BBQ or Grill on the balcony?

[kapikap]

bbq grill are a big fire hazard. wood, charcol, propane, all the same. I dancing flame can pop off and float into another apartment and start a fire very easy, or a chuck of hot coal or meat can fall onto some one below.

just putting it out there, get a cast iron flat pan, with dual sides. one flat, other grill. use a fan blowing out the window for all that smoke, then turn down the heat and cover, you can bar b q on the stove top!

[Corn-fused]

Your city's fire codes are going to override anything that your LL/PM tells you so even if your LL/PM tells you it is okay and the city says it is not then both you and your LL/PM can be fined. So do not go by what your PM/LL tells you and definitely look up your city's fire codes for grilling.

I would think (or hope) at the very minimum that most cities require that grills must be a certain distance away from any combustible construction when in use. And beyond that there are more than likely also laws regarding how much clearance there needs to be above and below the grill when in use as well.

In my city there can absolutely be NO grills (other than electric) that can be used on any balconies whatsoever unless it is a 1 - 2 family home that has sprinkler systems on the balconies. And for any grilling done on ground floor apts/homes the grills have to be at least 10' away from any combustible construction when in use and the grill has to be completely cold before the grill can be moved within 10' of combustible construction.

This chart is what The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) advise which our city enforces as law as well:
https://www.cityofmadison.com/sites/...Guidelines.pdf

[cwaggy]

Fire it up and see if anyone complains. Otherwise, stop worrying?

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by Febtober

It........Also many places prohibit satellite dishes on balconies, which is actually not legal under the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

Actually, it is legal. The landlord has the right to tell the tenant where the dish has to be placed. He can't stop the tenant from having a satellite dish, but he can control where it is placed.

[ChicagoMeO]

if you have a wood balcony, common sense tells you it can be a fire hazard with a charcoal grill, or even a regular grill. also if you have people below you, stuff can drop down onto the tenants below that can be harmful, like something hot falling on their head. keep a few common sense things in mind and you will know what to do or not do.

[nicet4]

You can pretty much bet it is against the law.

This is governed by the IFC or International Fire Code published by the International Code Council and adopted into law by most states.

STATE FIRE CODE ADOPTIONS

The following two tables outline which nationally-recognized fire code, if any, has been adopted in each state. States may also adopt amendments to the code, or may adopt a state-specific code which may, or may not, be based on a nationally-recognized code.

From the IFC:

CHAPTER 3
GENERAL PRECAUTIONS AGAINST FIRE
Section 308.3.1 Change to read as shown: (F28-06/07)
308.3.1 Open-flame cooking devices. Charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices shall not be operated on combustible balconies or within 10 feet (3048 mm) of combustible construction.
Exceptions:
1. One- and two-family dwellings.
2. Where buildings, balconies and decks are protected by an automatic sprinkler system.
3. LP-gas cooking devices having LP gas container with a water capacity not greater than 2.5 pounds [nominal 1 pound (0.454 kg) LP-gas capacity].

I design fire sprinkler systems and run into this all the time.

There is also NFPA #1 which is even more restrictive and doesn't allow for any exceptions:

10.11.6 Cooking Equipment.
10.11.6.1 For other than one- and two-family dwellings, no hibachi, grill, or other similar devices used for cooking, heating, or any other purpose shall be used or kindled on any balcony, under any overhanging portion, or within 10 ft (3 m) of any structure.
10.11.6.2 For other than one-and two-family dwellings, no hibachi, grill, or other similar devices used for cooking shall be stored on a balcony.
10.11.6.3* Listed equipment permanently installed in accordance with its listing, applicable codes, and manufacturer’s instructions shall be permitted.

I have found nearly all states have adopted either the IFC or NFPA #1 as their "fire code" which makes it law. In many states local jurisdictions can modify these these laws but they can NEVER make them less restrictive. In other words NFPA #1 requires 10 ft from any structure the local authority (we call them AHJ's) can make that 12 ft, 20 ft or 30 ft but they can not make it less than 10 ft. This would be like the local cop in your town telling you it's OK to drive at 120 mph within city limits.

And that is the fact of that.

[Lovehound]

If it isn't forbidden in the fire codes, and isn't forbidden in the rental agreement or apartment rules, then I see no reason why not. I suggest asking for a copy of the apartment rules before signing.

In my apartment days I always had a gas grill on my balcony. YMMV