HowLoudQuiet Hours: What Time Can Neighbors Make Noise?
In most countries quiet hours run from about 10 or 11 p.m. to 6–8 a.m., set by city ordinances, state laws or your building's rules rather than one national law. Outside those hours noise is not automatically allowed: nuisance rules apply around the clock, the night just has a lower tolerance. Germany, Austria and Switzerland add whole quiet Sundays.
Quiet hours by country
The table shows the usual night-time window and other rest periods; the sections below explain where the rules come from in the main countries. Local rules decide the details, so treat it as a starting point and check your city, council or house rules before you act on it.
| Country | Night quiet hours | Other rest times |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Usually 10 p.m.–7 a.m., often 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays | Construction mostly limited to weekday daytime |
| Canada | Usually 11 p.m.–7 a.m. | Construction and power tools limited in the evening and on Sundays in many cities |
| United Kingdom (England & Wales) | 11 p.m.–7 a.m. ("night hours" of the Noise Act 1996) | Nuisance rules apply at any hour |
| Australia (New South Wales) | Amplified music: 10 p.m.–8 a.m.; midnight–8 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and before public holidays | Lawn mowers and power tools: not after 8 p.m. or before 8 a.m. (9 a.m. at weekends) |
| Germany | 10 p.m.–6 a.m. (Nachtruhe) | Sundays and public holidays all day; many house rules add a 1–3 p.m. midday rest |
| Austria | Usually 10 p.m.–6 a.m. | Sundays and public holidays; midday rest in many house rules |
| Switzerland | Usually 10 p.m.–6 or 7 a.m. | Sundays and public holidays; a 12–1 p.m. midday rest in many buildings |
| France | Sunset to sunrise (tapage nocturne); people often say 10 p.m. | DIY and garden noise limited by local orders, often only 10 a.m.–noon on Sundays |
| Spain | 11 p.m.–7 a.m. (the legal night period) | Local ordinances set hours for building work and moving furniture |
| Italy | Usually 10 or 11 p.m.–7 or 8 a.m. | An afternoon rest of roughly 1–4 p.m. in many condominium rules |
| Japan | 10 p.m.–6 a.m. (night period of the national noise standard) | Apartment rules often ask for quiet from 9 or 10 p.m. |
United States: no federal quiet hours
There is no national quiet-hours law in the US. Each city or county writes its own noise ordinance, and most of them protect roughly 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weeknights, sometimes starting at 11 p.m. on weekends. Many ordinances use a "plainly audible" test (music you can hear clearly from the street or from another apartment) instead of a decibel number. Those that do set numbers typically allow around 55–65 dB(A) by day and 50–55 dB(A) at night, measured at the property line.
Apartments add a second layer: most leases and HOA rules set quiet hours of 10 p.m. to 7 or 8 a.m., and breaking them can be a lease violation even where the city has no curfew. Ask your landlord or check the lease before you complain to the city.
New York City is a common example of how ordinances work in practice. The noise code bans unreasonable noise at any hour rather than only at night, limits music from bars and clubs to 42 dB(A) measured inside your home, allows routine construction on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and treats a dog barking for more than 10 minutes by day, or 5 minutes between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., as a violation. Complaints go through 311.
To find your own rules, search for "[your city] noise ordinance" or look up the municipal code on the city's website. For a complaint at night, most cities use 311 or the police non-emergency number.
United Kingdom: the "11 p.m. law" is half a myth
There is no rule that makes noise legal until 11 p.m. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 a council can act against a statutory nuisance at any time of day, judged on how loud, how long, how often and at what time it happens. What the "11 p.m." idea refers to is the Noise Act 1996, which gives councils in England and Wales extra powers during night hours, 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.: if noise measured inside your home goes above 34 dB(A), or more than 10 dB above the background when the background is already over 24 dB(A), they can issue a warning notice and then a fixed penalty. Many councils run an out-of-hours noise service for exactly this.
Germany, Austria and Switzerland: rest times
German-speaking countries are known for strict Ruhezeiten. In Germany night rest runs from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and Sundays and public holidays are quiet days. Federal rules ban lawn mowers and similar machines in residential areas on Sundays and public holidays and on weekdays between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. The famous midday rest (roughly 1–3 p.m.) is not national law; it comes from local rules or the building's Hausordnung, which tenants agree to in their lease. Austria and Switzerland work the same way, with details set by the state, canton or municipality and by house rules.
France, Spain and Italy
- France: tapage nocturne, disturbing the night, covers noise between sunset and sunrise and can be fined without any measurement. Daytime noise from neighbours is also an offence if it is too loud, too long or too repetitive. Local orders usually limit DIY and garden noise to set hours, often only 10 a.m. to noon on Sundays.
- Spain: the law defines night as 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., and the national target for a bedroom at night is 30 dB(A) inside. Town halls set the rest in their noise ordinances, including hours for building work.
- Italy: there is no national schedule. Condominium rules usually ask for quiet from about 10 or 11 p.m. until 7 or 8 a.m. and during an early-afternoon rest, and the Penal Code punishes disturbing other people's rest.
How loud is too loud at night?
Quiet hours tell you when; decibel limits tell you how much. The figures that come up again and again:
| Reference | Night-time level |
|---|---|
| WHO guideline for a bedroom | 30 dB(A) average |
| Spain, target inside a bedroom at night | 30 dB(A) |
| England & Wales, Noise Act permitted level inside a home | 34 dB(A), or background + 10 dB |
| Japan, residential areas outdoors at night | 45 dB |
| US ordinances, at the property line at night | typically 50–55 dB(A) |
For a sense of scale, 30 dB is a whisper and 45 dB is enough to wake many people. A TV through a thin wall easily puts a bedroom at 40 dB or more.
Prove it before you complain
Whatever the local rule, a complaint goes further with evidence: the time, how long it lasted and how loud it was. Open the online decibel meter where the noise bothers you, note the average (Leq) and the peak, and measure the background once it stops. The guide on how to measure your neighbour's noise explains where to stand and how to keep a noise diary that councils and landlords take seriously.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a law against noise after 10 p.m.?
Not a single national one in most countries. In the US most city ordinances start quiet hours at 10 p.m., in the UK councils get extra powers from 11 p.m., and in Germany night rest starts at 10 p.m. Your lease or house rules may also set quiet hours.
Can neighbours be as loud as they like during the day?
No. Nuisance rules apply at any hour; daytime only has a higher tolerance. Constant loud music, banging or barking during the day can still be a nuisance, especially if it goes on for hours or every day.
What time can you mow the lawn?
It depends on where you live. In Germany mowers are banned in residential areas on Sundays and public holidays and on weekdays before 7 a.m. and after 8 p.m. In New South Wales they must not be used before 8 a.m. (9 a.m. at weekends) or after 8 p.m. Elsewhere your city ordinance usually allows mowing from about 7 or 8 a.m. until the evening.
Who do I call about noise at night?
In the US, 311 or the police non-emergency number; in the UK, your council's environmental health or out-of-hours noise service; in Germany, the Ordnungsamt or, at night, the police. For an apartment, tell the landlord or building manager too.
How many decibels is too loud at night?
As a rule of thumb, anything that keeps your bedroom above 30–35 dB(A) or brings single sounds above 45 dB is likely to disturb sleep and to break night-time rules, especially if it is 10 dB or more above the normal background.