San Antonio, TX Short-Term Rentals: Noise Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Quiet hours, Sun-Thu
- 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Quiet hours, Fri-Sat
- 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Decibel cap
- 63 dB, residential, from adjoining property
- Governing section
- Sec. 16-1108(e); definitions Sec. 16-1101
- Strike trigger
- 3+ citations in rolling 3-year period
Summary
San Antonio short-term rentals must observe quiet hours of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Friday and Saturday under Sec. 16-1108(e), and repeated noise complaints can get a property labeled a "problem property" subject to permit revocation.
(e)Conduct on premises.(1)Short term rental operators shall be responsible for informing their occupants of all relevant city codes and occupants' liability for violations of same.(2)Excessive noise or other disturbance outside the short term rental is prohibited per chapter 21, article III of the Code of Ordinances. This includes, but is not limited to, decks, portals, porches, balconies, patios, hot tubs, pools, saunas or spas. For short term rentals that provide outdoor amenities, the operator shall provide notice in the outdoor space of required quiet hours, being the hours between ten o'clock (10:00) p.m. and six o'clock (6:00) a.m., Sunday through Thursday, and between eleven o'clock (11:00) p.m. and six o'clock (6:00) a.m., Friday and Saturday.(3)No overnight sleeping outdoors or outdoor sleeping spaces for rent.
Full Breakdown
Section 16-1108(e) of the City Code, the "conduct on premises" standard for every permitted short-term rental, flatly prohibits "excessive noise or other disturbance outside the short term rental," naming decks, portals, porches, balconies, patios, hot tubs, pools, saunas and spas as covered outdoor areas, and requires enforcement "per chapter 21, article III of the Code of Ordinances," the city's general noise ordinance. Any STR advertising outdoor amenities must post the required quiet hours directly in that outdoor space. Sec. m. m. " The rule reaches indoors too: Sec.
16-1108(g)(3) requires the operator to post quiet hours and noise restrictions inside the unit as one of twelve mandatory tenant notices, alongside occupancy limits and parking rules. Enforcement runs through the complaint pipeline in Sec. 16-1108(h) and Sec. 16-1110(j): when police or code enforcement respond to a noise complaint and issue a citation, the operator or agent must be called and must attempt to reach the occupants within one hour, and if the same address racks up "numerous complaints or complaints of a habitual nature," the director can summon the owner/operator to a compliance meeting and, if the address is found to be a "problem property," order abatement steps up to administrative permit revocation.
Violations & Fines
A noise citation issued at a permitted STR counts toward the three-strikes revocation trigger in Sec. 16-1110(b): three or more citations accepted by municipal court at one property within a rolling three-year period, from either the operator or occupants, are grounds to revoke the permit. Refusing the director's compliance-meeting request under Sec. 16-1110(j) is itself treated as evidence of culpability.
Frequently Asked Questions
What outdoor noise is banned at a San Antonio short-term rental?
How loud can an STR be during quiet hours?
What happens after repeated noise complaints at the same rental?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Antonio
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