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Monroe County, FL Short-Term Rentals: Noise Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Weekday quiet hours
10 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Weekend quiet hours
11 p.m. to 9 a.m.
Complaint response deadline
1 hour
Complaint record retention
3 months minimum
Enforcement bodies
Planning Commission, special magistrate

Summary

In unincorporated Monroe County, every permitted vacation rental must silence noise audible off the property by 10 p.m. weekdays and 11 p.m. weekends, staying quiet until 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Section 134-1 of the Land Development Code backs the curfew with manager response duties and permit revocation.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Monroe County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

(4)Occupants shall be prohibited from making excessive or boisterous noise in or about any residential dwelling unit at all times. Noise, that is audible beyond the boundaries of the residential dwelling unit, shall be prohibited between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. weekdays and 11:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. on weekends. ... (11)Complaints to the vacation rental manager concerning violations by occupants of vacation rental units to this section shall be responded to within one hour. The neighbor who made the complaint shall be contacted by telephone or in person and informed as to the results of the actions taken by the manager. A record shall be kept of the complaint and the manager's response for a period of at least three months after the incident, which shall be available for inspection by the county code enforcement department during business hours.

Full Breakdown

Monroe County Land Development Code Section 134-1 sets a fixed nightly curfew for every unincorporated Florida Keys dwelling operating under a special vacation rental permit, covering Key Largo, Tavernier, the Lower Keys, Stock Island, Big Pine, Sugarloaf, Cudjoe and Ocean Reef. on weekends. The county places enforcement in the hands of the vacation rental manager, the licensed contact every permit holder must designate for that section of the Keys. A noise complaint from a neighbor must be answered within one hour, and the manager must call or meet the complaining neighbor to explain what action was taken.

The manager keeps a written record of the complaint and the response for at least three months, and that record must be available to county code enforcement staff on request during business hours. A documented pattern of noise violations feeds directly into the county's permit process: the Planning Commission can revoke the special vacation rental permit itself, and the code enforcement special magistrate or a court of competent jurisdiction can levy fines, once the owner has received notice and a hearing. Because a lost permit ends short-term use of the unit in a county where ROGO caps new development, a noise citation carries real weight beyond a simple fine.

Violations & Fines

Confirmed noise beyond the curfew hours becomes grounds for the Planning Commission to revoke the special vacation rental permit and for the code enforcement special magistrate, or a court, to impose fines after notice and a hearing. A manager who misses the one-hour response window on a neighbor's complaint adds another documented failure the county can cite against the permit at renewal or revocation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the vacation rental noise hours in unincorporated Monroe County?
Section 134-1(e)(4) of the Land Development Code bars noise audible beyond a vacation rental's boundaries between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. on weekdays and 11:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. on weekends. Boisterous or excessive noise on the property is barred at all times regardless of the hour, so the curfew adds to the general conduct rule every permitted unit must follow.
Who has to respond to a noise complaint at a Keys vacation rental?
The vacation rental manager designated on the permit must respond to a neighbor's complaint within one hour, contact the complaining neighbor to explain what was done, and keep a written record of the complaint and response for at least three months for inspection by county code enforcement.
Can the county take away a vacation rental's permit over noise complaints?
Yes. Section 134-1(h) lets the Planning Commission revoke the special vacation rental permit after finding a violation of the section's conditions, including the noise curfew, once the owner has had notice and a hearing; a code enforcement special magistrate or court can add fines on top of revocation.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Monroe County

All Monroe County rules

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