Your Neighbors Reported Your STR for Noise… Now What?
How to Save Your Rental (and Your Sanity) from Noise Complaints
Picture this: you’re sipping coffee, minding your own business, when boom—you get a call from the county letting you know a neighbor has reported your Short Term Rental (STR) for noise.
Suddenly that coffee tastes a little… off.
Before your mind jumps to revoked permits, tanking revenue, and a mortgage payment sprinting after you—take a deep breath.
You can get ahead of this—if you act fast and smart.
Let’s break down what to do right now, and how to prevent this from happening again.
Why Noise Complaints Are the Villain of Every STR
In the STR world:
Noise complaint = safety issue
Safety issue = permit or listing suspension risk + penalties
We do not want that energy.
Your goal now is to show your neighbors, the county, and Airbnb (or VRBO) that you run a responsible, well-managed, community-friendly operation—not a backyard rave.
Step 1: Tighten Your Operations (Like, Yesterday)
Noise issues don’t come from nowhere. They come from guests who think your home is a nightclub.
Here’s what should already be in place:
✔ Stricter Guest Screening
- Set a clear age minimum (ours is 25+).
- Hardline rule: No parties.
- And if a dad books your house at full capacity for his 16-year-old’s birthday party with friends? Yeah… red flag city.
✔ Set Expectations Clearly and Repeatedly
Most guests don’t read your stuff, and when they do, they skim. Your quiet hours and consequences should appear in:
- House rules in your listing
- Booking confirmation message to your guest
- Rental agreement
- Check-in instructions
Spell out the consequences: fines, immediate booking termination, no refund—whatever your policy is. Make it unmissable.
Step 2: Install Noise Monitoring Devices
You can’t manage what you can’t measure.
Indoor + Outdoor = Full Coverage
Use privacy-safe monitors like NoiseAware or Minut. They detect decibels but do not record audio. Disclose them in your listing to keep things compliant.
The reports from these devices are your strongest evidence when complaints arise.
Step 3: Act Immediately
When you get an alert from your noise monitoring device:
- Verify—false triggers happen.
- Message the guest immediately with a friendly check-in and reminder.
- Call if needed.
- Enforce your policy, consistently.
- If safety becomes a concern? Have police do a welfare check—because if you don’t take action, the neighbors will.
Quick intervention proves you’re not asleep at the wheel while a music festival forms in your STR’s backyard.
Step 4: Befriend Your Neighbors
A simple, warm outreach goes a long way:
“Please feel free to call or text me anytime, day or night, if you ever hear noise from my guests….”
Give them your cell number.
If they alert you, act quickly.
If they trust you, they’ll call you before calling the county or Airbnb.
Step 5: If a Complaint Happens, Show Up With Receipts
Not all complaints are accurate.Sometimes it’s another house.Sometimes it’s an exaggeration.Sometimes… they just hate STRs.
If something escalates to the county or Airbnb/VRBO, submit:
- Noise monitor data
- Your quiet-hours policy
- Your SOP for preventing and addressing disturbances
- Screenshots showing your enforcement communication with guests
When they see you run a tight, professional operation, you’re far more likely to walk away unscathed.
Protect Your Listing Like It’s Your Firstborn
One noise complaint = warning.
Two = problem.
Three… we don’t want to get there.
Get ahead of this now: tighten your systems, strengthen guest communication, and keep neighbors in the loop. Do it well, and they’ll go from calling the county to texting you for cleaner recommendations.
Running an STR can be a blast. Losing it over noise? Not so much.
Do the work now—sleep better tonight.
Want more tips to build rock-solid STR operations and protect your property, your peace, and your profits?
👉 Book a free discovery call with Savvy Breezy STR Consulting today!