Frequently Asked Questions

Trash/Recycling cans are issued and owned by the Township and must remain at the property address to which they are assigned. 

Your new trash can accommodate as much volume as 2 to 3 standard-sized trash cans. We expect these cans to be sufficient for your household needs. If you have a one-time overflow of trash, please hold it until your next regular collection day or drop it off at the Ocean County Landfill. If you continue to have an overflow of trash or recycling, a second can should be purchased.

• Recyclables
• Yard waste such as leaves, grass clippings, and brush
• Hot ash, such as from fireplace or firepits
• Any other hazardous, flammable, combustible materials such as oil-based paints, solvents, asbestos, or commercial medical waste.

• Loose recyclable plastics #1,2,5 (lids and caps left on)
• Glass bottles, Jars, and containers
• Aluminum, steel, tin, and bi-metal cans
• paper, cardboard, newspapers, magazines
• All bottles and cans should be rinsed

• Plastic bags
• Egg cartons
• Pizza boxes
• Window glass
• Aluminum foil
• Styrofoam
• Household garbage/waste
• Yard debris/waste

For the first time, NJ residents can apply for three PTR programs -

Senior Freeze, ANCHOR and Stay NJ - on a single application called PAS-1. This combined can be used by both homeowners and renters. There will no longer be ANCHOR-H or ANCHOR-T applications.

New Jersey residents who were 65 and older, or recipients of Social Security Disability, during Tax Year 2024 may be eligible to file the form PAS-1.

The filing deadline for submitting a Tax Year 2024 property tax relief application is October 31, 2025. 

For Senior Freeze recipients, the application looks different, and the income standards also have changed. You also no longer have to include proof of property taxes paid. If you already have a “base year” established, it will be printed on line 13 for homeowners, or line 21 for mobile homeowners.

If the applicant was 65 or older - or a recipient of Social Security Disability - in Tax Year 2024, they will have two ways to file:
- file a paper property tax relief application (Form PAS-1) for all three property tax programs: ANCHOR, Property Tax Reimbursement (Senior Freeze), and the Stay NJ Property Tax Benefit.
- Alternatively, they have the option to file the combined application online at propertytaxreliefapp.nj.gov.
- There will be no auto-file for these applications.

They will file their property tax relief application via one of the following methods:

• The Division will auto-file for some applicants;
• They can file an online application at propertytaxreliefapp.nj.gov; or
• They can file a paper application

The online application will be the same for all applicants regardless of age, disability status, or whether they own or rent their principal residence.

The Division will send a letter to combined application filers explaining the ANCHOR, Senior Freeze, and Stay NJ benefit amounts calculated for each applicant. The Division will begin sending these letters in October 2025.

Individuals who are 65 and older or recipients of Social Security Disability are expected to begin receiving the combined application (Form PAS-1) by mail in March 2025. Individuals who are under 65 or do not receive Social Security Disability are expected to begin receiving applications by mail in late summer 2025.

No. There is no need to provide proof of property taxes paid (no Senior Freeze verification forms: PRT-1A, PTR-1A Co-op, PTR-1B, PTR-2A, PTR-2A Co-op, or PTR-2B), even for first-time applicants.

Applicants who file a paper PAS-1 application will be mailed a paper check. There will be no direct deposit payment option for these applicants.
Applications who file the online PAS-1 application at propertytaxreliefapp.nj.gov will have the option to receive a direct deposit.

• Property Tax Reimbursement (Senior Freeze) payments will begin in July 2025 and continue on a rolling basis.
• ANCHOR payments will begin in September 2025 and continue on a rolling basis. Most applicants will receive their payment about 90 days after applying, unless additional information is needed to process the application.
• Stay NJ program benefit payments are expected to be paid quarterly beginning in 2026. The payments will be scheduled for February 2026, May 2026, August 2026, and November 2026. The February 2026 and May 2026 payments are subject to budget appropriations in the Fiscal Year 2026 State Budget. The August 2026 and November 2026 payments are subject to budget appropriations in the Fiscal Year 2027 State Budget.

*The availability of New Jersey’s property tax relief programs is subject to State Budget appropriations

Litter is solid waste that is out of place. It's the kind of trash found on highways, lakefronts, parks and school grounds. Litter takes many forms: paper, plastics, metal cans, cigarette butts, glass, food packaging, tires and graffiti.

There are at least seven sources of litter: pedestrians, motorists, overflowing household garbage, overflowing commercial containers, loading docks, construction sites and uncovered trucks. Litter is often blown by the wind until it is trapped somewhere or goes down a storm drain.

