Salt Lake County, UT Short-Term Rentals: Noise Rules (2026)

Salt Lake County does not have a separate STR-specific noise standard; instead, STRs operate under the same Noise Control rules as any other residence in unincorporated areas. Chapter 9.48 of the County Code (Title 9 - Health and Sanitation) prohibits noise that is unreasonably loud, disturbing, or that interferes with the reasonable use and enjoyment of nearby property. Specific decibel limits and time-of-day cutoffs are not visible in the public-facing Municode index for Chapter 9.48; the county uses a plainly-audible / reasonable-person standard supplemented by Utah Code Sec. 76-9-101 (disorderly conduct) as a state-law fallback for officers responding to nighttime disturbances. Chapter 5.19 (Short-Term Rentals) requires operators to comply with all applicable county ordinances as a condition of holding the STR business license, which means the host - not just the guest - is on the hook for repeat noise complaints originating from the rental. Many operators publish house rules and quiet-hours language (commonly 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. in Utah practice) to satisfy this compliance expectation. Utah Code Sec. 17-50-338 (as amended by HB 291, 2023) does not preempt this kind of standards-based regulation: it only prohibits ordinances that bar listing or advertising an STR on a website, leaving counties free to enforce noise, life-safety, and operating standards. Guest noise complaints in unincorporated areas are taken by the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office (non-emergency) and by Salt Lake County Code Enforcement / Building Services for license-related follow-up.