How Planning Ahead Can Save You From Ominous Duplex Property Tax Notices
I received an email from the county this week. They wanted to let me property owners know our tax bill was about to arrive, and , the county was going to have a public meeting in order to tell us what they’re spending the money on.
In my head, I heard that ominous dum, dum, dum music they always play in movies and tv shows when something bad is about to happen.
Of course, they may have sent this email or a letter every year and I didn’t pay attention. This year it just landed funny.
If you’re a duplex owner, this is your annual heart-rate spike moment.
Each spring or fall (depending on your county), local assessors send out Estimated Market Value (EMV) notices. This isn’t your bill — it’s their opinion of what your property is worth as of January 2nd of that year.
That new value directly impacts your property taxes for the next cycle. The more a property is worth, the higher the taxes.
Tax bills are especially important to investment property owners. Unlike single-family homeowners, duplex owners are wearing two hats:
- You’re the resident who pays property taxes from your escrow account.
- You’re the landlord whose expenses affect your bottom line.
When taxes jump, your cash flow shrinks — and if you’ve got tenants on fixed leases, you can’t just hike rent tomorrow to cover the gap.
So yes, those valuation numbers matter. And in the spring, you can challenge them through the county’s valuation appeal meetings. They’re your chance to challenge the county’s assessment if you think your property’s value (and therefore taxes) are inflated. This often involves filing a written appeal with the county before a set deadline. Then when you get a hearing, bring data — recent comparable sales, income info, or repair costs — anything that shows your property might not be worth what they claim.
The county doesn’t always distinguish between an owner-occupied duplex and a fully rented one. So if they’re comparing your 1950s side-by-side to a shiny new fourplex, that valuation may be off.
Use recent duplex sales in your area, not single-family homes, to make your case. If you need help, call. I can help you find comparable sales to dispute the county assessor’s opinion.
If you don’t appeal, then your new value stands — and your next year’s property tax statement will reflect it. You’ll get the actual tax bill later, usually in November, after local budgets are finalized. This is what the ominous-sounding email I received was about.
I missed the window to dispute value, now I can’t avoid whatever the consequences of that may be.
If, like me, you own multiple properties, a few thousand in extra taxes across your portfolio adds up fast. It’s worth paying attention and pushing back if the math doesn’t make sense.
The lesson? Say something before your taxes go up.