Scranton, PA Short-Term Rentals: Noise Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime residential limit
- 62 dBA, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Nighttime residential limit
- 52 dBA, 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- STR noise incorporation clause
- Scranton City Code § 445-30.B
- Max civil judgment
- $500 per day, § 445-77
Summary
Scranton expressly folds every short-term rental into the City's general noise and nuisance ordinances. In residential areas that means a hard 62 dBA daytime ceiling and 52 dBA overnight, measured at the property line, on top of the rental-specific rules.
All activity at the short-term rental shall be subject to enforcement of any noise, nuisance, and property maintenance ordinances as well such related provisions found in this Article.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4719898; v25 updated 2025-12-16; through 12-16-2025).
Full Breakdown
B of the zoning ordinance states that all activity at a short-term rental is subject to enforcement of the City's noise, nuisance and property maintenance ordinances, plus any related provisions elsewhere in the same zoning article. and on Sundays and holidays, measured at or within the boundary of the property receiving the noise. Because short-term rental guests are the ones generating the sound, an overly loud party or gathering at a rental property is measured against those same limits, not a separate looser standard. A, so a rental cannot use its short-term status to escape the ordinary residential soundscape rules that apply to every other house on the block.
Violations & Fines
A noise complaint against a short-term rental is investigated the same way as any other noise nuisance complaint under § 445-24, with the Zoning Officer or police responding to measure sound levels. A sustained violation feeds into the § 445-77 civil enforcement track, carrying a judgment of up to $500 per day before a Magisterial District Judge, and a guest convicted of a disturbance of the peace on the premises can end the property's short-term rental eligibility entirely under § 445-30.C.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Scranton's short-term rentals have their own noise limit?
Can I call the City about a loud Airbnb party in Scranton?
What is the penalty for a noisy short-term rental in Scranton?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Scranton
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