HOUSTON — A crackdown on bars and nightclubs that play loud music will begin on Tuesday as Houston's new noise ordinance goes into effect.
The revised noise ordinance was approved by City Council back in May after numerous complaints from residents across the area that live near those types of businesses.
“As Houston grows in population, our neighborhoods are becoming increasingly mixed-use," Mayor Sylvester Turner said after the ordinance was passed. "But mixed uses can also create tension between residents and their commercial neighbors."
The biggest change involves bars, nightclubs and restaurants that are within 300 feet of a residence.
Those businesses will be forced to apply for special permits to play amplified sound outside after 10 p.m. on weekdays and after 11 p.m. on weekends. Businesses that break the rules face an increased fine of $2,000.
Permits are now also only issued to establishments instead of individuals.
Prior to the ordinance taking effect, neighbors near Montrose expressed their frustration with a popular Houston nightclub after a shooting left one man dead.
"It's lawless every weekend," one neighbor said. "I'm absolutely fed up. My husband and I have been fighting this since 2018...and the problem continues to grow."
Mark Fairchild moved to his home long before all the bars.
“As a lot of these establishments have cropped up, we’re starting to see the inability for residents who live in their single largest investment to live a comfortable and peaceful life in their home,” Fairchild said, the president of the Rice Military Civic Club.
Some Houston city leaders said noise is the top complaint they hear about from residents.
“We don’t want to put anyone out of business. We want everyone to keep having fun,” said Councilmember Sallie Alcorn.
For people whose walls rattled from the sound of loud bass for years now, they’re hopeful new rules may help them get a good night’s sleep.