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New Orleans, LA Short-Term Rentals: Noise Rules (2026)

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

Key Facts

Quiet hours
10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.
Standard
louder than conversational level, or audible music at line
Governing section
Code § 26-618(b)(11); operator § 26-620(b)(11)
Minimum fine
$1,000 per day, § 26-629(a)
Immediate suspension
no hearing needed for imminent threat, § 26-627
Repeat violations
3 in 12 months = mandatory revocation

Summary

New Orleans bans 'excessive loud sound' from any short-term rental between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. - defined as noise louder than conversational level or music audible from the property line. The rule applies to both owners and operators, each instance is a separately citable violation, and the Department of Safety and Permits can suspend a permit immediately if the noise threatens public safety.

Short-term rental use that generates (i) excessive loud sound, (ii) offensive odors, (iii) public drunkenness, (iv) unlawful loitering, (v) litter, (vi) lewd conduct by guests or (vii) any effect that otherwise unreasonably interferes with neighbors' quiet enjoyment of their properties. For purposes of this paragraph, excessive loud sound means any noise generated from within the dwelling unit or having a nexus to the dwelling unit that is louder than a conversational level, or any music that is plainly audible from the property line of the lot containing the dwelling unit, between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.

Source: New Orleans CZO Section 20.3.PP Short-Term RentalsView official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 116 Update 1).

Full Breakdown

Section 26-618(b)(11) prohibits short-term rental use that generates 'excessive loud sound' along with offensive odors, public drunkenness, loitering, litter, or lewd conduct, anything that unreasonably interferes with neighbors' quiet enjoyment of their properties. m. The same standard binds the licensed operator under the parallel section 26-620(b)(11), and both owner and operator are on the hook, the code makes the operator 'solidarily responsible with the owner' for the underlying health-and-safety and quiet-enjoyment duties. The city built real-time monitoring into the ordinance: section 26-614 defines a 'noise monitoring device' capable of detecting sound above an acceptable level for more than five continuous minutes and alerting the owner and operator in real time, which the article contemplates owners may use to police their own listings.

Each instance and type of unreasonable interference is treated as a separate, separately citable violation, which lets the city stack multiple counts from a single loud party. If the department has good cause to believe a short-term rental's noise presents an imminent threat to public health, safety or welfare, section 26-627 lets the director suspend the owner permit immediately, without a hearing, by written order, the owner then has 14 days to request a hearing or the suspension becomes a revocation.

Violations & Fines

Each noise incident is a separately citable violation carrying a fine of not less than $1,000 per day under section 26-629(a). Three separate noise violations within 12 months make revocation mandatory under section 26-628(d)(1)(xvi)(k) for owners (and the parallel operator provision), and an imminent-threat noise complaint can trigger immediate suspension without a hearing under section 26-627.

Frequently Asked Questions

What counts as 'excessive loud sound' under New Orleans's STR rules?
Section 26-618(b)(11) defines it as any noise generated within the dwelling unit, or with a nexus to it, that is louder than a conversational level, or any music plainly audible from the property line of the lot, occurring between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.
Can the city suspend a short-term rental permit over a noise complaint before a hearing?
Yes. Section 26-627 lets the director of the Department of Safety and Permits immediately suspend an owner permit without a hearing if the department has good cause to believe the rental's use presents an imminent threat to public health, safety or welfare, followed by written notice within 24 hours.
Are both the owner and the operator liable for noise violations?
Yes. Section 26-618(b)(11) binds the owner and section 26-620(b)(11) binds the operator to the identical quiet-hours standard, and section 26-620 makes the operator 'solidarily responsible with the owner' for the underlying duties, so the city can pursue either or both for the same violation.

Sources & Official References

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