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

110(A)(4) folds two layers of noise regulation onto every vacation rental. 56 SMC, the same citywide standard that governs every other property and use in Sonoma. Second, and specific to vacation rentals only, the section adds a flat rule that goes further than the general ordinance: outdoor amplified sound shall be prohibited. That sentence draws no line for time of day or event type, so a vacation rental host cannot rely on any daytime allowance in the general noise ordinance to run outdoor speakers, a live band, or amplified music for a gathering; the ban applies around the clock.

110(A) that every vacation rental must meet, alongside the two-person-per-room occupancy cap (A)(3) and the 24/7 property manager requirement (A)(5), and a host's failure on any one of them, including a noise complaint, exposes the whole operation to enforcement. 56 complaint process, and repeated noise problems can also factor into whether the vacation rental's underlying permit or nonconforming status continues. This provision applies to short-term rentals operating inside the City of Sonoma only.