York County, VA Short-Term Rentals: Noise Rules (2026)

York County only reaches STR noise through the special use permit process for hosted weddings and receptions, not through a blanket nightly-rental noise rule. To even apply for that supplementary permit, a bed and breakfast or tourist home must already have been operating continuously for at least one year. Sec. 24.1-409(l) then sets performance standards for the event itself: no more than one event a day or two events in any seven-day period, with a wedding ceremony and its reception counted as a single event; events limited to the hours between 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., with setup starting no earlier than 8:00 a.m. and takedown finished by 11:00 p.m.; exterior lighting capped so it does not exceed 0.1 footcandles at any property line; and, under subsection (l)(6), all activity on the property during the event must comply in complete accordance with the York County Noise Ordinance set forth in Sec.

16-19. The same subsection also layers in parking, sanitation, and fire access conditions for the event, including a minimum of one parking space per two guests. Outside of these wedding and reception events, the code does not carve out a separate decibel or hours-of-quiet standard for ordinary STR overnight stays; general disturbances from short-term rental guests fall to the countywide Noise Ordinance like any other residential noise complaint.