People tend to litter when they think someone else will clean up, when an area is already littered, and when they do not feel a sense of ownership or community pride.

Even small amounts of litter are unsightly, unhealthy and dangerous. Litter causes blighted landscapes resulting in an increase in taxes and a decrease in tourism and industry; loss of civic pride and morale; and a negative public image. Litter can also cause accidents, especially on roadways, fires and disease in people and animals.  

In addition to the efforts of local governments, residents, schools, civic associations and non-profit organizations are enlisted as volunteers to help with cleanup events. At these cleanup events we offer education to volunteers while they pick up litter so they become environmental stewards. With education, acts of littering can be changed!

A Revaluation Program seeks to spread property taxes equitably within a taxing district, such as the Township of Berkeley, by making sure that each property is assessed on the basis of its value.  Each parcel in the Township will be inspected on the interior and exterior, if possible, and appraised.  A market value, as of October 1, 2026, will be established.  The revaluation process is revenue neutral, meaning no additional taxes will be raised as a result of completion of this program.

It is the highest price, as of a specific date, in cash, or its equivalent, for which a property should sell after reasonable exposure in a competitive market. In addition the buyer and seller should each act prudently, knowledgeably & for self-interest, and assuming that neither party is under undue duress.

A comparable sale is a property that has a similar location and physical characteristics to the property being appraised and has sold within a reasonable time period prior to the appraisal date.  

Each property will be physically inspected on the exterior and interior by an experienced field representative. Structural and descriptive details of the property and neighborhood will be noted. The outside measurements of each building will be taken to determine the square footage content of the dwelling or building.  This property data will be entered into a computer assisted mass appraisal program and a preliminary value estimate will be established utilizing the “Real Property Appraisal Manual of New Jersey Assessors”. The preliminary value estimate will then be adjusted to a final market value estimate using comparable sales data from that neighborhood or a homogeneous neighborhood, if necessary. Some income producing commercial properties may be appraised using an income capitalization method.

The program will begin with the receipt of this brochure and introduction letter. All work will be completed by December, 2026 in order to use the new assessments for the 2027 Tax Year. Field inspections will run from December 2025 through October,2026.

Equitable assessments depend on the cooperation of the property owners. Interior inspections, especially, require that residents cooperate with the data collectors. The validity of a market value depends on the collection of accurate data.  Property owners have a stake in the outcome of the revaluation program. Any assistance a taxpayer can provide will aid in the total data collection process. If there is information you believe should be considered in the valuation, please inform the data collector. We will make every effort to cause property owners the least possible inconvenience

Photographs of your property will also be taken by the revaluation firm. The photographs will be taken from a public right-of-way on a different date than the property inspection. You do not need to be present or involved in this phase of the project.

The data collectors are not responsible for developing the market value estimate. Their job is to collect pertinent information to be used later  to develop the property’s value.

Data collectors will record such items as the type of interior wall construction, the number of bathrooms, type of heat, central air conditioning, livable area, and the percentage of finished attic and/or basement areas, in-ground pools and number of fireplaces.  The exterior inspection includes measurements of each structure, such as garages or other accessory buildings, determination of story height, roof structure, and type of foundation and exterior wall construction. The physical condition of the structure is noted to establish depreciation factors.  All factors relative to market value are considered. Examples of what would not be noted would be interior decorations, fences, window air conditioners, gas grills, lawn furniture, above ground pools, and small sheds.

If you’re not at home when the data collector visits your property, an exterior inspection will be completed and a notice will be left asking you to call for an interior inspection appointment. Appointments can be scheduled on weekdays, evenings, as well as Saturdays, if need be.  If the representative is unable to inspect your home or if you refuse entry, the interior information will be estimated which may cause your home’s valuation to be at the highest level for your property type, so your cooperation will be greatly appreciated.

When every property in the Township of Berkeley has been revalued, you will receive a letter. Letters will be mailed in the late fall of 2026. You will be given the opportunity to discuss your assessment and review your property description with a representative of the revaluation firm.

Individual values may increase or decrease depending on the market value at the time of the revaluation.  

The Revaluation Process is revenue neutral.  In other words, no additional taxes overall will be raised for the school, county, or municipality as a result of the completion of this process.  The impact of the new assessments will not affect the property owner’s tax bill until the 2027 Tax Year.

If for any reason a taxpayer is not satisfied with his or her assessed value for any given year, the taxpayer has the right to file a formal appeal with the Ocean County Board of Taxation on or before April 1^st of that given year. (extended to May 1^st for the first year after the revaluation)