Assessment – frequently asked questions

Assessment notices are mailed at the beginning of January each year to the current owner on record. They reflect the market value of a property on July 1 the previous year and the condition of the property as of the following December 31.

Assessments are mailed to the address registered with Alberta Land Titles. Changes to the address on file must be made through there. Update requests can be made by completing the “Change of Address” form found here and mailing it to the address on the form.

Alternatively, you can pick up and drop off the form in person at:

Alberta Government Services Building
Second Floor, 710 4^th Ave. S.W., Calgary, AB

You can find more information about Alberta Land Titles, including their office hours, address, forms, fees and other information, by calling their office at 403-297-6511.

Note: Manufactured homes are not registered with the Government of Alberta Land Titles Office. To update the mailing address, please complete and submit a Manufactured Home Information form when you purchase, sell or move a manufactured home or wish to change your mailing address. Forms are also available from manufactured home park managers.

Properties are assessed differently depending on the property type and the approach to value taken. There are three approaches to value: the direct comparison approach (also known as the sales approach), the cost approach, and the income approach. In all cases, your property assessment reflects the amount it likely would have sold for on July 1 of the year prior to taxation. We commonly refer to this July 1 date as the “valuation date.”

Here is a definition of the three approaches:

Direct comparison approach to value relies upon sales of similar properties in the real estate market. This approach is most commonly used when assessing single residential properties. We analyze sold properties in your neighbourhood that are very similar to yours, specifically looking at the three years of sales leading up to the July 1 valuation date. This process is called mass appraisal. Assessors also factor in your property’s age, location, living area, lot size, additions, renovations, and more.

Cost approach to value adds the cost of land to the cost of construction and subtracts the depreciated value to equal the final assessed value. This approach is often used for particularly unique properties that do not often sell. 

Income approach to value estimates the value of a property based on the income it generates. This approach is generally used for non-residential properties that generate an income, such as retail or office properties.  

You can find more information on residential property assessment and non-residential property assessment on Calgary.ca/assessment. 

The Municipal Government Act is a law governing all municipalities in Alberta. It determines how and when we assess properties and includes laws about collecting information to prepare fair and equitable assessments.

If you did not receive your assessment notice in the mail, and you are not signed up for an eNotice, then the mailing address we have on file may be outdated. Please call Assessment at (403) 268-2888 to confirm the mailing address the assessment notice was sent to. If this address needs updating, then please see the information on this page about updating your mailing address. 

You can access your assessment notice online through Assessment Search by signing up for eNotice. Assessment Search is a secure-access site that offers a wealth of information including sales information, specific details on your property and comparable properties as well as a convenient map function letting you search property values by quadrants, community, and streets.

To access Assessment Search, you will need a City myID account and your property’s access code (see the “How do I get my access code?” section further down this page if you need another copy of it). If you would prefer to have your assessment notice be mailed to you, then please call Assessment and we will send a copy of your assessment notice to the mailing address we have on file. If you are using an agent representative, you will need to authorize them to act on your behalf (found on the Property Account page within Assessment Search).

Assessment notices are mailed separately from tax bills to provide owners with an opportunity to ensure their assessment is reasonable before tax bills are mailed. Owners are encouraged to review their assessment and make any inquiries during the Customer Review Period.

An increase in your property assessment does not mean your taxes will automatically go up by the same amount. Conversely, a decrease in your property assessment does not mean your taxes will automatically go down. Assessment is simply a distribution mechanism. Your assessment indicates the estimated value of your property. The property tax rate, which is based on budget requirements, is what determines how much your taxes will be. The tax rate is set by City Council each year. See related question: My assessment went down, so my taxes should also go down?

Assessment notices are mailed at the beginning of January each year to the current owner on record. They reflect the market value of a property on July 1 the previous year and the condition of the property as of the following December 31.

The City of Calgary only taxes and communicates directly with the property owner. However, based on your lease agreement with your landlord, a portion of taxes may be passed on to you. It’s important you’re aware of the details of your agreement for you can plan for impacts due to an increased assessment or tax rate.

By speaking to your landlord, they may share the assessment notice they received and the impacts you’ll see with you. If they are disputing their assessed value they may also inform you of the process and impacts.

As a tenant you can also find the assessed value of the property you rent or any other Calgary property online using Assessment Search.

Once you have the assessed value you can use the tax calculator​ to estimate what portion of tax is allocated to the property and based on your leaseholder agreement and discussions with your landlord determine the amount that may be passed on to you.

Properties are assessed using mass appraisal. This means that when we determine a residential property assessment through the sales approach to value, we have reviewed many sales of similar properties in the area as of July 1 the previous year. Using multiple sales to determine an estimate of market value – instead of using one sale to indicate market value – means that owners can see a difference in their sale price and their assessed value.

Though you and your neighbour’s properties are in the same area, there are many factors considered when assessing a property. Assessors factor in the property’s age, location, living area, lot size, additions and/or renovations and more when preparing the assessment. Your property may be physically different than your neighbour’s property.

We encourage you to review and compare your property details to your neighbour’s property details on Assessment Search. This is a secure-access site which requires owners to register for a City myID account. Step-by-step instructions on how to set up your myID account, check your property details and review sales is available on About Assessment Search.

