Residential Air Conditioners.
Milwaukee Code of Ordinances § 80-68
in effect80-68. Residential Air Conditioners.
1. EXCESSIVE NOISE PROHIBITED. No person shall install, operate or use any residential air conditioner, or combination of residential air conditioners, which creates a noise level in a sleeping room in any dwelling unit located on any adjacent premises in excess of the sound pressure levels listed in sub. 3.
2. PROCEDURE OF INVESTIGATION. Upon receiving a complaint, the commissioner shall conduct a noise survey through use of a sound level meter and associate octave band analyzer. The sound pressure levels shall be measured within a sleeping room in the complainant's premises with the sound level measuring microphone placed 3 feet from an open window nearest to the source of the noise and not less than 3 feet above the floor of the room in which the measurement is made. Results of this survey shall be compared to the maximum permissible levels as set forth in sub. 3. If the levels found in the survey exceed the level in the table in any octave band, the noise shall be deemed as excessive and in violation of this section.
3. CRITERIA TO DETERMINE EXCESSIVE NOISE EMANATING FROM RESIDENTIAL AIR CONDITIONERS.
a. Maximum Permissible Noise. Preferred Sound Pressure Frequencies Level Decibels of Octave Bands Re: 0.0002 (cycles per second) Microbars
Nighttime Daytime
Levels Levels 63 66 76 125 59 69 250 52 62 500 46 56 1,000 42 52 2,000 40 50 4,000 38 48 8,000 37 47
b. Ambient Noise a Factor. Where the average normal background or ambient sounds approach the levels listed in par. a, a residential air conditioner, or combination of residential air conditioners, shall not be considered in violation of this subchapter unless a sound analysis reveals the creation of noise in excess of 5 decibels, in any octave band, above the average ambient sound level in that band.
Source: City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau, Milwaukee City Charter and Code of Ordinances (city.milwaukee.gov master PDFs)URL: https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/ccClerk/Ordinances/Volume-1/CH80.pdf#page=26Fetched: 10/26/2026