Do noise monitors work for short-term rentals, and are they allowed?

The basics

A noise monitor is a small sensor that measures how loud a room is and for how long. When noise stays above a level you set, it alerts you, and some models message the guest too. It does not record what anyone says. That makes it a very different device from a camera, both for guest privacy and under Airbnb's rules.

Noise monitors work as an early warning. They tell you a gathering is getting loud before a neighbor calls you. They do not stop a party on their own, and they cannot tell you who is in the house. You still need clear house rules and a plan for what you do when an alert comes in.

What Airbnb allows

Airbnb's article on restrictions on security cameras and other devices (opens in a new tab) sets the rules, which took effect on Apr 30, 2024.

Airbnb defines noise decibel monitors as "devices that assess sound levels and their duration but do not record audio." A device that records audio is a recording device under the same article, so the distinction matters when you choose one. The ban on indoor monitoring also covers shared spaces in private room listings.

You disclose a noise monitor in your listing settings under Guest safety, then Noise decibel monitors. Exterior cameras go under Guest safety, then Safety devices.

How the main monitors compare

These three companies publish their own product pages for short-term rentals. We compared what those pages state. We did not test the devices. "Not stated" means the official page we read did not say.

Minut

Minut's noise monitoring article (opens in a new tab) says it "does not record audio." The default alert level is 75 dB, with an optional stricter 70 dB level for quiet hours. Noise has to stay above the level for a set time, 10 minutes by default, so a single shout or slammed door does not trigger an alert. Warnings escalate in stages, and a paid Call Assist add-on, $10 a month per unit, sends a human caller after automated alerts fail.

The pricing page (opens in a new tab) lists Starter at $5 a month for a single property, Standard at $10 and Pro at $15 per home, each billed yearly. The sensor is a separate one-time cost not listed there. Minut's FAQ (opens in a new tab) says a plan has a minimum commitment of one year from activation, the sensor charges by USB-C and you get a low-battery email at about 15%.

NoiseAware

NoiseAware's pricing page (opens in a new tab) lists a Starter plan for hosts with 1 to 9 properties at $15 a month, billed $180 a year per property, with an indoor Wi-Fi sensor included. It covers custom noise thresholds, quiet hours, instant alerts and a daily digest. An outdoor sensor costs $99 once and is powered by the indoor sensor. Pro pricing for 10 or more properties is custom. Contract terms were not stated on the page we read.

Roomonitor

Roomonitor's device page (opens in a new tab) says the sensor "does not have a camera and does not record any sound," and that it detects the likelihood of a gathering from sound patterns rather than counting guests. Pricing and US availability were not stated on that page, so ask before you order.

Setting one up, privacy first

1. Place the monitor in a living area or hallway. Never in a bedroom, bathroom or sleeping area.
2. Disclose it in your listing before guests book, using the platform's device settings.
3. Mention it in your house rules and house manual, in plain words. For example: "This home has a noise monitor in the living room. It measures volume only and does not record sound."
4. Set a threshold and quiet hours that match your house rules and local noise rules.
5. Decide in advance what happens when an alert comes in: a friendly message first, then a call.
6. Check the monitor's battery and Wi-Fi connection at each turnover. A dead sensor gives no warning.

Being open about the device is also fair to guests. They know what is measured and where it stops, and nobody has reason to feel watched. Our house rules examples include quiet-hour wording, and the house manual maker has room for a short device note.