Melrose Opens Review Period For Preliminary Property Assessments

Property owners have until Friday to review proposed assessments.

By Benjamin Pierce, Patch Staff

Oct 20, 2026 10:28 AM EDT

Residents can review the proposed values through the Assessors’ website, at the Assessors’ Office on the first floor of City Hall at 562 Main St., or through listings available at the library and Milano Senior Center. (Dakota Antelman/Patch)

MELROSE, MA — Property owners are getting an opportunity to review their preliminary assessments after the city completed a state-required revaluation.

The Melrose Board of Assessors has received preliminary certification from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue for its fiscal year 2027 property values. The assessments represent full and fair market values as of Jan. 1, 2026. Residents can review the proposed values during a public disclosure period that began Monday, Oct. 19 and continues through Friday, Oct. 23.

According to the city, apartments saw the largest overall proposed increase at 12.5 percent, followed by industrial properties at 8.8 percent and three-family homes at 8.3 percent. Single-family home values increased 5.8 percent overall, while two-family homes increased 3.8 percent, residential condominiums increased 3.6 percent, and commercial properties increased 3.2 percent.

The city emphasized that those percentages reflect overall market trends by property type and do not necessarily represent the change in an individual assessment. Property characteristics, location, and market activity can affect individual values differently.

The city also published a 163-page listing organized by street that includes property owners, parcel numbers, acreage, and total assessed values. Proposed condominium assessments at 340 Main St., for example, include $175,300 for Unit 307, $326,200 for Unit 305, and $380,800 for Unit 701. The document does not include prior-year assessments for comparison.

Massachusetts requires communities to assess property at full and fair cash value each year, while the Department of Revenue reviews municipal assessing practices every five years. An assessment increase does not necessarily result in the same percentage increase in a property tax bill, which also depends on the tax rate and the amount the community raises through property taxes.

Residents can review the proposed values through the Assessors' website, at the Assessors' Office on the first floor of City Hall at 562 Main St., or through listings available at the library and Milano Senior Center. The city is encouraging owners with questions or who believe their valuation needs adjustment to contact the office during the disclosure period.

The Assessors' Office can be reached at 781-979-4104 and is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The disclosure period is separate from the formal tax abatement process. According to the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office, abatement applications generally must be filed by the due date of the first actual tax bill for the fiscal year. Property owners can contact their local assessors for the appropriate paperwork and filing deadline.