New Rochelle, NY Noise from Specific Sources: HVAC & Mechanical Noise (2026)

" Subsection B carves out a narrow exception: the section doesn't apply "if the sound from the air conditioner or air-handling device produces less than a five-db(A) increase in the sound level that exists in the absence of such sound," a threshold the code notes tracks EPA and Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute recommendations. ) and 55 db(A) at night, so an air conditioner running at its cap during daytime hours is already near the nighttime ceiling for the whole neighborhood. "Continuous sound" is defined in § 213-3 simply as "any sound that is not an impulsive sound," which is how a running compressor or condenser fan gets measured rather than judged as a one-off event.

Enforcement runs through the Police Department under § 213-26, which can order a resident to stop operating a noncompliant unit and, with a judicial order, seal it. Section 213-27 punishes any Chapter 213 offense, including a violation of § 213-13, with a fine of not more than $250 or imprisonment of not more than 15 days, or both, counting each day of continued operation as a separate offense. Anyone facing undue hardship in complying can seek a temporary relief permit from the City Clerk under § 213-24.