Monroe Property Tax: Rates, Deadlines & BAR Appeals

Direct answer: For the 2026 assessment roll, City of Rochester homeowners had to file by Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 8:00 p.m. ET; homeowners in Monroe County towns had to file by Tuesday, May 26, 2026—the fourth Tuesday in May. Those dates have passed as of August 1, 2026; the next expected deadlines are March 16, 2027 for Rochester and May 25, 2027 for the towns. File Form RP-524, Complaint on Real Property Assessment, with your city or town assessor / Board of Assessment Review, not with the Monroe County Treasury.

How assessments work in Monroe County

Monroe County does not set one countywide assessment for your house. Assessments are local: the City of Rochester and the towns each maintain their own assessment rolls, while Monroe County Real Property Tax Services maintains rolls, tax maps, equalization data and the Real Property Portal, and calculates tax rates and apportionments.

For Monroe County towns, the standard assessment calendar is: valuation date July 1, taxable status and exemption deadline March 1, tentative roll May 1, Grievance Day the fourth Tuesday in May, and final roll July 1. In 2026, that made town Grievance Day May 26, 2026.

Rochester runs earlier. The City uses February 1 as valuation date, taxable status date and exemption deadline; files its tentative roll March 1; requires BAR complaint applications by the third Tuesday in March at 8 p.m.; and files the final roll May 1. For 2026, Rochester’s official BAR package stated: all applications must be received Tuesday, March 17, 2026, by 8:00 p.m. ET.

Do not assume every Monroe property is assessed at 100% of market value. The county’s 2026 equalization table shows, for example, Rochester, Clarkson, Henrietta, Perinton, Riga and Rush at 100% level of assessment, but Webster at 43%, Pittsford at 51%, Brighton at 53%, Penfield at 68%, and Irondequoit at 74%. If your town is not at 100%, convert your assessment to the assessor’s implied market value: assessment ÷ level of assessment.

Whether you should appeal

Appeal if the assessment implies a value higher than what your home would likely have sold for on the valuation date, or if your property is assessed at a higher percentage of value than similar properties on the same roll. The best evidence is local: recent comparable sales from the Monroe County Real Property Portal, photos of condition problems, a recent appraisal, contractor estimates for major defects, or proof that the assessor’s inventory is wrong—wrong square footage, bathroom count, finished basement, garage, acreage, or property class.

A tax bill that feels too high is not enough. The Board of Assessment Review reviews assessment value, exemption denials and classification issues; it does not set school, county, city, town, fire, sewer or special district rates.

As a quick test, take a Webster home assessed at $180,600. Webster’s 2026 level of assessment is 43%, so the assessor’s implied market value is about $420,000. If credible comparable sales support $390,000, the target assessment is $390,000 × 43% = $167,700, a requested reduction of $12,900.

Potential savings depend on your actual tax districts. Using Webster as a worked example, the 2026 town/county total rate is 16.670258 per $1,000 of assessed value, and the 2025-2026 Webster school rate is 28.702192 per $1,000. Combined, before special districts, that is 45.37245 per $1,000. A $12,900 assessment reduction would save roughly $585/year before exemptions and special district charges: $12,900 ÷ 1,000 × 45.37245. That is a realistic estimate, not a promise.

Published Monroe County-wide success rates or median BAR reductions were not found in the official county, city or state sources reviewed; do not rely on sales pitches claiming a local “average reduction” unless they can show the public record.

Step-by-step how to file

1. Find your property record. Use the Monroe County Real Property Portal to pull your assessment, tax map number, property inventory, taxes, historical sales and nearby comparable sales.

2. Check your assessing unit’s level of assessment. Use Monroe County’s 2026 Equalization Rates and Level of Assessment table. If the LOA is under 100%, your requested assessment should usually be your proven market value multiplied by that LOA.

3. Talk to the assessor early. In towns, do this after the tentative roll appears May 1 and before Grievance Day. In Rochester, informal reviews are generally July 1 to January 1 for the next cycle; after the March tentative roll, changes go through the BAR.

4. Use the correct form. The statewide form is RP-524, Complaint on Real Property Assessment. Rochester also publishes a city BAR application package for the current year, based on RP-524, with city-specific instructions.