We encourage you to contact Assessment to review your assessment in comparison to your neighbour’s assessment. We work to ensure that all assessments are fair and equitable while respecting everyone’s privacy. We will only be able to discuss details of your neighbour’s assessment that are publicly available.

If we are notified of completed renovations that are not reflected in our system, then we will investigate. For privacy reasons, we are not able to update you on whether or not the renovation was added to their account. You will be able to check the property details online next year to see if the renovation was added. The property detail reports are made available annually through Secure Login on Assessment Search.

Please note, our review and any potential changes to your neighbour’s property will not change your assessment.

Annexation orders require your property to be assessed and taxed by The City of Calgary using the conditions attached to that specific order. When an annexation order ends, your property assessment will then reflect Calgary’s market conditions and tax rates. You can find more information about annexation property assessment here. For more information on your specific annexation order and property, please call Assessment at 403-268-2888.  

If you think something is incorrect, please contact Assessment and we will discuss your property. We may request permission for a property inspection or ask you to send us pictures. Any confirmed inconsistencies that are discovered will be corrected. If we determine that an amended notice is needed, then we’ll provide you with a new value. 

If you have any questions or comments about your assessment value, please contact Assessment. One of our assessors will answer your questions and listen to your concerns to identify possible solutions. If we are not able to come to a consensus about the assessment of your property, there is a mechanism in place to help resolve the issue. You may file a complaint with the Assessment Review Board (ARB). The ARB is an impartial tribunal that hears and resolves assessment complaints by property owners. A complaint may be filed no later than the final date noted on the front of the assessment notice.

Assessment Search is a secure-access site where you can check your property detail, review sales and so much more. It can be accessed once you have a City myID account. If is worth accessing as you will be able to do the following:

• Sign-up for an eNotice as a convenient way to receive your assessment notice from anywhere in the world. It also helps The City reduce its environment footprint.
• Conveniently review your property details. If you find property details discrepancies, you can contact Assessment so we can adjust accordingly.
• Search for comparable properties and sales in your area.
• Review real estate market trends for your property type.
• Authorize an agent representative to act on your behalf. This is found on the Property Account page in Assessment Search.

Step-by-step instructions on how to set up your myID account, check your property details and review sales is available in the Assessment Search How-to guide for property owners.

Your access code is located on the top-right corner of your assessment notice. If you do not have your assessment notice, you can request a copy of your access code to be emailed to you by completing this online form. If you would like your access to be mailed to you, please call Assessment and we will send a copy of your access code to the mailing address we have on file.

Your property assessment reflects the amount it likely would have sold for on July 1 of the year prior to taxation. We commonly refer to this July 1 date as the valuation date. To ensure that your assessment is fair and equitable as of the valuation date, we encourage you check your property details for accuracy and review comparable sales in your area. For more information on how to do this, please visit About Assessment Search.

We encourage you to contact Assessment to discuss if your assessment is fair and equitable.

The City of Calgary issues annual property assessment notices for the purpose of tax distribution and offers a Customer Review Period (CRP) to help property owners review their property assessment. During this period, property owners are encouraged to review their property value and contact The City with any questions or comments they have. City assessors will work collaboratively with owners to explain the process and discuss real estate data used in determining their property’s value. The Customer Review Period dates are outlined on your assessment notice. 

Assessment reviews and updates information on an ongoing basis. This review allows us the chance to confirm that your property details are correct. Accurate and up-to-date data ensures that homes are assessed fairly. As directed in Section 294(1) of the Municipal Government Act – which is the law governing all Alberta municipalities – we are legislated to enter and inspect a property after giving reasonable notice to the owner of the property.

We understand that you may have questions about this request. We encourage you to contact Assessment to discuss the inspection request with your assessor so that they can address any questions or comments you may have.

The information collected is essential for determining fair and equitable market value assessments. Assessment requests for information are made in accordance with the MGA including section 295(1). Failure to respond to an Assessment Request for Information (ARFI) may impact your ability to file a complaint on your assessed value.

We encourage you to provide the requested information so that we can prepare fair and equitable assessments. You can find more information about these requests here.

Learn more about assessment, tax and City finances​

We encourage you to contact Assessment to answer your questions year-round. If you would like to file a complaint after speaking to us, then complaints must be filed through the Assessment Review Board (ARB) during Customer Review Period. The ARB is a separate entity than Assessment. Complaints can be filed online at calgaryARB.ca. You can also file a paper complaint (for more information on this process, you can call the Assessment Review Board. Their contact information is located here.) You will need to prepare and submit evidence and will then have a hearing. We encourage you to go to calgaryARB.ca for more information. 

Once you have filed a complaint, your hearing date will be provided to you by the Assessment Review Board (ARB). You can additional information on the ARB process at their website CalgaryARB.ca.

Assessment receives new market information every year, which is then used to prepare the annual property assessment. This means that the decision the Assessment Review Board made in a previous year was based on older market information. While some of this information may still be used, some of the information may have also been phased out as new market research is analyzed. We encourage you to contact Assessment if you would like to talk to your assessor about your current property assessment. 

Although the final date to file a complaint on your assessment has passed, there are still opportunities for you to review your property details online and understand how we arrived at the valuation. We have helpful tools and resources online. We encourage you to review your property details and check and compare your property characteristics with other properties for equity. You can review your property value for fairness and equity on Assessment Search.