Padel Court Noise Sparks Resident Complaints in Jakarta, Prompting Government Action
Residents in the Haji Nawi area of Cilandak, South Jakarta, have complained about noise generated by a padel court adjacent to their homes. The issue was posted on social media and went viral.
As seen by detikcom on the social media platform Threads on Thursday (19 February 2026), a resident living in the Haji Nawi area of South Jakarta raised concerns about noise from a padel court business near their home.
In the post, they said the noise from the padel court was disrupting their activities and those of surrounding residents. They also claimed to have reported the complaint through the JAKI application and official DKI Jakarta Provincial Government channels, including tagging the account of DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung on social media, but had yet to receive a response.
DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung responded, stating he would follow up on the resident’s report by summoning relevant stakeholders.
Pramono said the summons would be issued in the near future to ensure all permits and padel court operations comply with prevailing regulations.
“Next week I will invite all stakeholders specifically related to padel court permits. I have asked them to prepare a presentation,” Pramono told journalists at Jakarta City Hall.
He stressed that if violations or operations not in accordance with permits are found to be disturbing the public, the DKI Provincial Government would not hesitate to take firm action.
“For areas where activities are disturbing the community because they do not comply with the permits granted, the DKI Jakarta Government will certainly not hesitate to take firm action,” he said.
Noise Regulations
Regarding the noise issue, regulations are already in place. One such regulation is the Decree of the State Minister for the Environment No. 48 of 1996. Article 1 stipulates that noise must have a maximum threshold so as not to cause disturbance.
“The noise level standard is the maximum noise level permitted to be emitted into the environment from a business or activity so as not to cause harm to human health and environmental comfort,” reads Article 1.
The regulation also includes noise level standards in decibels (dB). For residential areas, the maximum noise limit is 55 dBA. For reference, 55 dBA is equivalent to a quiet office environment, filled only with normal conversation or the sound of a washing machine during a regular wash cycle, not during the spin-dry cycle.
Noise levels at padel courts exceed this figure. Data from the French Tennis Federation (FFT) and independent acoustic research in Europe, such as the Leroy and Kaiser study from SGS Belgium, confirm an average of 89–91 dB(A) with peaks reaching up to 102 dB(A).
In research by Martin Higgins AM titled “Padel, Planning and Noise: A Guide for Applicants and Authorities”, padel court noise is 6–12 dB louder than tennis. In acoustic science, a 10 dB increase means the human ear perceives the sound as twice as loud.
The research explains that during a five-minute playing period at club level, padel generates an average of 88 distinct impact sounds.
Returning to the regulatory framework, noise is also regulated under DKI Jakarta Regional Regulation No. 8 of 2007 on Public Order. Article 1 of this regulation stipulates that business premises are prohibited from causing disturbances, including noise pollution.
DKI Jakarta Legislature Calls for Padel Operations Review
Deputy Chairman of the DKI Jakarta Regional Legislature (DPRD) Wibi Andrino said the DPRD in principle supports the growth of sports facilities such as padel courts. According to him, the presence of padel courts is part of a healthy lifestyle whilst also driving the creative economy.
“In principle, we at the DKI DPRD support the growth of sports facilities such as padel courts because they are part of a healthy lifestyle and the creative economy. However, the comfort of surrounding residents must not be neglected,” Wibi said when contacted on Thursday (19 February 2026).
He stressed that if there are noise complaints extending into the early hours, the matter must receive serious attention from the regional government, particularly if the padel court is located near residential areas.
“If there are indeed noise complaints extending into the early hours, this certainly must receive serious attention. Operating hours need to be adjusted to environmental conditions, especially if the location is near residential areas. We must not allow enthusiasm for sport to cause discomfort for residents,” he said.
Wibi urged the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, through the relevant agencies, to conduct a comprehensive evaluation, including oversight of permits and applicable noise standards.
“We urge the Provincial Government, through the relevant agencies, to conduct an evaluation, including oversight of permits and noise standards. If necessary, stricter regulation of operating hours or regulatory adjustments could be considered, whilst prioritising dialogue between operators and residents,” he explained.
He emphasised that the DPRD wants padel courts to continue operating without sacrificing the comfort of surrounding residents.
“The bottom line is, we want sport to continue, businesses to grow, but residents to feel at ease and respected,” he concluded.
Operator Promises to Install Soundproofing
The operator has promised to install soundproofing. A nearby resident named Naufal (27) said mediation was conducted with the Gandaria Selatan sub-district office that afternoon. Residents conveyed their complaints and demands at the meeting.
“The concrete step so far is just the result from the sub-district office today, where they expressed an intention to install soundproofing or impose stricter operating hour restrictions or something like that. But this hasn’t become an agreement yet; they’ve only submitted it to their management,” Naufal said in Cilandak, South Jakarta, on Thursday (19 February 2026).
Naufal said the operator requested approximately 35 days to install soundproofing and implement operational restrictions.
“They said this week they want to conduct a survey first with someone who understands the technical requirements. But that’s just a promise. It hasn’t been installed yet, but they’ve committed from today or tomorrow, and they say it will be completed in 35 days,” he explained.
Naufal continued that the noise from the padel court was caused by the sounds of players during matches. The noise was frequently heard from morning until late at night.
“There’s shouting, and especially the sound of the ball, and the shouting goes from 6 in the morning until midnight. But it should be noted that the 6 am to midnight hours were during the initial period when this was first raised, meaning January to early February. After that, they committed to stopping at 10 pm, but there were several occasions when we found them still laughing and playing at 10 pm,” he revealed.
The sound was particularly loud as his bedroom was directly adjacent to the padel court. Naufal said his neighbour across the street also had the same complaint.
“This is my bedroom, and that’s Mas Idham’s room which is attached on the other side. So perhaps in his room there are vibrations because it’s right against the wall. In my room there aren’t vibrations, but I use an application like Decibel X to measure. When they’re playing, right now we’re at 25 and I’m talking at about 64. When it’s quiet and they’re playing over there, it can reach 80,” he revealed.