Hanover County, VA Short-Term Rentals: Noise Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Posting requirement
- Post the Hanover County Noise Ordinance in rental
- Owner-occupied section
- § 26-300.1(1)(i)(5)
- Non-owner-occupied section
- § 26-300.1(2)(h)(5)
- Party ban
- No commercial parties or weddings, § 26-300.1(1)(e)
- Penalty for non-posting
- $200 first ticket, $500 each additional
Summary
Hanover County doesn't set a separate STR-specific decibel limit; instead, Zoning Ordinance § 26-300.1(1)(i)(5) requires every short-term rental to conspicuously post the Hanover County Noise Ordinance inside the property so guests see the county's general noise rules, outside the Town of Ashland.
(i)Posting of information required. The property owner must conspicuously post the following information in any property offered for short-term rental: ... (5)The Hanover County Noise Ordinance.
Full Breakdown
Short-term rental noise in Hanover County is policed through the county's general Noise chapter (chapter 16), not a rule written specifically for rentals. 1(1)(i), the property owner must conspicuously post several pieces of information inside any rental, and the fifth required item is 'The Hanover County Noise Ordinance' itself, so guests staying in the property are put on notice of the county's noise limits before a party or gathering becomes a problem. 1(2)(h)(5). 1(1)(c), and emergency shut-off instructions for gas, electricity, and water. 1(1)(e) separately bars renting the property out for commercial use such as parties, banquets, weddings, receptions, meetings, filming, or advertising activities not customarily incidental to a one-family dwelling, which limits the kind of large, noise-generating events a short-term rental host can book in the first place.
Violations & Fines
Failing to post the required noise-ordinance notice, like any other posting or use violation under § 26-300.1, is enforced under §§ 26-347 and 26-348 as a Zoning Ordinance violation: a $200 civil penalty for the first ticket and $500 for each additional ticket arising from the same violation, capped at $5,000 before the county can pursue a criminal misdemeanor under § 26-349. Actual noise complaints are separately enforceable under chapter 16, the county's Noise ordinance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Hanover County have a special noise limit for short-term rentals?
Can I book a short-term rental in Hanover County for a party or wedding?
What information must a Hanover County short-term rental post about noise?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hanover County
Compare Hanover County to another location·View the Virginia short-term rentals overview
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