Community Fees

For a typical single-family home purchase in Sun City (effective January 1, 2026):

• One-time at closing (typically buyer):
  • RCSC Preservation & Improvement Fee — $4,000
  • RCSC Capital Improvement Fee — $1,500
  • RCSC Transfer Fee — small admin amount (see RCSC schedule)
  • SCHOA CC&R Property Enforcement Fee — $300 (typically buyer)
  • Approximate buyer total at closing: ~$5,800+
• One-time at closing (typically seller):
  • SCHOA Inspection/Document Fee — $300 (typically seller)
• Ongoing annual costs:
  • RCSC Annual Property Assessment — $650/year/property (post-2003 purchases)
  • SCHOA Membership (optional) — $25/year voluntary
  • Property tax — ~0.5% of assessed value (Maricopa County)
  • Sub-HOA dues, if applicable — $40-$200+/month on certain properties

Note: All amounts negotiable in the purchase contract. Buyer/seller responsibility for closing fees can be split, swapped, or fully absorbed by either side depending on market conditions and the specific deal. We help our clients negotiate these line items every transaction.

$650/year/property (as of January 1, 2025). Mandatory — every Sun City property pays this regardless of whether the owners use the amenities. Paid annually in January to RCSC.

Covers access to: all 7 rec centers · all 8 RCSC golf courses (at member rates) · 130+ chartered clubs · the Sun Bowl outdoor amphitheater · most community activities.

Note: Properties purchased before February 1, 2003 and held continuously by the original owners are grandfathered onto a per-person basis rather than per-property. If a pre-2003 property has changed hands since, it converts to the flat $650/property fee.

When a Sun City home transfers ownership, three separate RCSC fees are due at closing:

• Preservation & Improvement Fee — $4,000/occurrence. Funds long-term capital improvements at the rec centers and golf courses.
• Capital Improvement Fee — $1,500/occurrence. Separate fund specifically for new capital projects.
• Transfer Fee — small administrative fee (see current RCSC fee schedule).

Total typically runs ~$5,500+. Typically buyer-paid but the buyer-seller split is negotiable. In soft markets sellers often cover some or all of these as a concession.

Estate planning tip: Properly recorded Beneficiary Deeds can transfer ownership without triggering these fees, and Trusts where the Grantors retain majority ownership also avoid them. Worth discussing with an estate attorney if Sun City is part of your long-term plan.

SCHOA enforces the CC&Rs (deed restrictions) for single-family homes in Sun City — including the 55+ age requirement, paint colors, fences, RV/boat parking, and so on. Note: SCHOA does not handle condos, Gemini twin homes, or duplexes — those go to the Sun City Condominium Owners Association (separate body, see below).

Annual membership: $25/year — VOLUNTARY. About 60% of single-family homeowners pay this to become voting members. Joining gives you voting rights, newsletter access, and SCHOA advocacy on community matters. It does not exempt you from the CC&Rs — those run with the deed whether you join or not.

NEW: SCHOA closing fees (effective January 1, 2026):

• Inspection/Document Fee — $300 (typically paid by seller, negotiable). Covers SCHOA's administrative cost of gathering documents, researching the lot, and disclosing any CC&R violations on record. Previously called the "Enforcement Fee."
• CC&R Property Enforcement Fee — $300 (typically paid by buyer, negotiable). Funds SCHOA's enforcement obligations under the CC&Rs.

Total SCHOA fees at closing: $600, typically split between buyer and seller. These are separate from RCSC fees. Note: Arizona law (ARS 33-1806) caps HOA disclosure fees at $400 aggregate per association — SCHOA splits this into two $300 line items totaling $600, which is a structure being adopted by many AZ HOAs in 2026.

SCHOA contact:
10401 W Coggins Drive, Sun City, AZ 85351
Phone: (623) 974-4718 · Compliance: (623) 242-6986
Web: suncityhoa.org

If you're buying anything other than a standalone single-family home, you'll deal with a second governing body in addition to RCSC:

• Sun City Condominium Owners Association (SCCOA) — handles condos, Gemini twin homes, and duplexes. 11132 W California Ave, Youngtown, AZ 85363. Phone: (623) 974-9035. Web: azsccoa.org
• Subdivision sub-HOAs — many specific condo complexes, twin homes, and patio-home developments have their own sub-HOA on top of RCSC and SCCOA.

Sub-HOA dues range from $40 to $200+/month depending on what's covered: exterior paint, landscaping, roof maintenance, exterior insurance, common-area utilities, gates/security. Some closing fees at the sub-HOA level can add another $300-$5,500+ on top of the $5,500 RCSC fees. Always confirm sub-HOA status and fee schedule when reviewing a specific listing — these often get missed in initial budget estimates.

Sun City sits in unincorporated Maricopa County, so property tax rates are among the lowest in the Phoenix area — roughly 0.5% of assessed value. A $300K home pays about $1,500/year in property tax. The Dysart Unified School District covers the area, but since most Sun City residents are 55+ without school-age children, the school portion rarely affects daily life.

Arizona has no state estate tax and no tax on Social Security income, which is a major reason retirees from California and the Midwest pick Sun City.

RCSC — Recreation Centers of Sun City (mandatory body, owns the amenities)
10626 W Thunderbird Blvd, Sun City, AZ 85351
Phone: (623) 561-4600 · Hours: Mon-Fri, 8:30am-4pm
Web: suncityaz.org · Fee page: RCSC fee schedule

SCHOA — Sun City Home Owners Association (voluntary, single-family CC&R enforcement)
10401 W Coggins Drive, Sun City, AZ 85351
Phone: (623) 974-4718 · Compliance: (623) 242-6986
Web: suncityhoa.org

SCCOA — Sun City Condominium Owners Association (separate body for condos/twin homes)
11132 W California Ave, Youngtown, AZ 85363
Phone: (623) 974-9035
Web: azsccoa.org

Fee amounts on this page are current as of January 1, 2026 and are sourced from RCSC, SCHOA, and SCCOA published fee schedules. Fees update annually — always verify with the relevant governing body before signing anything. SCHOA in particular announced new closing fees effective January 1, 2026.