Dear Property Owner:

The Department of Assessment and Taxation has completed its annual reassessment of properties for the 2026 Assessment Roll to ensure that all property owners pay only their fair share of property taxes. Your tax neighborhood was identified for assessment inequities and has been reviewed resulting in updated property assessments. Annual reassessment keeps assessments accurate and fair by reflecting current real estate market conditions and any physical changes to your property.

Why am I receiving this notice?

• To inform you that as part of the 2026 annual reassessment process your tax neighborhood and others were found to be underassessed based on recent sales and your property’s assessed value has been reviewed and updated accordingly.
• To inform you of your property’s new preliminary assessed value. This value represents the current full market value of your property, based on analysis of recent sales of similar properties in your tax neighborhood.
• Provide information about annual reassessment and how your property’s assessed value was calculated.
• Provide information on how to request an informal review of your new preliminary assessed value.

What is annual assessment?

Annual Assessment is the planned, multi-year process that systematically reviews and reappraises properties to ensure that property tax assessments remain fair and uniform at 100% of full market value. Our office reviews your property’s inventory to ensure it is updated and correct. Recent sales are then analyzed compared to current property assessments. If sales prices differ from assessments, then a tax neighborhood would be identified for review to determine if it is under or over assessed.

Property inventories are compared with recent properties that have sold, and any adjustments are made to existing assessed values in comparison to those recent sales that have occurred in your tax neighborhood. New York State law requires all assessment units to keep assessments at a uniform percentage of market value every year. The City of Buffalo’s level of assessment is currently 100%.

Why is my assessed value changing again?

NYS Real Property Tax Law requires our office to value your property as of July 1 every year. That value is already six months old when our office files our Tentative Roll on the following December 1 and one year old when you pay property taxes the following July. As property in Buffalo continues to increase in value due to high demand, assessments can become outdated and may need to be reviewed and adjusted more often to remain accurate, to ensure property owners are only paying their fair share of property taxes according to the value of their property.

Why is this notice important?

• Opportunity to Review: This notice gives you a chance to review the assessed value of your property before it becomes final as of March 1.
• Opportunity to Take Action: This notice includes information on how to appeal your property’s new full market value through a residential informal review application.

Steps to take upon receiving the notice

• Review this notice carefully to understand this process and your options.
• Check the new assessed value of your property and compare this value with your understanding of your property’s full market value.
• Decide whether to accept or dispute.
• If you agree with the assessment, no further action is needed.
• If you disagree with the new assessed value, you have the opportunity to appeal it. Fill out and submit the accompanied Residential Informal Review Application to our office with any supporting documentation to support your claim.

Tools to help you check the accuracy of your assessment

• Verify your property’s inventory by visiting www.buffalony.gov and searching for “property information.”
• Gather supporting information to support your claim to lower your assessment.
• Identify comparable sales of similar properties within your tax neighborhood using the “find comparables” feature on the City site.
• Document factors that might affect your property’s value (damage, needed repairs, dated interiors, foundation issues, etc.).
• Provide a copy of a recent appraisal, purchase offer, contract, or other verification of sale.

How to dispute the preliminary assessed value

• Informal Review Process: If, in your opinion, your 2026 preliminary assessment value does not accurately reflect your property’s full market value, fill out and return the Residential Informal Review Application included in this notice. The deadline to apply to receive a decision from our office is October 31, 2025.
• Submit any comparable sales, notes, photos, and other evidence you have gathered to support your claim.
• After you submit your evidence, our office will review all information and notify you in writing of our final decision of assessed value by mail after December 1.
• If you are not satisfied with any assessed value decision from our office, your next opportunity to appeal would be to participate in the Board of Assessment Review (BAR) grievance process from December 1 – December 31. You must file a grievance form (RP-524) during this time for a hearing to be scheduled.

What does this mean for my taxes?

Your preliminary 2026 assessed value will be the basis for your July 2026 City Property Tax and Sewer Rent and your January 2027 Erie County Property Tax, unless revised through the informal review or BAR grievance processes. Taxes are based on the overall tax levy established annually by the Mayor and Common Council, which is divided fairly among all property owners according to the full market value of their property. By keeping assessments current, no property owner pays more or less than their fair share.

Remember: It’s important to act promptly if you believe the new assessed value is incorrect. Our goal is to maintain fairness, transparency, and accuracy in the distribution of property taxes.