Short-term-rental guests must obey the City of Durham noise ordinance (Code Chapter 26). Amplified sound may not exceed 50 dB(A) at night (11:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.) or 60 dB(A) during the day, measured at the property line. Unincorporated county homes are covered by nuisance rules. Hosts are responsible for
Durham does not have a separate short-term-rental noise law; guests are bound by the City of Durham noise ordinance in Code Chapter 26, which applies citywide, including to renters and their visitors. The ordinance sets maximum permitted sound levels measured at the boundary of the property from which the sound comes. Nighttime, between 11:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., sound may not exceed 50 dB(A); at other times it may not exceed 60 dB(A). Loud parties, amplified music, and similar disturbances at a rental are enforceable against the occupants and can be pursued against the owner as a recurring nuisance. In the unincorporated county outside city limits, general nuisance and disorderly-conduct provisions apply instead of the city decibel standards.
Durham police and code enforcement respond to noise complaints; violations of Chapter 26 are punishable by civil penalties and citations, and repeat disturbances can be abated as a nuisance. Chronic problem properties can also lose the rental-registration exemption under NCGS
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See how Durham County's noise rules rules stack up against other locations.
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