Bowling Green, KY Short-Term Rentals: Noise Rules (2026)

Bowling Green regulates STR-related noise through two parallel mechanisms. First, the citywide noise ordinance in the Bowling Green Code of Ordinances Chapter IX (General Offenses), Section 9-3 (Noise), prohibits loud, unnecessary, or unusual noises that disturb or tend to disturb the peace, quiet, comfort, or repose of others within the city. The ordinance is principally enforced through a 'plain audibility / disturbance' standard rather than a detailed decibel meter-and-zone table; police officers respond to complaints and may cite the noise maker, the property occupant, and in appropriate cases the operator. Second, the STR-specific land-use standard in Zoning Ordinance Article 5, Section 5.2.4(C)(4)(c) states that the short-term rental use 'shall not adversely affect the uses permitted in the area and in the immediate neighborhood by excessive traffic generation, noise and light.' This is a land-use compliance condition attached to the Conditional Use Permit; it gives the Board of Zoning Adjustment authority to consider documented noise complaints at CUP review and revoke the CUP if the STR is generating excessive noise. STR operators are expected (under the city's Short Term Rental Guide) to incorporate quiet-hours expectations into their guest house rules even though Chapter 9-3 does not codify a specific nighttime decibel cap. Active disturbances are handled by the Bowling Green Police Department non-emergency dispatch; pattern complaints are routed to the Code Enforcement & Nuisance Board (270-393-3444), which can issue citations and refer revocation recommendations to the Board of Zoning Adjustment. Loud parties, weddings, receptions, and concerts at the STR are independently prohibited by the no-commercial-events clause of ZO 5.2.4(C)(4)(c) and are actionable as CUP violations regardless of decibel measurement.