BBQ on my balcony: is it allowed?

So I picked up a $20 charcoal BBQ yesterday and plan on making some burgers later. But I’m not sure if it is legal to do so.

My building rules don’t say anything about BBQs on balconies onw way or the other. And I don’t know what the rules are for my city (Montreal).

I am on the top floor (15) of my high rise, so the smoke wouldn’t really hit anyone on top on me. There are apartments on either side of me, but there’s about 15 feet of space between balconies.

Whadya think? What are the rules/laws where you live?

The best bet would be to check with your fire department. Here in Atlanta, I learned that it is illegal to use a charcoal barbecue on a wooden deck of a building that shares common walls (for example, a condominium or apartment complex.)

The rule seems designed not to prevent you from annoying a neighbor with smoke from your charcoal grill, but rather to prevent hot coals falling from the grill onto a combustible surface, resulting in a fire which could damage someone else’s home.

Where I live (in California) if the rules or CC&R’s don’t disallow it then it’s okay. Do your neighbors BBQ on their balconies? You could ask the manager and I’m sure he/she would tell you. I doubt if it’s illegal or they would have made you aware of that fact already…

What Labdad said. It is a violation of your local fire code to have any open flames within a certain distance from your home, no only in case a hot coal lands on any combustible substace but also to keep the flames themselves away. Your local fire department should be able to tell you the minimum distance requirement, which is most likely further than the dimensions of your balcony. You can’t go by with what your neighbors are doing, they might not be aware of any regulation or they just don’t care. We are starting to see some neighbors across the street operating their charcoal or gas grills within the 50ft. safe zone required by Arlington County, VA. They know what they’re doing is not only in violation of the fire code but also the condo rules, which is why they aren’t out grilling until the property manager leaves for the day. Your best bet: keep your charcoal BBQ for picnics and get an electric one for your balcony.

Definitely ask the apartment manager. Barbecuing on the balconies is against the rules of my apartment complex, but some people still do it anyway, so I wouldn’t rely on the fact that others are doing it and assume it’s okay.

There is a dupe thread with newer posts here, so I’m closing this one. Thanks SamClem. - Jill