BarBque grill not listed as an amenity

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My listing is for a entire home. My family also uses the home for special occasions and holidays. As such there is a barbque grill on the deck but it is not listed as an amenity. It appears my current guests have used it and placed the empty propane tank on the carport. What is the best way to handle that the grill is not for guest use?

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Put it away where guests can’t get to it.

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If it is there, it will be used!

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Every single thing hosts have on the property that is available to guests is not necessarily on the amenities list. Everyone has a toilet, but no one lists it as an amenity. Guests assume that whatever they find is available for their use, unless you tell them otherwise. As advised, hide it and lock it up somewhere.

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Leave it with an empty tank. If they want to use it, they’ll have to buy their own propane. If they contact you about the empty tank, then explain to them that it’s not an amenity being offered. Make sure that you have it on your house rules that the grill is not an amenity.

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Having a visible BBQ that the guests can see and can’t use or have to buy propane for is an excellent way to get a poor moaning entitled review

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A whole house rental without a grill? Seems like an important amenity you will be leaving out.

I’d buy a cheap one and put it out there for guests, and do as others have said, if you don’t want the current one used then you have to put it out of sight.

Regardless it’s a good amenity for a whole house and I would offer one.

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If I had to handle it at this very moment, I’d offer to refill that empty tank for the current guests.

I’d leave it at that until they check out and then I’d remove or hide the grill. As everyone has pointed out, the grill is effectively for guest use as long as it’s sitting there on the deck. We’ve used grills at two recent places but I have no idea whether or not grill was on the amenity list. And I’d certainly be rather unamused if the host contacted me in the middle of my stay to tell me that it isn’t.

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There was a 2nd. tank there so unless they cook out for 3 more days they should be good. I certainly would not compromise their stay by saying anything to them while they are there. I have stairs on the deck and I am not able to move it myself. I do have a storage shed I can put it in but it would be very difficult to move it back and forth when I want to use it. My main concern is over someone using it incorrectly and causing damage either to the house or theirself. Is there a simple way to qualify/disqualify guests from being able to use the grill ?

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You can ‘qualify’ them by providing clear instructions, along with any requirements. You could make or link to a video like this: How To Change Remove Replace Propane Tank on Barbecue Grill - YouTube

For example, you might say that you need to be able to lift a propane tank of ‘X’ #. [Although I thought that the tanks were often of a minor weight, or perhaps you could get a tank that is more easily maneuverable.]

Here are the instructions we provide, though I think I could do better:

BBQ Information

Grills: Cooking tools, including apron, for the BBQ are in the cabinet just to the right of the refrigerator, on the lower pull-out shelf. Please don’t use pans not found on this shelf on the Weber grill. Also we have a black Thermapen Instant read thermometer in top left drawer by cooktop.

BBQ Supplies, including Ozero leather BBQ gloves, Grillinator brush, cavetools Beer Can Chicken Roasting Rack, Weber grill drip trays, are in one of the two brown outside bins named ‘BBQ Supplies.’

You might need two prepping and finishing trays; we have two Cuisinart CPK-200 nesting melamine 17.5” x 10.5” on the top shelf of leftmost pantry (red for raw; black for cooked). [Dishwasher safe]

Black Weber Original Kettle 18” Charcoal Grill

Remove Velcro strap on right leg to remove cover.

To start your fire:

  • ¡ You might want to use the ‘chimney’ fire starter (with the handle) found outside in ‘BBQ Supplies’ and put it on the lower grate to quickly produce hot coals.
  • ¡ Place newspaper or a Diamond Strike-a-fire Fire Starter (or fire starter cubes) at the bottom, light the cubes or Diamond match (burns for 12 minutes), if using.
  • ¡ Fill chimney to the top (don’t over-fill) with your choice of lump charcoal (best) or charcoal briquettes. If using paper, light the paper with a long lighter (in ‘Supplies’).
  • ¡ Wait about 10-15 minutes (charcoal should be turning gray with ash) for all the coals to glow. Pour it out on the lower grate’s coal section.
  • ¡ Once the burning coals have been arranged to your liking, set the top cooking grate back into place, put the lid on.
  • ¡ Once the grill has heated up you’ll be all set to cook. It should take about 10-15 minutes to reach 500-550°F, at which point the grill is considered pre-heated.
  • ¡ See in ‘BBQ Supplies’ two Weber char baskets. Put in center together for direct heat; put to sides to create indirect heat and use drip pan to catch grease.

Please clean Weber grill grates while still warm with the brass Grillinator brush in the ‘BBQ Supplies’ bin.

