New York City Department of Finance (DOF) announced that the deadline for the 2025 tax lien sale has been extended by two weeks. Originally scheduled for May 20, the lien sale will now take place on June 3, giving property owners additional time to take the necessary steps to protect their properties. DOF officials said the extension applies to both delinquent property tax and water and sewer charges.

 

As a result, the last day for property owners to remove their properties from the lien sale is now June 2, instead of the previously scheduled deadline of May 19.

 

According to the Coalition for Affordable Homes, every year, homeowners who fall behind on their tax or water bills can find themselves subject to the City’s annual lien sale, a process through which the City sells outstanding tax and water debts, and the ability to collect them, to private investors.

 

After the sale, the investors, through a trust, add steep interest and fees to the debts, which quickly balloon in size, vastly increasing the amounts owed by the homeowners. Various discussions and steps have been taken in recent years to revise the process to make it less onerous for homeowners, as reported.

 

“This extension gives New Yorkers more time to take action and get help,” said NYC Department of Finance Commissioner Preston Niblack. “We’re doing everything we can to connect property owners with payment options and support services to help them avoid the lien sale and stay in their homes. If you or someone you know is at risk, now is the time to reach out.”

 

DOF officials said property owners can avoid the lien sale by paying what they owe, enrolling in a payment plan, submitting an “Easy Exit” application, applying for a property tax exemption, or submitting a probate application. For more information about how to remove a property from the lien sale and to access resources, visit www.nyc.gov/liensale.

 

DOF officials said that to ensure that at-risk property owners are aware of their options and have access to support services, they, along with their partners, are intensifying a citywide outreach campaign in the lead-up to the extended lien sale deadline.

 

In collaboration with a coalition of City agencies and nonprofit partners, which they said includes NYC Department of Housing, Preservation and Development (HPD), NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit, and the Center for New York City Neighborhoods, DOF said the agency has significantly expanded direct engagement efforts in neighborhoods with high concentrations of “vulnerable homeowners.”

 

They said such outreach efforts have included hosting dozens of public events, conducting door-to-door canvassing, and reaching thousands of property owners and tenants through targeted mailings, phone calls, text messages, and emails.

 

DOF officials said that the expanded outreach is part of a broader effort by the Adams administration and City Council to reform the City’s property tax enforcement system. They said that in 2024, the passage of the Home Preservation and Debt Resolution Reform Act modernized the City’s lien sale process, introducing innovative solutions such as the Easy Exit Program, expanded eligibility for affordable payment plans, and stronger tenant protections.

 

They said these reforms aim to keep New Yorkers in their homes while offering more flexible and equitable pathways to resolve property debt. More information can be found at www.nyc.gov/liensale.

 

For some previous coverage on this topic, click here, here and here.