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

Noise is one of the most enforced operational standards for short-term rentals in unincorporated eastern Placer County. Under Article 9.42, all STR guests must comply with the standards of Placer County Code Article 9.36 (Noise) and the community noise equivalent levels (CNEL) of the Tahoe Basin Area Plan. The STR ordinance adds specific quiet hours from 9:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time, during which amplified sound is prohibited and noise must not exceed the applicable limits. The daytime and nighttime noise limits must be posted inside the vacation rental in a location readily visible to all guests. (An earlier version of the rules referenced quiet hours of 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.; the current county program and ordinance language uses 9 p.m. to 8 a.m.) Noise complaints are a primary enforcement trigger: the ordinance requires a local contact person who is available by phone 24 hours a day and able to be physically present at the rental within 60 minutes. For specified operational-standards violations, the code official first attempts to notify the local contact and requires the problem to be cured within one hour. Persistent noise violations can lead to escalating penalties, permit suspension, or revocation.