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

Cities that license short-term rentals often attach quiet-hour conditions, decibel limits, or 'good neighbor' requirements to each STR permit, with escalating fines for noise complaints. Westminster has no STR noise conditions because Chapter 9.74 of the Municipal Code prohibits residential transient use of 30 days or less; there is no STR permit to which such conditions could attach. Noise from party houses and transient guests was among the concerns cited when the City Council adopted the ban - critics argued unregulated STRs disrupt residential neighborhoods and create noise problems. While there is no STR-specific quiet-hour rule, Westminster's general noise and public-nuisance provisions in the Municipal Code continue to apply to every property and every resident, and the Police Department and Code Enforcement respond to loud-party and disturbance complaints citywide. Those general rules - not an STR ordinance - are what govern noise from any residential property. Because the underlying short-term rental use is prohibited, a host cannot cure the violation merely by keeping guests quiet; the transient rental itself is unlawful regardless of noise levels. Lawful hotels and motels remain subject to the general noise ordinance and to any conditions of their land-use approvals.