Does The Villages Have an HOA? What the Amenities Fee Covers in 2026

No, The Villages, Florida does not have a traditional homeowners association, so there are no HOA dues and no elected HOA board telling you how to live. Instead, every home in the community carries a contractual monthly amenities fee, about $204 a month for new buyers in 2026, that runs with the deed and funds the lifestyle: more than 100 recreation centers, pools, fitness, sports courts, trails, Community Watch, and walking access to the executive golf courses. As your Bilingual Villages Realtor and a Broker Associate with Soundings LLC (Florida license BK3090328), I have helped more than 450 families buy and sell in The Villages and across Marion, Sumter, and Lake counties over 20-plus years, and once buyers see what that single fee replaces, it is almost always the part of the budget they warm to fastest.

In this guide I will walk you through exactly what the amenities fee covers, what it does not cover, how the no-HOA structure actually works, and what your true monthly number looks like before you fall in love with a house. If you would rather talk it through with a person, my phone and my calendar are at the bottom of this page, and I love this topic, so bring your questions.

The Honest Answer First: No HOA, One Fee That Runs With the Deed

The question I hear most from out-of-state buyers, especially people coming from neighborhoods governed by strict homeowners associations, is whether The Villages has an HOA. The answer is simple: it does not. The Villages is a deed-restricted community, but the restrictions work differently from the HOA model. There is no HOA board, no HOA dues, and no monthly assessment check signed over to a neighborhood association. What exists instead is a single contractual amenities fee, recorded in the deed restrictions of every homesite and created when the developer first sold the home. Because the obligation is attached to the land, it transfers to each new owner at closing, and the seller settles any unpaid balance up to the day title changes hands.

That payment is what buys the recreation amenity bundle. It is billed monthly on your utility statement, and it funds the Recreation Department that runs the community's amenity network: neighborhood and family pools, fitness equipment, sports courts, meeting rooms, parks, trails, and the recreational programs behind thousands of resident-run clubs. For most residents this single line item replaces the country club dues, gym memberships, and community center fees they would pay separately anywhere else, which is exactly why the numbers tend to work out better than they expect.

What Exactly Does the Amenities Fee Cover?

Let me give you the practical list, the way I explain it to buyers on a tour. Your amenities fee covers:

• Recreation centers. The community runs more than 100 recreation centers, from large regional complexes with pools and fitness rooms to neighborhood centers with courts and meeting space.
• Pools. Neighborhood pools and family pools across the community, many in resort-style settings.
• Fitness, sports, and games. Fitness equipment, pickleball, tennis, bocce, shuffleboard, and the meeting rooms where clubs gather.
• Executive golf when you walk. The 38 executive 9-hole courses are included with the amenities fee, and greens fees are free when you walk. Using a golf cart on the executive courses requires a separate trail pass.
• Trails, parks, and lakes. The walking paths, parks, and fishing lakes woven through the community.
• Community Watch and security. The community patrols and gate operations that keep daily life safe and calm.

One correction I like to make early, because older articles get it wrong: the nightly entertainment at the three town squares, Spanish Springs, Lake Sumter Landing, and Brownwood Paddock Square, is free to everyone and is funded separately by The Villages entertainment division, not drawn from your amenities fee. That live music and dancing is one of the community's signature perks, and it costs you nothing extra at the door. I mention it because when people ask "what does the fee pay for," the honest answer is the recreation network; the town squares are the generous bonus on top.

What the Amenities Fee Does Not Cover

Knowing what is not included is just as important as knowing what is, because it is where surprises hide. Your amenities fee does not cover your property taxes, your homeowner's insurance, or your electric, water, sewer, cable, and internet bills, all of which are separate. It does not cover CDD assessments, which I will explain in a moment. And it does not include championship golf or country club memberships: The Villages' 12 championship courses and the country club dining and social clubs are separate and require their own arrangements.

Home maintenance is not included either, which is actually good news in most ways: the community takes care of its own grounds, roads, and common areas, but your home, your lawn in the villages that require it, and your interior are yours. The details vary a little from village to village, and the exact provisions belong in the deed documents for the home you choose, so your agent and closing team should walk you through every line before closing. That is a promise I make to every client, because nobody should discover a fee on a statement they never read about.

