Can I Have a Grill at My Condo?

December 8, 2010 No Comments

Brownstone Insurance has been insuring condo associations and unit owners for years.  I wish I had a dime for each time someone has called me to ask if having a grill on their deck or rooftop was in violation of the insurance policy.

Unit owners have called me because they already have one and another tenant is upset.  Other times unit owners will call and ask, “Can you have someone come out and tell that person to get rid of their grill?”

The insurance answer is that having a grill is not in violation of any insurance policy that I know of, unless it is a specific endorsement added by a carrier.

Common sense has a lot to do with this situation, however.  Who thinks that it is a good idea to have an open flame in your condo or to store propane tanks on your balcony?  Hopefully no one.

The goal of any condo association or unit owner should be to decrease hazards, not increase them.

The call-to-action has to first come from the board.  The association trustees have to disallow cooking with a grill or open flame by writing it into the by-laws.  Secondly, an insurance company will typically do what we call “loss control.”  They will send out an inspector to survey the association and point out certain risks and ask you to get rid of these cooking devices.  This typically happens when a company first writes a policy, depending on the size of the complex or building.

So, in short, it is generally not in violation of your policy unless a specific exclusion exists on your policy, but it is just good common sense not to be cooking on your deck.  It jeopardizes your property and the property of others around you.

“Use your head.  It is your best insurance policy sometimes.”

- Glenn Montgomery, Brownstone Insurance Principal

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