20 Sep What happens to property tax breaks when a home has two owners?

Q. I own a home with my sister that she lives in and I do not. She is 60 and I am 66. Can we file and receive any of the property tax breaks like Senior Freeze? How do we treat the ownership or are we screwed because I don’t live there?
— Unsure

A. It’s a great question.

The state offers three property tax breaks to try to keep senior citizens in the state. They are the Senior Freeze, the ANCHOR benefit and the newest program, Stay NJ.

The state now uses one application form — the PAS-1 — for all three programs, said Bernie Kiely, a certified financial planner and certified public accountant with Kiely Capital Management in Morristown.

To qualify, you must meet certain income limits and for the current benefit year, you must have been a New Jersey resident who lived in a home in the state for all of 2025, he said.

“You own the home but your sister lives there but you don’t,” Kiely said. “Since you don’t live in the home, the program does not apply to you. If your sister pays you rent, then she is eligible as a tenant.”

But if your sister is actually also an owner, she can file for the benefits.

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This story was originally published in September 2026. 

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