Bakersfield, CA Short-Term Rentals: Noise Rules (2026)

Section 17.74.050 sets the STR chapter's baseline operating rules, and two subsections target noise directly. Subsection E imposes a hard curfew on the loudest amenities: "Use of all outdoor pools, spas and hot tubs shall be prohibited between the hours of ten p.m. and seven a.m." Subsection F folds in the rest of the municipal code's noise framework by requiring that "all activities shall comply with all provisions of the Bakersfield Municipal Code, including but not limited to Chapters 9.22 (Noise), 9.23 (Loud or Unruly Events), 8.29 (Litter Control), and 8.32 (Solid Waste/Recyclable Materials/Organic Waste)", meaning an STR party that violates the general noise ordinance or the loud-and-unruly-events chapter is simultaneously in violation of the STR chapter.

Operators carry an affirmative duty to communicate the rules before a stay: § 17.74.060(A) requires the operator to provide "noise regulations" information to prospective guests before occupancy, while § 17.74.050(C) separately requires a posted in-unit notice covering occupancy limits and emergency contacts. Because § 17.74.050(F) cross-references Chapters 9.22 and 9.23 rather than restating them, a noise complaint at an STR can be cited under either the STR chapter or the underlying noise/loud-events chapters, and both routes count toward the two citations in a twelve-month period that block permit renewal under § 17.74.040(D).