5. File in the right place. For Monroe County towns, file with the town assessor or town Board of Assessment Review at the town hall / assessment office listed in Monroe County’s official “Town Assessors and Tax Receivers” directory. Examples: Brighton Town Hall, 2300 Elmwood Ave.; Greece Town Hall, 1 Vince Tofany Blvd.; Penfield Assessment Office, 3100 Atlantic Ave.; Webster Town Hall, 1000 Ridge Road. Use the county directory for your exact municipality. For Rochester, submit to the Bureau of Assessment, City Hall, Room 101A, 30 Church Street, Rochester, NY 14614.

6. Filing methods and fees. There is no fee to file RP-524. Mail is allowed, but the form must be received by the deadline—not merely postmarked. In-person or delivery-service filing is safest close to the deadline. Rochester expressly says it will not accept RP-524 by fax or email and requires original hard copies by mail, delivery service or in person. For towns, New York allows electronic RP-524 filing only if the assessing unit has formally opted in and published instructions; do not email a grievance unless your assessor has a published, official e-filing method.

What happens after

The appeal authority is the Board of Assessment Review (BAR) for your city or town. Under New York rules, a BAR has three to five appointed members and cannot include the assessor or assessor’s staff, though the assessor attends formal hearings and may be heard.

At a typical hearing, you or your representative briefly explain why the assessment is too high and present documents. Rochester states that the assessor or city appraiser may present the city’s property information, testimony is under oath, and the board reviews petitions in open hearings before private deliberation. Rochester also says staff may inspect the property and, if you and staff agree on value, a stipulation can be presented to the BAR without a scheduled hearing.

New York also permits a nonresident owner to request a later hearing date, but the RP-524 still must be filed by regular Grievance Day; the later hearing must be set no later than 21 days after Grievance Day.

You will receive a written BAR determination with reasons. Rochester says determinations are typically mailed within about a month after the hearing. If you are still dissatisfied, owner-occupants of one-, two- or three-family homes may usually file Small Claims Assessment Review (SCAR); the state filing fee is $30. SCAR and Article 7 tax certiorari cases generally must be started within 30 days of the final roll filing or notice of filing. Rochester’s local SCAR/tax certiorari deadline is stated as May 30.

Local tips

Rochester owners: the city’s last citywide reassessment was for the 2024-25 tax year, and the next scheduled reassessment is for 2028-29, with work beginning in spring 2027. If your 2026 value changed outside a reassessment year, look hard for a physical-change, permit, inventory or sales-data reason.

Town owners: because Monroe towns have different levels of assessment, compare assessments only inside the same town or village assessing unit. A Pittsford assessment and a Webster assessment are not directly comparable without adjusting for LOA.

Check exemptions before you appeal. Rochester’s residential exemption page lists STAR, Enhanced STAR, senior citizens, veterans, disability, capital improvement and clergy exemptions. New STAR applicants receive a state STAR credit rather than a local exemption; Enhanced STAR for 2026 uses a $110,750 income limit. Rochester’s 2026 senior and disability exemption pages list a $58,400 maximum household income. Monroe County also announced in July 2026 proposed opt-in legislation for a county tax exemption for honorably discharged veterans who are permanently and totally disabled due to service; check with your assessor before the next taxable-status deadline.

Watch payment dates separately. Appealing does not pause tax bills. Monroe County town/county bills are mailed by December 31 and are due in full February 10, with installments through April 30. School bills are mailed by August 31 and due in full October 1, with installment dates of September 15, October 15 and November 15.

Monroe County Property Tax Rate

2026 Monroe County budget property tax rate: $5.67 per $1,000 of taxable/full value for county budget purposes; actual Town & County bill rates vary by municipality and special districts. Using the 2026 adopted budget’s Rochester MSA median housing sales price of $289,800, $5.67 per $1,000 equals about $1,643 in county tax before exemptions or other bill components.

Source: https://www.monroecounty.gov/files/finance/2026%20Adopted%20Budget.pdf?a=

When Are Property Taxes Due in Monroe County?

