What are the rules for having a grill on my balcony or patio in military housing?

Everyone enjoys grilling out, especially on the weekends. It should come as no surprise, that many residents of military housing have questions about the use of grills at the apartment units.

The rules about grilling at military housing is going to depend on the type of grill. Even if you are grilling on a balcony or porch, the main concern becomes whether the grill uses fire or not.

Military housing prohibits the use of any grill that cooks with fire, unfortunately this means that you cannot have a charcoal or gas grill in your apartment unit. It's a major safety concern, that would cause the apartment complex to have to pay a lot more in insurance. In turn, this means that your rent would be significantly more.

It is unfortunate, as many people like to grill out on game days or with friends. It isn't all bad news though, as you can use an electric grill on your porch or balcony in military housing. Since electric grills do not use fire, there is no safety concern beyond that of a regular electronic appliance.

Some of you may be thinking that it's not the same, electronic grilling doesn't give the food that real smoky taste. For those of you with this concern, there is an alternative you may want to consider.

There are plenty of military housing options with community charcoal grills for people who want to use them. Usually, they are located in the community park or near the pool, and are great for parties and social gatherings. Not only will you not have to buy your own grill, but you will get the cookout you were looking for.

You also won't have to worry about cleaning up such a large mess, as you will have a larger area for your crowd and community trash cans all around.

It should be noted that while these charcoal grills are for all residents of military housing, the materials must be provided by you. The apartment complex will not give you charcoal or any of the necessary cooking materials. The grills are simply there to be used whenever you desire.

For those of you who don't care about the charcoal taste of food as much, an electric grill is a great option that gets the job done. They are pretty cheap, and can be bought at any local hardware store in the area. They are also extremely easy to clean and don't require any preparation, which is a great bonus.

So, while you cannot have a fire based grill at military housing, you can have an electric one. The best alternative for people who want a more authentic experience, is to find military housing with community grills available. Either way, there are plenty of opportunities to have a great cookout.

If you need any help sorting through all the different options with military housing, from one to four-bedrooms, make sure to utilize our search engine right here at RentJax. Let us help you find the best new home possible for you.

These are the opinions of writers and not the opinions of RentJax.com or any of our advertising partners.