egg Harbor Township, Northfield, Absecon and the rest of Atlantic County follow the same state eligibility rules.

What changes locally is the property-tax bill you're starting with.

If you're trying to understand that side of the equation, my Galloway Township property-tax guide breaks down how local tax bills work, and my NJ ANCHOR guide goes deeper into that program specifically.

For actual program eligibility or filing, use the current information directly from the New Jersey Division of Taxation, especially because income limits, benefit amounts and funding can change from year to year.

And if you're looking at the bigger picture — what property taxes and other homeownership costs mean when buying or selling in South Jersey — that's where I can help.

Deanna Aponte
REALTOR® Associate
CENTURY 21 Atlantic Professional Realty
DoneWithD.com

This article is for general informational purposes and is not tax, legal or financial advice. Program eligibility and benefit calculations are determined by the New Jersey Division of Taxation.