How to appeal your property taxes in Kent County, Delaware
In Kent County, if the value on your notice is too high, you can ask to have it lowered. You don't need a lawyer.
Checked against official sources: Oct 21, 2026
Can I still appeal?
Not open yet — next deadline from Jan 29, 2027
All 2026 deadlines have passed (Kent January 30, New Castle March 14, Sussex March 15). Next deadlines: Kent by 5 p.m. Friday, January 29, 2027 (Kent's FAQ says January 31; the earlier date is the safe one); New Castle before March 15, 2027; Sussex's filing period usually opens in mid-January and closes March 15 (2027 dates were not posted on the Sussex board page when checked).
Kent County homeowners pay a median of $1,363 a year in property tax on a median home value of $316,600. Its effective tax rate (property taxes paid as a share of home values, per the Tax Foundation) is 0.43%, the 2nd highest of 3 Delaware counties. The Kent County Department of Finance, Assessment Division values every home in Kent County at its market value as of the last countywide reassessment (finished for 2025 tax bills). Appeals go to the Kent County Board of Assessment Review.
Each county has its own fixed yearly deadline, and the filing must be received, not just postmarked. New Castle County: file before March 15 (in 2026 the county set the deadline as March 14, 2026). Kent County: the appeal must reach the Assessment Office by 5:00 p.m. on the last working day of January (January 30, 2026; next is Friday, January 29, 2027). Kent's FAQ and credits page say January 31, so use the earlier date; the deadline can change in reassessment years. Sussex County: the 2026 filing period ran January 12 to 4:30 p.m. on March 15, 2026; postmarks were not accepted. An appeal filed in a given year affects the tax bill for the tax year that starts that summer (June 1 in Kent). In Kent, if the county raises your value mid-year with a supplemental (quarterly) assessment, you have 30 days from that notice to appeal.
Where to file in Kent County
Kent County Department of Finance, Assessment Division
Phone: 302-744-2401
Email: Assessment@kentcountyde.gov
Address: 555 Bay Road, Dover, DE 19901
Assessment Supervisor: Cheryl Bundek
Official website: kentcountyde.gov
This office keeps your property record, sets your assessed value, takes appeal forms and can fix errors in your home's details.
Kent County Board of Assessment Review
Official website: kentcountyde.gov
Hears appeals of the value. Check its filing window and rules.
How to appeal in Kent County, step by step
Read your notice
In a reassessment year every owner gets a notice of the new value. In other years there is no annual notice: the county publishes a newspaper notice saying where to look up assessments and when to appeal. If the county raises your value outside a general reassessment (for example, after new construction), it must send you written notice at least 10 days before the change.
Check your property record
Look up your home on the Kent County Department of Finance, Assessment Division website and check square footage, bathrooms, condition and features. Mistakes are the easiest wins. Use our record card checklist.
File by the deadline
File the county's written appeal form, one per parcel, with all your evidence, so it is received by Kent County's yearly deadline (postmarks are not accepted in Kent or Sussex). In Kent and Sussex an assessor may try to settle it first; otherwise the appeal goes to a hearing.
Gather evidence
What works in Delaware:
- At least 3 arm's-length sales of similar homes near the base date
- An appraisal valuing the home as of the base date
- Your own purchase price and date, if you bought in an open-market sale near the base date
- Photos showing condition problems
- Corrections to the property record
More detail
- At least 3 arm's-length sales of similar homes near the base date (Sussex and Kent: sales from January 1, 2021 to June 30, 2023; New Castle: roughly 2022 to mid-2024)
- An appraisal valuing the home as of the base date. New Castle requires a Delaware-licensed appraiser; in Kent and Sussex the appraiser must attend the hearing to testify
- Your own purchase price and date, if you bought in an open-market sale near the base date
- Photos showing condition problems
- Corrections to the property record (square footage, basement finish, bathrooms, outbuildings)
Go to the hearing
Bring copies of your evidence for each board member. Keep to the value of your home, not the size of the bill.
More detail
You must prove your home's assessment is higher than its fair market value on the county's base date, using evidence filed with your appeal. In Superior Court the Board's decision is presumed correct: you must show the Board acted contrary to law, fraudulently, arbitrarily or capriciously, and your evidence must be sufficient to show a substantial overvaluation (9 Del. C. § 8312(c); the 'substantial overvaluation' test comes from case law, Fitzsimmons v. McCorkle (Del. 1965), quoted in Burroughs v. Kent County Assessment Office (Del. Super. May 15, 2025)).
If you disagree with the decision
Next step: Delaware Superior Court (in your county). Within 30 days (by postmark) after you receive the Board's written decision. File an appeal in the Superior Court for your county. The Board sends the court its hearing record within 20 days, and the court mostly reviews that record, though it may allow new evidence. The court can affirm, reverse, change or send back the decision; its decision is final. Court filing fees apply; check with the Superior Court Prothonotary.
How much could you save?
Enter the market value on your assessment notice and what you think the home would really sell for. We estimate the yearly saving if the board agrees with you.
Some states cap how fast the taxable value of a home can rise (California, Florida, Michigan and Texas homesteads, for example). If your taxable value is already held below market value by a cap, a lower market value may not lower this year's bill.
Free property tax appeal letter
Fill in your details and download a written appeal statement as a PDF. Most boards also require their own appeal form: file the form and attach this letter and your evidence to it.
RobinClaim is a free information site, not a law firm or appraiser. The letter is a template, not legal advice.
Kent County property tax appeal FAQ
What is the deadline to appeal property taxes in Kent County?
Each county has its own fixed yearly deadline, and the filing must be received, not just postmarked. New Castle County: file before March 15 (in 2026 the county set the deadline as March 14, 2026). Kent County: the appeal must reach the Assessment Office by 5:00 p.m. on the last working day of January (January 30, 2026; next is Friday, January 29, 2027). Kent's FAQ and credits page say January 31, so use the earlier date; the deadline can change in reassessment years. Sussex County: the 2026 filing period ran January 12 to 4:30 p.m. on March 15, 2026; postmarks were not accepted. An appeal filed in a given year affects the tax bill for the tax year that starts that summer (June 1 in Kent). In Kent, if the county raises your value mid-year with a supplemental (quarterly) assessment, you have 30 days from that notice to appeal.
Where do I file a property tax appeal in Kent County?
File a written appeal with the Kent County Board of Assessment Review through the Kent County Department of Finance, Assessment Division, by mail, in person or online/email where offered. If you lose, you can appeal to the Delaware Superior Court within 30 days (by postmark) after you receive the decision.
How do I contact the Kent County Department of Finance, Assessment Division?
Phone 302-744-2401. Website: kentcountyde.gov.
Does it cost anything to appeal?
No filing fee appears on the Kent or Sussex forms. New Castle calls the process free (Town Square Delaware, Feb. 2026).
Sources
Contact details change; call or check the office website before you visit.