Richmond, TX Short-Term Rentals: Noise Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Code Citation
- Ch. 22 Nuisances
- STR-Specific Rule
- None
- State Disorderly Conduct
- Tex. Penal Code Sec. 42.01
- 85 dB Threshold
- After officer/magistrate warning
- Penalty
- Class C misdemeanor up to $500/day
- Enforcement
- Richmond PD non-emergency 281-342-2849
Summary
Richmond TX has no STR-specific noise ordinance. Guests and operators must comply with the city's general nuisance provisions in Chapter 22 of the Code of Ordinances and Texas Penal Code Sec. 42.01 disorderly conduct. The Richmond Police Department enforces noise complaints; violations are Class C misdemeanors.
Sec. 42.01. DISORDERLY CONDUCT. (a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly:(1) uses abusive, indecent, profane, or vulgar language in a public place, and the language by its very utterance tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace;(2) makes an offensive gesture or display in a public place, and the gesture or display tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace;(3) creates, by chemical means, a noxious and unreasonable odor in a public place;(4) abuses or threatens a person in a public place in an obviously offensive manner;(5) makes unreasonable noise in a public place other than a sport shooting range, as defined by Section 250.001, Local Government Code, or in or near a private residence that he h
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
The City of Richmond, the Fort Bend County seat, has not adopted a short-term rental ordinance, and there is no STR-specific decibel cap, dedicated quiet-hour rule, or operator-liability clause for guest noise within the Code of Ordinances. Loud and disturbing sounds that disturb the peace of neighbors are regulated under Chapter 22 (Nuisances) of the Richmond Code of Ordinances, hosted on Municode. Outside the city ordinance, Texas Penal Code Sec. 01 makes unreasonable noise a Class C misdemeanor disorderly-conduct offense, and the statewide threshold for an officer-warned violation is 85 dB at the property line.
Richmond Police respond to noise complaints; the Police Department non-emergency line is 281-342-2849 and City Hall is 281-342-5456. Officers typically issue a verbal warning before a citation. Repeat amplified-music or party complaints can support nuisance abatement under Tex. Health & Safety Code Ch. 343. Richmond also adopted a residential rental registration ordinance effective January 1, 2023, requiring owner-occupied rental and multifamily rental properties to be registered with the Building Department, which can layer registration-revocation exposure on top of the general nuisance rules. HOA covenants in Richmond subdivisions like Pecan Grove Plantation, Long Meadow Farms, Briarwood Crossing, Walnut Creek, and Veranda often impose stricter quiet hours and party restrictions through deed restrictions enforceable independent of the city's silence on STR-specific noise.
Violations & Fines
Nuisance violations under Chapter 22 are Class C misdemeanors punishable by fines up to $500 per offense under Tex. Local Gov't Code Sec. 54.001, with each day a separate offense. Disorderly conduct citations under Tex. Penal Code Sec. 42.01 carry the same Class C maximum. Repeat disturbances at an STR can support nuisance abatement under Tex. Health & Safety Code Ch. 343 and HOA injunctive relief under Tex. Prop. Code Ch. 209. Because Richmond has no dedicated STR registration, there is no STR-specific permit to revoke, but a property registered under the residential rental registration program (effective Jan. 1, 2023) faces additional administrative exposure for repeat disturbances.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Richmond TX have STR-specific noise rules?
Who enforces noise complaints at a Richmond TX short-term rental?
Can my HOA impose stricter quiet hours than the city?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Richmond
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Noise Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Fort Bend County handle noise rules.