Wake County, NC Short-Term Rentals: Noise Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Nighttime hours
- 11 p.m. - 7 a.m.
- Music rule
- §92.05(D)
- Standard
- Plainly audible
- Enforcement
- Sheriff's Office
- Max fine
- $500/day
Summary
Short-term rental guests in unincorporated Wake County are subject to Chapter 92 of the Wake County Code (adopted 12-4-2023). §92.05(D) singles out playing radios, stereos, TVs, phonographs, tape decks or musical instruments during NIGHTTIME HOURS (11 p.m. - 7 a.m.) at a volume that annoys a reasonable person, while §92.03(A)(2) applies the same plainly-audible standard 24/7. Hosts are typically held responsible under the property-owner provisions.
(D) The playing of any sound magnifying device, radio, television, stereo, phonograph amplifier system, tape deck, tape recorder or other musical instrument in such a manner or with such volume, during nighttime hours, as to annoy or disturb the quiet, comfort or repose of any reasonable person in any dwelling, hotel or other type of residence.
Full Breakdown
Wake County's 2023 noise rewrite removed numeric decibel limits in favor of a plainly-audible / reasonable-person standard, enforced by the Wake County Sheriff's Office. Outdoor amplified music at an STR can be cited under §92.03(A)(2) at any hour; nighttime music adds §92.05(D); construction-style activity (jackhammers, generators) is barred at night under §92.05(H). §92.07 requires the deputy to first notify the responsible person, typically the renter on-site, but failure to abate becomes the violation, and the property owner can be cited. Inside Raleigh's city limits, STR-specific noise standards from the 2021 STR ordinance (TC-8-20) apply and explicitly ban special events and large gatherings at short-term rentals; Cary, Apex, Wake Forest and other towns enforce their own noise codes.
Violations & Fines
Class 3 misdemeanor under Wake County Code §92.07(D), fine not to exceed $500, each day a separate offense. Repeated violations at the same address can prompt UDO enforcement against the property owner for nuisance use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my Airbnb guests have a pool party at 11 p.m.?
Who gets cited: the guest or me?
Does this apply if my STR is in Raleigh or Cary?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wake County
Compare Wake County to another location·View the North Carolina short-term rentals overview
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