Senior citizens have until Oct. 31 to apply for property tax relief under New Jersey’s "Senior Tax Freeze" program.

Borough residents age 65 and older and disabled individuals may be eligible for the property tax relief (PTR) program, which may reimburse them for property tax increases on their principal residence.

To be eligible, applicants must meet the following criteria:
•  You were age 65 or older as of Dec. 31, 2017, or, if under age 65, you were actually receiving Federal Social Security disability benefit payments on or before Dec. 31, 2017, and on Dec. 31, 2018; and
•  You have lived in New Jersey continuously since Dec. 31, 2007, or earlier, as either a homeowner or a renter; and
•  You have owned and lived in your home (or have leased a site in a mobile home park for a manufactured or mobile home that you own) since Dec. 31, 2014, or earlier; and
•  You paid the full amount of the 2017 property taxes due by June 1, 2018, and you paid all 2018 property taxes by June 1, 2019; and
•  Your total annual income did not exceed $87,268 in 2017 and did not exceed $89,013 in 2018. With very few exceptions, all income received during the year must be taken into account to determine eligibility (including Social Security, pension income, etc.).

Eligibility rules, including income limits, and benefits available under this program, may be changed by the state budget that will take effect by July 1.

Applications for vacation, second homes and/or those with more than four units will not be accepted. Also, residents are not eligible if they are completely exempt from paying property taxes or make payments-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) to their town.

For more information, visit the N.J. Division of Taxation’s website, which includes an online questionnaire to determine eligibility, call 1-800-882-6597 or email: nj.taxation@treas.nj.gov.