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Apartment quiet hours
Quiet hours in an apartment come from two places: the lease, which most often names 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., and the city noise ordinance, which sets a night window or a lower night decibel limit. The stricter of the two applies. Below are the verified night rules for the 29 US cities we have read the code for, and the levels that count as too loud.
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Night rules by city, from the code itself
Each line is the night provision as written in that city's ordinance, verified on the date shown on the city page. Open the city for the section numbers, the decibel limits and where to complain.
| City | Night rule |
|---|---|
| Atlanta, GA | 11 p.m. – 7 a.m. Sun–Thu, midnight – 7 a.m. Fri–Sat: the 100-foot rule (Sec. 74-131(b)) |
| Austin, TX | 10:30 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.: no noise or music audible next door (Sec. 9-2-3) |
| Baltimore, MD | 9:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.: limits drop 5 dB(A) (§ 9-207); power tools only 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. weekdays |
| Boston, MA | 11:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. |
| Charlotte, NC | 9:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. |
| Chesapeake, VA | 10:00 p.m. – 6:30 a.m. Mon–Sat; 10:00 p.m. Sat – 8:00 a.m. Sun |
| Chicago, IL | 8:00 p.m. – 8:00 a.m. (10:00 p.m. amplified sound) |
| Columbus, OH | 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. |
| Dallas, TX | No named quiet hours; construction near homes only 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. weekdays (Sec. 30-2(8)) |
| Denver, CO | 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. |
| Detroit, MI | 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. |
| Houston, TX | 10:01 p.m. – 7:59 a.m. |
| Huntsville, AL | 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. |
| Indianapolis, IN | 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (construction and pile drivers: 7:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.) |
| Inglewood, CA | 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (night base level applies) |
| Jacksonville, FL | 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. |
| Las Vegas, NV | 11:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. |
| Los Angeles, CA | 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (construction: 9:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m., no Sundays except your own home) |
| Louisville, KY | No blanket quiet hours (audibility test applies 24 h) |
| Madison, WI | No single window — activity-specific rules (construction, amplification, collection) |
| Memphis, TN | 11:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. |
| Miami, FL | 11:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. business music (Sec. 36-5); outdoor music near homes 10 p.m. – 8 a.m. |
| Nashville, TN | No single window; commercial 9:00 p.m. – 6:00 a.m. |
| New Orleans, LA | Night 10 p.m. – 7 a.m. (8 a.m. weekends); neighbour music cut-off 9 p.m. Sun–Thu (Sec. 66-203) |
| New York, NY | 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. |
| Philadelphia, PA | No general quiet hours; dB limits apply 24 h |
| Phoenix, AZ | 11:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (emphasis window, not an absolute cutoff) |
| Portland, OR | 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. |
| Rockford, IL | Tiered: outdoor amplified music banned 11:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. near residences |
| San Antonio, TX | 10:00 p.m. – 6:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11:00 p.m. – 6:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday |
| San Diego, CA | 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. |
| Seattle, WA | 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. weekdays; 10:00 p.m. – 9:00 a.m. weekends and legal holidays |
| Tampa, FL | 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.: plainly audible 100 ft away is prima facie a violation (Sec. 14-154(e)) |
| Washington, DC | 9:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (10:00 p.m. criminal offence) |
| Worcester, MA | No single window — activity-specific nighttime rules |
Your city not listed? The noise ordinance hub explains how to find the noise chapter in any municipal code in about two minutes.
What your lease adds
Underneath the lease sits the covenant of quiet enjoyment, the implied promise that the landlord will not let conditions they control make the home unlivable.
A lease can be stricter than the city, never looser. Common clauses: a named quiet window, a ban on amplified music at any hour that is audible outside the unit, and a "reasonable enjoyment" clause that lets the landlord act on repeated complaints without a decibel number. Breaking a quiet-hours clause is a lease violation first; the city ordinance only enters if someone calls it in.
The levels that count as too loud
- Meter cities set a night limit at the property line, typically 45 to 55 dBA. Normal conversation is 60 to 70 dB; through a wall it lands near the limit.
- Audibility cities forbid noise plainly audible at a distance, commonly 50 feet, with no number at all.
- Hybrid cities use both, and the audibility rule usually bites first at night.
Check the level where you are with the free online decibel meter, then read how to make a noise complaint that gets acted on.
What are typical apartment quiet hours?
Most leases and city ordinances set quiet hours overnight, commonly starting at 10 p.m. and ending between 6 and 8 a.m., with some cities extending the start to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The exact window is set by two documents: your lease or building rules, and your city's noise ordinance. Where they differ, the stricter one applies to you.
Are quiet hours the law or just a lease rule?
Both exist. A lease clause is a contract between you and the landlord and is enforced through the landlord. A city noise ordinance is law and is enforced by code enforcement or police. Many cities define night by a lower permitted decibel level rather than a named "quiet hours" clause, so the ordinance page for your city is the place to check.
How loud is too loud during quiet hours?
Cities that use a meter standard typically permit around 45 to 55 dBA at the property line at night, roughly the level of a quiet conversation heard through a wall. Cities that use an audibility standard forbid noise that is plainly audible at a set distance, often 50 feet, regardless of the number. Either way, bass and footsteps carry further than voices.
How do I measure noise from a neighbour?
Stand where the noise reaches you, inside your unit with windows closed if that is where the complaint is, and take a reading over a minute rather than a peak. The free online decibel meter gives an average and a peak; note the time and the level, and compare it to your city's night limit. See the noise complaints guide for how to document it.