No. Here's what New York has instead
New York does not have a statewide property tax freeze for seniors, and it doesn't have an assessment freeze either. If you've lived in New Jersey or Texas, which both freeze some or all of a senior's tax bill, this comes as a surprise: your bill in New York can keep rising after 65.
What the state does have are exemptions, which cut the assessed value your taxes are calculated on. For seniors there are three that matter:
- The Senior Citizens' Exemption (RPTL 467, called SCHE in New York City), worth up to 50% off your assessment if your income is low enough, and up to 65% in towns that have opted into a 2025 expansion.
- Enhanced STAR, which reduces the school tax portion for homeowners 65+ with income up to $110,750.
- The disability exemption (RPTL 459-c, DHE in NYC), which works much like the senior one.
None of these stops your bill from going up. They make it smaller. In practice, for a senior on a modest income who qualifies for the full 50% senior exemption, that can beat a freeze.
Didn't New York have a freeze once?
Sort of. From 2014 to 2016 the state ran a Property Tax Freeze Credit. It wasn't a freeze in the usual sense: you paid your full bill and the state reimbursed the increase, as long as your town and school district stayed under the tax cap. It was open to STAR-eligible homeowners of any age with income up to $500,000, but not to NYC homeowners. The program ended after 2016 and was not renewed.
The 2022 Homeowner Tax Rebate Credit was also a one-off. Neither program exists today.
There are bills in Albany that would create a real freeze. S4586 / A4567A would let New York City freeze taxes for owners 65+ with income up to $58,400, with the frozen amount accruing as an interest-free lien. A10745 would freeze assessed value for seniors statewide. As of October 2026 both are sitting in committee. Don't plan around them.
You may also hear about the "2% tax cap." It limits how much a town or school district can raise its total levy each year (2% for 2026, with overrides allowed). It doesn't cap your individual bill, which can rise more than 2% after a reassessment.
The Senior Citizens' Exemption (RPTL 467 / SCHE)
This is the big one, and it's the one people miss, because you have to apply to your local assessor and each town sets its own rules within the state's limits.
Who qualifies:
- All owners are 65 or older. If the owners are spouses or siblings, only one needs to be 65.
- You've owned the home for at least 12 consecutive months (waived if you had the exemption on your previous home).
- It's the legal residence of all owners.
- No school-age child living there attends public school (school districts can waive this).
- Your income is under the limit your locality has adopted.
How much it's worth: localities set the income ceiling for the full 50% exemption anywhere from $3,000 to $50,000. Most larger towns and NYC use the maximum, with a sliding scale above it:
| Annual income (where the $50,000 limit is used) | Exemption |
|---|---|
| Up to $50,000 | 50% |
| $50,000 to $55,699 | 20% to 45%, stepping down |
| $55,700 to $57,499 | 10% |
| $57,500 to $58,399 | 5% |
| $58,400 or more | None |
Two changes are coming in. A law signed in December 2025 lets localities go above 50%: up to 55%, 60% or 65% for incomes under $49,000, $48,000 and $47,000, starting with 2026 tax years. Towns have to opt in. Onondaga County, Putnam Valley and Shelter Island are among the first that did. Separately, the 2026-27 state budget raises the top income limit from $50,000 to $75,000, effective July 1, 2027. Here too, expect it to depend on whether your town adopts it (Croton-on-Hudson already has). Call your assessor and ask which limits they use. It's a two-minute call.
"Income" generally means federal adjusted gross income for all owners, but towns can choose to subtract unreimbursed medical and prescription costs, and many do. If you're just over the line, ask about this.
Deadline: the taxable status date, which is March 1 in most towns. Nassau County uses January 2, some Westchester towns use May 1, and NYC uses March 15. You file Form RP-467 with your assessor, then renew on the schedule your town sets.
Enhanced STAR
STAR reduces school taxes only, but for most homeowners outside NYC school tax is the largest part of the bill.
- Age: at least one resident owner is 65 by December 31 of the benefit year.
- Income limit: $110,750 for 2026 benefits (based on 2024 income) and $113,550 for 2027 benefits. Income here means federal AGI minus the taxable part of IRA distributions.
- Whose income counts: starting in 2026, only owners who live in the home and their resident spouses. A child on the deed who lives elsewhere no longer pushes you over.
How you get it depends on when you bought. If you've had the STAR exemption on the same home since 2015, you keep it, and the state now upgrades you from Basic to Enhanced automatically when you qualify. Everyone else gets the STAR credit, a check or direct deposit from the state, and registers through the Tax Department's Homeowner Benefit Portal rather than the local assessor. If you already get the Basic credit, the switch to Enhanced is automatic.
Enhanced STAR and the senior exemption stack. You can have both.
If you have a disability
The disability exemption (RPTL 459-c) mirrors the senior exemption: up to 50% off, same local-option income limits, same sliding scale up to $58,400. You'll need proof, such as an SSA or VA award letter. You can't take it on top of the senior exemption, so seniors with a disability should take whichever their town treats more generously. In NYC it's called DHE and has to be renewed every year.
New York City specifics
NYC's Department of Finance runs SCHE and DHE itself. The income limit is $58,399 for combined household income, applications and renewals are due March 15 for the tax year starting July 1, and SCHE renews every two years. As of this fall, DOF still lists 50% as the maximum, so the city hasn't adopted the 65% option.
The programs that actually freeze something in NYC are for renters. SCRIE and DRIE freeze the rent for qualifying tenants in rent-regulated apartments, and the income limit rose to $75,000 in July 2026. If you own, they don't apply to you.
Other help worth checking
- Veterans: the Alternative and Cold War exemptions take 10% to 15% (more with combat service or a disability) off your assessment. Our veterans guide covers how they combine.
- Real Property Tax Credit (IT-214): a small income tax credit for low-income homeowners and renters, up to $375 when someone in the household is 65+.
- Assessment review: if your assessment is too high, no exemption fixes that. Grievance Day is usually the fourth Tuesday in May outside NYC. See how to appeal your assessment.
How New York compares
New Jersey has an actual Senior Freeze plus Stay NJ, which can halve a senior's bill. A lot of states have something similar, listed in our senior freeze by state guide. New York chose a different design: a big percentage cut for low-income seniors and STAR for everyone else. If your income is under $50,000, New York's version is often worth more. If you're a middle-income retiree on a fixed budget, the lack of a freeze is the part that hurts.
To see what homes in your area typically pay, browse New York by county, or jump straight to Brooklyn, Buffalo, Rochester or Hempstead.