Town & County property taxes: payment in full is due February 10. School property taxes: payment in full is due October 1. Town & County taxes may be paid in four installments due February 10, February 28, March 30, and April 30. School taxes may be paid in three installments due September 15, October 15, and November 15.

This is not the same as the assessment appeal deadline above. The appeal deadline is your window to contest your assessed value; the payment due date is when the resulting tax bill must be paid. Missing one does not affect the other, but missing either has real consequences — one forfeits your right to appeal for the year, the other can trigger penalties and interest.

Source: https://www.monroecounty.gov/finance-treasury

Property Tax Exemptions in Monroe County

• STAR / School Tax Relief — Owner-occupied primary residences; Basic STAR has income limits, and Enhanced STAR is for eligible seniors age 65+ with qualifying income.. Basic STAR is based on the first $30,000 of full value; Enhanced STAR is based on the first $88,500 of full value for the 2026–2027 school year. Monroe County 2026–2027 certified exemption amounts vary by municipality. Yes for new homeowners/first-time applicants via NYS STAR credit registration; existing STAR exemption recipients generally continue under the exemption program and update when required. (Source: https://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/property/star/types.htm)
• Senior citizens partial property tax exemption — Monroe County homeowners age 65 or older who meet ownership, residency, and income requirements.. Up to a 50% property tax reduction for incomes up to $50,000, with a graduated reduction for incomes more than $50,000 but less than $58,400. Yes, reapply yearly. Apply by Towns: March 1 exemption filing date; City of Rochester: February 1 exemption filing date.. (Source: https://www.monroecounty.gov/news-2023-01-10-tax)
• Persons with disabilities and limited incomes exemption — Monroe County homeowners with qualifying disabilities and limited income who meet ownership, residency, and documentation requirements.. Up to a 50% property tax reduction for incomes up to $50,000, with a graduated reduction for incomes more than $50,000 but less than $58,400. Yes, reapply yearly. Apply by Towns: March 1 exemption filing date; City of Rochester: February 1 exemption filing date.. (Source: https://www.monroecounty.gov/news-2023-01-10-tax)
• Veterans property tax exemptions — Eligible veterans and surviving spouses; documentation such as DD214/separation papers and, where applicable, combat-zone, expeditionary-medal, or service-connected-disability documentation is required.. Alternative Veterans: 15% assessed-value reduction for wartime service, additional 10% for combat-zone service, and an additional disability reduction equal to one-half of the service-connected disability rating; Cold War veterans may receive a 10% or 15% reduction as adopted; eligible-funds exemption generally reduces assessed value up to $5,000. Yes, file the applicable RP-458/RP-458-a/RP-458-b form with the local assessor. Apply by Towns: March 1 exemption filing date; City of Rochester: February 1 exemption filing date.. (Source: https://www.monroecounty.gov/vsa-taxes)
• Volunteer firefighters and volunteer ambulance workers exemption — Members of incorporated volunteer fire companies, fire departments, or incorporated voluntary ambulance services certified as enrolled members for at least two years; lifetime eligibility after more than 20 years of active service.. 10% reduction in assessed value for the primary residence, applying only to Monroe County property tax. Yes, file with the local assessor. Apply by March 1 for the county exemption filing cycle in towns; confirm with the local assessor for city/village specifics.. (Source: https://www.monroecounty.gov/news-2022-02-18-tax)
• Agricultural assessment / agricultural property exemptions — Eligible agricultural land in production and certain qualifying agricultural structures or farm-related property, subject to NYS and local assessor requirements.. Eligible agricultural land is taxed based on its agricultural assessment value rather than full assessment; assessed value above the agricultural assessment is exempt. Certain farm buildings/structures may qualify for separate exemptions. Yes, file the applicable RP-305/RP-483 series form with the local assessor; renewals may be required depending on the form and parcel status. Apply by Generally on or before the local taxable status date.. (Source: https://www.tax.ny.gov/research/property/assess/valuation/ag_overview.htm)

How to Look Up Your Property Record in Monroe County

You can look up your property's official record at https://www.monroecounty.gov/etc/rp/. Monroe County’s Real Property Portal shows parcel/property records and tax-payment access, including municipality/SWIS, parcel ID, assessed values, property class, school district, lot data, sales history, and links to pay property taxes.