Pismo Beach, CA Short-Term Rentals: Noise Rules (2026)

The noise standard is § 17.113.070 G in the 1983 Zoning Ordinance and § 17.09.070 G in the 1998 Zoning Code, printed in the same words. The visitor curfew is § 17.113.070 D, and the 1998 chapter prints the same sentence in § 17.09.070 D.

Renters and visitors shall not generate noise to an extent that unreasonably interferes with the quiet use and enjoyment of any other residence or business in the area. Any noise occurring after 10:00 p.m. and before 7:00 a.m. shall be contained within the rental. What is reasonable is decided under the existing legal standards for evaluating alleged nuisances, and the section points to Chapter 9.24, the city's noise control chapter, and other city noise standards.

Party size is capped two ways. Maximum overnight occupancy is two people per bedroom, plus two additional people, counting children. Visitors cannot exceed a number equal to the allowable occupancy at any time, and visitors are not allowed in the rental between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. and shall not stay overnight on the premises.

A named person is accountable. The responsible party must be over the age of eighteen, is legally responsible for compliance by all renters and visitors, signs the good neighbor policy, and is the point of contact. Contact information goes to renters and to neighbors within three hundred feet. A notice posted inside the rental must carry the non-emergency telephone number of the city police department.

Response time is measured. A situation is a significant violation when the owner or responsible party cannot or will not fix it within thirty minutes, or when public safety personnel must be called.

Pismo Beach uses two adopted zoning codes. The city's Zoning and Land Use page states that properties inside the Coastal Zone are regulated by the 1983 Zoning Code, and properties outside the Coastal Zone are regulated by the 1998 Zoning Code.