Queens County tax sale
Short answer: the Queens County tax sale is where parcels still unpaid at the end of New York's collection process are sold. As part of New York City, Queens County follows the city's tax lien sale, so a buyer takes the debt, not the building. The date, the sale list and the terms are set in the official notice published before each sale, and the New York City Department of Finance keeps the delinquent roll behind it. The list shrinks right up to sale day as owners pay, and every owner on it was in the public record as delinquent before it was printed.
What a bid buys
Tax lien
New York City lien sale.
Tax office
NYC Department of Finance
Keeps the Queens County delinquent roll.
County size
2nd of 62
By population among New York counties, about 2,400,000 residents.
How a Queens tax sale runs
Queens County is one of New York City's five boroughs, so its tax enforcement follows the city's lien sale rather than the county deed auctions used across most of upstate New York. A lien buyer takes the debt, not the building, and the owner keeps title while the lien is outstanding.
That makes the sale a yield trade. The lien earns the rate and charges set by the city, and it only turns into a path to ownership when the owner never pays.
Queens County tax sale at a glance
| Who keeps the roll | Property tax in Queens County is administered by the New York City Department of Finance, which runs the city's tax lien sale for all five boroughs. |
|---|---|
| What a winning bid buys | A tax lien. Queens County falls under New York City's lien sale, so the owner keeps title while the lien is outstanding. |
| New York sale pattern | New York City sells tax liens; most upstate counties foreclose and auction deeds. |
| Where the date comes from | The official sale notice, published before each sale by the office conducting it. Dates are set locally and change, so this page does not print one. |
| Where the list comes from | The same notice, usually with a downloadable list of parcels and amounts due that shrinks as owners pay before sale day. |
The sale list and the delinquent roll
They are two snapshots of the same record. The delinquent roll is everyone behind on Queens property tax, kept year round. The sale list is the part of that roll still unpaid when the county advertises the sale, and it keeps shrinking until the auction as owners pay to keep their property.
That shrinking is the useful part. Every parcel that drops off is an owner who found the money under deadline; every parcel still listed a week out belongs to an owner who has not. Buyers who only read the final list meet those owners last, in a room full of other bidders. The full roll, and where the county publishes it, is on the Queens County delinquent tax list page.
Before you bid in Queens
What to settle before sale day for a tax lien sale.
Read the terms of sale
The notice sets the deposit, how and when the balance is due, the bidding method and whether bidding is online or in person. Missing a payment deadline can cost you the deposit.
Check the parcel, not the number
A sale list is parcel numbers and amounts owed. Map every parcel: lists routinely include slivers, landlocked lots and land you cannot build on, listed exactly like houses.
Price the redemption
Most liens are paid off, so your return is the interest or penalty, not the property. Plan for the money to sit for the whole redemption period, and know the cost of foreclosing if it does not.
Know the road to a deed
If the owner never pays, ownership is not automatic. The holder applies for a deed or forecloses, with notice duties and costs of their own, after the redemption period ends.
Drive it
Online photos can be years old. Seeing the street, the roof and whether anyone lives there tells you more than any record on the list near Queens.
A big-county sale
With about 2,400,000 residents, Queens produces a long sale list and draws the most bidders, including funds and repeat buyers who bid on volume. The obvious parcels go at thin margins; the edge is research on the ones others skip, or reaching owners before the list is published.
Or buy before the sale
Months before a parcel reaches the Queens sale list, the owner is already behind in the public record and still holds title. That is the window to inspect, run title and agree a price one to one. LowBaller ranks those owners around Queens by how much pressure they are under and how much equity they hold, with a suggested opening offer on each. Below are representative profiles from the ranking model; the live list is one free scan away.
- #1About 3 years of unpaid property taxes. The bill keeps growing, which often pushes owners to sell sooner.$279K start bid · ~44% under market
- #2About 2 years of unpaid property taxes. The bill keeps growing, which often pushes owners to sell sooner.$309K start bid · ~39% under market
- #3About 2 years of unpaid property taxes. The bill keeps growing, which often pushes owners to sell sooner.$312K start bid · ~36% under market
5 more ranked Queens deals behind the scan
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Queens County among New York counties
Queens County is the 2nd most populous of the 62 New York counties, home to about 2,400,000 people, roughly 12% of the state. The largest is Kings County.
| Rank | County | Seat | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kings County tax sale | Brooklyn | 2,640,000 |
| 2 | Queens County (this page) | Queens | 2,400,000 |
| 3 | New York County tax sale | New York | 1,600,000 |
| 4 | Suffolk County tax sale | Riverhead | 1,520,000 |
| 5 | Bronx County tax sale | Bronx | 1,420,000 |
| 6 | Nassau County tax sale | Mineola | 1,400,000 |
| 7 | Westchester County tax sale | White Plains | 1,000,000 |
| 8 | Erie County tax sale | Buffalo | 954,000 |
Population from US Census estimates, rounded on some entries. Seats are listed only where we have verified them.
Queens County tax sale FAQ
When is the Queens County tax sale in 2026?
The date is set locally and announced in the official sale notice ahead of the sale; the New York City Department of Finance is the place to start. The New York pattern is the steadier guide. New York City sells tax liens; most upstate counties foreclose and auction deeds. Confirm the date close to it.
Where can I get the Queens County tax sale list?
Start with the New York City Department of Finance, which keeps the delinquent roll. The sale list comes with the sale notice, often as a PDF or spreadsheet of parcels and amounts due, and shrinks as owners pay. It does not show owner contact, values or which owners might sell first.
Does Queens sell tax liens or tax deeds?
Liens. Queens County is part of New York City, which sells tax liens rather than holding the county deed auctions common upstate. A lien buyer pays the debt and earns the city's rate and charges, while the owner keeps title and can still pay off the lien.
How do I bid at the Queens County tax sale?
Register before the deadline in the sale notice, which also sets the deposit, accepted payment and whether bidding is online or in person. In a lien sale, bidders usually compete on the interest rate or a premium rather than on price. Read the full terms before sale day.
Can the owner get the property back after the Queens tax sale?
Yes, during the redemption period. In a lien sale the owner never loses title: paying the taxes plus interest or penalty clears the lien, and the buyer collects the return. New York City sells tax liens; most upstate counties foreclose and auction deeds.
Is it better to buy before the Queens tax sale?
Often. Before the sale the owner still holds title, so you can inspect, run title and negotiate one to one instead of bidding against the room, and you buy a property rather than a lien that will probably be paid off. The catch is that a direct purchase needs the owner to agree, and many will not.
What happens to Queens parcels that do not sell?
That is set by New York law and stated in the notice. Unsold parcels are commonly held by the county or the state, offered again at a later sale or sold over the counter. Ask the New York City Department of Finance how it handles them, because those parcels draw far less competition.
More on Queens County
Tax sales near Queens County
Keep going
Everyone at the Queens sale sees the same list.
Reach the owners before it is printed, while a private sale still solves their problem. Scan free and see who is under pressure around Queens today.
Scan Queens freeInformational summary, not legal or investment advice. Sale formats, rates and redemption periods are summarized at the New York state level and can be changed by statute or applied differently in Queens County. The official sale notice controls every date, deposit and bidding rule. Verify before you bid.