diff --git a/docs/pages/release_notes.md b/docs/pages/release_notes.md
index abb4e1f769..0dd0acd3f9 100644
--- a/docs/pages/release_notes.md
+++ b/docs/pages/release_notes.md
@@ -227,6 +227,15 @@ The following previously deprecated rules have been finally removed:
     * `findByExtension(String)` - removed without replacement.
   * {%jdoc !!core::lang.LanguageVersionDiscoverer %} - method `getLanguagesForFile(java.io.File)` removed.
     Use {%jdoc core::lang.LanguageVersionDiscoverer#getLanguagesForFile(java.lang.String) %} instead.
+  * {%jdoc !!core::properties.AbstractPropertySource %}
+    * field `propertyDescriptors` has been made private and is not accessible anymore.
+      Use {%jdoc core::properties.AbstractPropertySource#getPropertyDescriptors() %} instead.
+    * field `propertyValuesByDescriptor` has been made private and is not accessible anymore.
+      Use {%jdoc core::properties.AbstractPropertySource#getPropertiesByPropertyDescriptor() %}
+      or {%jdoc core::properties.AbstractPropertySource#getOverriddenPropertiesByPropertyDescriptor() %} instead.
+    * method `copyPropertyDescriptors()` has been removed. Use {%jdoc core::properties.AbstractPropertySource#getPropertyDescriptors() %} instead.
+    * method `copyPropertyValues()` has been removed. Use {%jdoc core::properties.AbstractPropertySource#getPropertiesByPropertyDescriptor() %}
+      or {%jdoc core::properties.AbstractPropertySource#getOverriddenPropertiesByPropertyDescriptor() %} instead.
 * pmd-apex
   * {%jdoc apex::lang.apex.ast.ApexNode %} and {% jdoc apex::lang.apex.ast.ASTApexFile %}
     * `#getApexVersion()`: In PMD 6, this method has been deprecated but was defined in the class `ApexRootNode`.
diff --git a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/properties/AbstractPropertySource.java b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/properties/AbstractPropertySource.java
index d58e2ada22..3ecbfb7070 100644
--- a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/properties/AbstractPropertySource.java
+++ b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/properties/AbstractPropertySource.java
@@ -26,15 +26,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractPropertySource implements PropertySource {
     // This would avoid duplicating the implementation between Rule and RuleReference,
     // which should use exactly the same mechanism to override properties (XML).
 
-    // TODO 7.0.0 these fields should be made private final
-
     /**
      * The list of known properties that can be configured.
-     *
-     * @deprecated Will be made private final
      */
-    @Deprecated
-    protected List<PropertyDescriptor<?>> propertyDescriptors = new ArrayList<>();
+    private final List<PropertyDescriptor<?>> propertyDescriptors = new ArrayList<>();
 
     /**
      * The values for each property that were overridden here.
@@ -42,36 +37,8 @@ public abstract class AbstractPropertySource implements PropertySource {
      * In other words, if this map doesn't contain a descriptor
      * which is in {@link #propertyDescriptors}, then it's assumed
      * to have a default value.
-     *
-     * @deprecated Will be made private final
      */
-    @Deprecated
-    protected Map<PropertyDescriptor<?>, Object> propertyValuesByDescriptor = new HashMap<>();
-
-
-    /**
-     * Creates a copied list of the property descriptors and returns it.
-     *
-     * @return a copy of the property descriptors.
-     * @deprecated Just use {@link #getPropertyDescriptors()}
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    protected List<PropertyDescriptor<?>> copyPropertyDescriptors() {
-        return new ArrayList<>(propertyDescriptors);
-    }
-
-
-    /**
-     * Creates a copied map of the values of the properties and returns it.
-     *
-     * @return a copy of the values
-     *
-     * @deprecated Just use {@link #getPropertiesByPropertyDescriptor()} or {@link #getOverriddenPropertiesByPropertyDescriptor()}
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    protected Map<PropertyDescriptor<?>, Object> copyPropertyValues() {
-        return new HashMap<>(propertyValuesByDescriptor);
-    }
+    private final Map<PropertyDescriptor<?>, Object> propertyValuesByDescriptor = new HashMap<>();
 
 
     @Override