Why did my Philadelphia property assessment go up?
Your assessment is the Office of Property Assessment's (OPA) estimate of your property's market value, so it goes up when OPA estimates your property is worth more. If you think the new value is wrong, you can request a First Level Review from OPA or file a formal appeal with the Board of Revision of Taxes (BRT). BRT appeals are due the first Monday of October, which in 2027 is Monday, October 4, 2027.
- Who sets it
- The Office of Property Assessment (OPA)
- What it measures
- OPA's estimate of your property's market value
- How you hear about a change
- A Notice of Proposed Valuation in the mail
- LOOP may apply if it rose
- At least 50% in one year, or at least 75% over five years
- To challenge it
- BRT appeal by Monday, October 4, 2027
Check what changed
Look up your address to see your assessment year by year, how much it changed from last year and over the past five years, and recent sales of similar homes nearby. The lookup reads the city's public property records. If the change is unusually large, it flags it, since a jump that size can mean new construction, a renovation or a data correction.
When your assessed value changes, OPA mails a Notice of Proposed Valuation. It isn't a bill, but it can affect your property taxes.
What you can do
- Make sure you have the Homestead Exemption. It takes $100,000 off the assessed value of a home you own and live in.
- Check LOOP if your assessment rose at least 50% in one year or at least 75% over five years. Income and other requirements apply.
- Request a First Level Review or file a BRT appeal if you think the value is wrong.
Note: the city says the size of the increase, or its effect on your bill, isn't enough on its own. A review or appeal has to show something specific, such as a value that's wrong, a value out of line with similar properties, or incorrect details about the property.
Verified against the Office of Property Assessment's property assessments page.
The BRT deadline rule verified against the city's page on appealing a property assessment.
The LOOP thresholds verified against the city's LOOP page.
The Homestead amount verified against the city's Homestead Exemption page.