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

Excessive noise from vacation rentals is one of the main complaints driving Madera County's draft Short-Term Vacation Rental Ordinance. County materials and reporting on the Planning Commission hearings state that the ordinance 'outlines expectations related to quiet hours and acceptable noise levels,' aimed at protecting the quality of life for permanent residents in communities like Bass Lake, Oakhurst, North Fork and Yosemite Lakes. As drafted, operators would be responsible for ensuring guests observe quiet hours and noise limits, typically backed by the requirement to provide a local contact who can respond to complaints. However, Madera County had not published the specific quiet-hour times (for example, a nighttime-to-morning window) or any decibel thresholds while the ordinance remained in draft. Because the Board of Supervisors had not adopted the ordinance as of mid-2026, the STVR-specific noise standards are not yet enforceable; the County's general noise and nuisance provisions remain the operative rules in the interim. Operators should expect defined quiet hours once the ordinance is finalized and should confirm the adopted times with the Planning Division. We do not state specific hours or decibel levels here because none have been published in an adopted ordinance.