To use Cavetools Beer Can Chicken Roasting Rack with Vegetable Spikes

    1. Season chicken (manufacturer recommends Carolina BBQ rub).
    1. Fill canister with flavorful liquid, traditionally beer but could be orange juice, soda, red wine, sake, cider.
    1. Lock the canister in the tray by giving a quarter turn.
    1. Attach two vegetable spikes to side of tray for potatoes or corn.
    1. Hold chicken by wings and lower down over canister. Pull the legs out to keep the canister upright.
    1. Grill or smoke chicken using indirect heat. So chicken not directly over coals.
    • a. deally cook at 350 to 375F for 45 mins to 1.5 hours.
    • b. ‘Hand test’ says to place. Palm 3” above grill. If you can hold for only 4-5 seconds without feeling the scorching fire (!) then the temperature is between 350-400F.
    • c. Start testing temperature at 45 minutes. Blog.Thermoworks.com suggests that if breast is at 145 F for 15 minutes that it will be pasteurized because pasteurization is a function of both temperature and time. However, this is your decision to make.
    • d. Use black Thermapen thermometer from kitchen (top drawer to left of cooktop)
    1. Remove chicken and let stand 15 minutes before cutting up.

Edo Stainless Steel Natural Gas Grill

This is a natural gas grill. You do not use coals in it. Do not close its ‘shelves while using or while it is hot. This stainless steel grill is the Edo grill from Kalamazoo Gourmet. The Edo grill is designed to be used open. It would be dangerous to cover the whole grill, say with the lid of the 18” Weber grill. Because the Edo is a gas grill, it needs to exhaust the gases and breathe sufficiently.

Operate the Edo grill only with both its two ‘shelves’ wide open as far as they can go.

  • ¡ To light, first turn gas on by turning reddish knob behind shed.
  • ¡ Push in and turn both of the large control knobs to HIGH (HIGH at 9 o’clock; LOW at 6 o’clock; OFF at 12 o’clock).
  • ¡ Push igniter button (small leftmost) until burner ignites; if it does not ignite, wait five mins and try again or light manually by removing grate and pointing grill lighter to side of burner.
  • ¡ Preheat Edo grill by letting it run for 15 mins before using.
  • ¡ Then use a stiff stainless steel or brass grill brush [in the brown bin outside] or a wooden grill grate scraper to clean the grilling surface.
  • ¡ Please don’t put or rest hot or abrasive items on ‘shelves.’ Use a plate for tools.
  • ¡ After each cooking session: Run the main burners on high for 10 to 20 minutes before turning them off. This will help burn away drippings and residue on the grilling surface.
  • ¡ Please don’t use any chemical substances on the grill grate.
  • ¡ Please turn gas off by the shed after each use.

Do not use any abrasive cleaner or bush on stainless steel Edo grill; just Dobie pad.

We also provide this book: Amazon.com

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Buy a grill cover and padlock system.

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Yep. @Katrina, this. And I’d also remove the tank, the racks and the battery for the igniter and put them in the shed. They’ll be easy for you to bring out for your personal use but the lack of them will be frustrating enough to deter a pesky guest that tries to get past the grill cover.

I kind of also want to say to make a house rule of “guests are not to use the grill”.

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So @Katrina is getting conflicting advice here, which is OK because it appears we might have differing opinions.

Earlier, several Hosts (@Debthecat , @Atlnative and I feel the same as they) said either that an entire home listing would likely be expected to have a grill, but that at least if you show the grill, guests will expect that they can use it.

Then when @Katrina asked how to easily ‘qualify/disqualify’ use , which I interpreted as an education issue (assuming no proficiency exam would be given!), several of you advised how the Host could lock up the system.

Operating a grill isn’t brain surgery @katrina. My suggestion to the Host would be to ask in the orientation if the guest is familiar with using a propane grill, and regardless of the answer ask whether they’d like a simple demonstration. I suggest leaving written instructions just to jog their memory. That kind of orientation and education would ‘qualify’ the guest to use the grill. Or if they felt that they didn’t understand or – more likely – didn’t want to do the work of starting the fire and cleaning the grate, would disqualify themselves.

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I’d build some sort of locking cabinet disguised as a table.

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FYI: I’ve read guidance that any grill should be six feet or farther from a combustible surface (like the house if it’s combustible).

If I were you I would work on instructions (again, mine could be more comprehensive) and something in the listing that says something to the effect that guests assume the risk of using any appliance and are responsible for understanding how to use any appliance they use (e.g., gas grill). Ideally, you provide the manuals (or links). If you ever go the signed contract route you can protect yourself legally. I’ll also assume you have a commercial liability policy for the rental.

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@HostAirbnbVRBO Well, that’s one way to discourage guests from using the grill. If I were to be presented with your 5000 word essay on how to use the grill, I would not bother using it at all. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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Well, they’re not required to read it. It’s an option.

It’s 843 words (and for two grills), so about 200 words per grill.

But, in fairness, I think it’s not comprehensive.

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I agree and said one if not both of those things too. But I thought @Katrina’s goal was to prevent guests from using it, and it’s her post (and her business) so that’s why I addressed how to keep guests from using it. I really do try to just answer the question that is asked and am not nearly as contrary as rumored :upside_down_face:

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I think she’s concerned about them not using it properly, and therefore hurting themselves or the property.

She says:

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Of course, but leaving an essay on how to use it does not count as ‘education’. And, if guests don’t even read descriptions of the place they are staying - ‘guests don’t read’ - I’d be pretty sure they would not read an instructional manual either.

So much can go wrong with live fire and flammable gas…

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