Why "Amenities Fee" Instead of HOA Dues? The CDD Structure

The reason The Villages can honestly say there is no HOA is that its infrastructure is managed through Community Development Districts (CDDs), special-purpose local governments created under Florida law. The CDDs build and maintain the roads, streetlights, underground utilities, and the bond debt behind that infrastructure, and they charge their own CDD assessments on top of the amenities fee. Those assessments vary by village and phase, sometimes by a hundred dollars or more a month, which is why two otherwise similar homes can have noticeably different total monthly costs.

In plain English: the amenities fee is your lifestyle bill, and the CDD assessment is your infrastructure bill. Both are separate from property taxes and insurance. When you are comparing homes, always ask for both numbers, and notice whether a listing's advertised fee includes one, the other, or both. This is exactly the kind of detail where a local agent earns their keep, and it is a daily part of my job.

How Much Will I Actually Pay Each Month?

For a new buyer in 2026, plan on about $204 a month for the amenities fee, according to the developer and current 2026 buyer guides. One nuance worth understanding: each home's fee is cohort-based. It adjusts annually with inflation from the date the developer first sold that home, so a resale home purchased years ago can carry a lower fee for its current owner, while you, as the new buyer, pay the rate in force for new purchasers on the day you close. In other words, the fee you will pay is tied to your purchase date, not to how old the house is.

On top of that budget your CDD assessment, which varies by village and phase, plus property taxes and insurance. Florida has no state income tax, which offsets some of the math for buyers coming from high-tax states, and in my experience the combined monthly picture is usually far more affordable than people fear and easier to predict than a traditional HOA's special assessments. Run the real numbers for the villages you like with your agent, and you will close with a monthly line you can count on.

Is the Amenities Fee Worth It? My Honest Take as a Local

My honest take, after more than 20 years and 450-plus homes sold in this market: for the vast majority of residents, yes, it is an exceptional value. Add up a country club membership, a gym, a pool membership, pickleball and tennis court access, fitness classes, and a community watch patrol anywhere else, and you will spend more than $204 a month without ever hitting a town square at sunset. Here, one fee unlocks all of it, and the recreation centers are open every day of the week. The community is home to more than 150,000 residents, which is the scale that lets the developer run this as a world-class amenity system rather than a modest neighborhood pool.

The caveat is the same one I give every family: the fee is worth it only if you use the lifestyle. The couples who love The Villages most are the ones who play golf, join clubs, take classes, and show up at the squares. If you picture yourself mostly at home with the door closed, you can still enjoy a quieter version of the community, but you will be paying for amenities you rarely touch, and it is fair to weigh that honestly before you commit. There is no wrong answer, only an informed one, and I am happy to help you think through it.

The Bottom Line on the HOA Question and the Amenities Fee

The Villages has no traditional HOA, full stop. It runs on a contractual amenities fee of about $204 a month for new buyers in 2026, recorded in the deed and transferred to you at closing, plus separate CDD assessments and the usual taxes, insurance, and utilities. In exchange you get a recreation network of more than 100 centers, pools, fitness, courts, trails, Community Watch, and 38 executive golf courses you can walk for free, with nightly town square entertainment thrown in at no charge. When I put it that way to buyers on tour, the fee stops looking like a bill and starts looking like a very good deal.

If you are comparing villages, salivating over a resale versus new construction, or just trying to get the real monthly number before you visit, that is exactly what I do every day. I am Lili Whittington, Broker Associate with Soundings LLC (Florida license BK3090328), holding the CLHMS, SRES, MRP, ABR, SFR, and CIPS designations and an MBA, and I serve buyers and sellers in both English and Spanish across The Villages and Marion, Sumter, and Lake counties. Call or text me at 954-235-4766, or book a no-pressure consultation and let us run the real numbers together.

FAQ About The Villages Amenities Fee and the HOA Question

Whether you are two years away from retirement or packed and ready to visit, the amenities fee question deserves a straight answer on paper, and I would love to hand you that answer with the village comparison to match. Reach me at 954-235-4766, or book a time on my calendar at calendly.com/liliwhittington, and let us build your real monthly budget for life in The Villages.