If you think your residential property is over-assessed for any of the following reasons, then you may appeal to get your assessment reduced:

• Your property's improvement value is assessed higher, per square foot, than other properties in your neighborhood of similar size, style, and construction.
• The Assessor's description of your property (such as the total square feet of living space) is wrong. However, a minor error does not necessarily indicate an incorrect assessment.
• The Assessor's stated market value for your property is higher than the property's actual market value.
• Your property was uninhabitable for all, or part of, the year due to fire, flood, tornado, or other disaster.

Property owners have three venues through which they may appeal their assessments. The first place you may appeal is the Cook County Assessor's Office. If you do not appeal to the County Assessor, or if the reduction granted is too small, you may then appeal to the Cook County Board of Review. Your last chance for assessment reduction is with the Property Tax Appeal Board (PTAB). However, you may not appeal to the PTAB unless you have already appealed to the Board of Review.