Do you charge extra for use of the grill? No.
Do you list it as an amenity? Yes.
Do guests forget to turn off the gas and thereby empty the propane bottle? N/A. It’s a charcoal/wood grill with offset smoker. The listing directs the guest to bring their own wood or charcoal.
Do guests leave it a greasy mess? I don’t do the cleaning. I’ve only seen “clean the grill” show up once on the cleaning invoice. Those guests must have.
Do guests damage the grill? Not so far.
Do guests damage other items (e.g. pans and utensils) using them on the grill? Not so far, but I provide utensils and cookware that is made for the grill.
Anything else a host should be aware of? A couple of guests who have used it have remarked how much they enjoyed the outdoor dining option. (We have a dining table on a sun deck outdoors.) Probably a bit warm for that now.
We provide ,gas and a charcoal BBQs, which are very well used in summer months.
No extra charge, listed as an amenity, gas so far always turned off, provide charcoal etc. and a back up gas bottle, have BBQ utensils and cheap wire scrapers, no damage to other pans yet (2.5 years and counting).
Biggest pain is the cleaning of the gas BBQ. It’s a large Outback with three grills. Takes nearly an hour to do it properly. Recently added to our tour of our barn that if BBQ’s are used, “Please leave as found”. This has improved matters, but still needs a ‘proper’ clean.
No too messy to have BBQ in garden, its incredible how guest damage equipment when only staying for a short time, cannot imagine how their homes are. If we did we would just put the rental up to cover costs.
Guests like the option of cooking up a storm on the BBQ! The best course of action would be to include this as an amenity, rather than cause confusion by charging extra (plus guests may be put off by “extra charges.”)
Guests might have good intentions but they are also enjoying themselves, so might be more forgetful than normal! Can you place a little sign anywhere reminding guests to switch off the gas after they’ve used it?
Similarly you could mention cleaning up the BBQ following use (pop a segment relating to use of the BBQ in your house rules). Again you could also erect a little sign near the BBQ as a reminder “Grill away, but please give me a clean before the end of your stay!”
Unfortunately kitchen items might be used, so again it’s important to make your expectations clear. Label the tools to be used on the BBQ and make sure guests have easy access to them.
Outdoor anything with a flame is prohibited - and extremely unwise - during fire season, which is many warm months long. Guests who ask for grilling or BBQ get to use the Zojirushi electric grill we bought just for guests. It is designed to be used indoors on a tabletop, but we use it on a table on the deck, so that the house doesn’t fill with cooking odors.
We just bought one this month in early July. So far one group has used it. It’s a decent stainless steel large grill with a burner on the side and runs on propane. We are in the USA and the house is a large entire house rental that sleeps up to 14 people and has a decent size patio.
Do you charge extra for use of the grill? No
Do you list it as an amenity? Yes
Do guests forget to turn off the gas and thereby empty the propane bottle? Not yet, but we just got it this month and it’s only been used once.
Do guests leave it a greasy mess? Yes, a bit.
Do guests damage the grill? Not yet
Do guests damage other items (e.g. pans and utensils) using them on the grill? Not yet
Anything else a host should be aware of? Warn them to use it far away from trees, buildings, etc. A long term tenant once set a tree on fire at one of our rentals, when his grill flared up. It damaged the tree slightly but they got the fire out immediately before any other damage was done.
I just bought a small electric grill for that very reason.
I’m shut down now, but I was leaning toward not providing a grill as an amenity even though I enjoy a grill very much myself. From January through the end of March, I offered my table-top propane grill to all guests that asked about a grill. Only 4 guests actually used it, but they all left it a mess, along with the table it sits on. Thorough cleaning of the grill and the table added way too much time to my already lengthy cleaning routine.
I live down South in the U.S. where bbq is a big deal. Eating it, grilling it…My property is in the 'burbs of Atlanta, and I’ve been asked a few times if I have a grill. Nope. For all of the above answers I will not provide one. One family bought a small 4-burger portable grill and left it for me. Good enough. I mention it, but no takers EXCEPT NOW…
A party of 5 w 2 dogs booked 5 days at the end of June. Guest mentioned how much the men love to grill, and do I have one. Sure! I responded, and sent her a pic of " tiny grill". Guess she wasn’t impressed because she responded :
" Good morning Catherine, thank you for the picture. By chance, do you have the possibility of lending us a gas grill?"
LEND. I assume that she means buy. I replied:
“Hi, Claudia, I am sharing my home with you. Nothing else is provided. The grill seems to be a big part of your celebration so i would suggest finding a house with a gas grill. Here’s my cancellation policy for your review. Free cancellation until 14 days before check-in (time shown in the confirmation email). If booked less than 14 days before check-in, free cancellation for 48 hours after booking, up to 5 days before check-in.”
I will admit that a guest suggesting that I buy a grill for them left me gobsmacked. She booked my home because my prices are moderate, and my fenced-in, fabulous back yard. ( with deck) is perfect for dogs and gatherings. I may now add a picture of tiny grill to my listing to set expectations.
She could mean lend.
I have a gas grill and if I had a whole home listing, it was dead as doornails and I wanted the booking I would lend a grill. However, they would have to come get it and return it in the same condition (clean-ish) and refill the propane tank. I’d ask for a cash deposit of $100. Once I sent the pic of the grill and the conditions they might still book and that would be okay.
If I was sure I could get a similar booking with no dogs and special requests I’d send her along just as you did.
And it’s a super nice set-up! Wow.
I had a guest ask if I could lend her a yoga mat (gross) the night before her arrival. Anyway, I of the “she thought of everything” listings had not provided a yoga mat (not because I didn’t think of it but because I don’t care for US yoga culture). Urghhh. But, I promptly sent my hubby to Target to buy a f*king yoga mat. She and her friend were great guests and left a wonderful review; however, in the private feedback, she mentioned a “strange chemical smell”. When we went to clean, of course it was the damn yoga mat that smelled like chemicals. And it was untouched, had not been used the entire week. Doh.
We specifically ask our guests to not clean the grills (we have 3 Weber-types), but we also tell them that we need some notice to use the grills. That way my husband gets to clean them to our standards but doesn’t have to do it during the flip. But we share the yard so that makes sense for us. I think yours is an entirely different house?
Wow! Now THAT is a grill. I think “lend” means provide, though. I am getting bookings because I allow dogs, and I have an enormous, landscaped backyard. Guests mention it in the reviews, and bookings are coming in.
I did email again and let her know that I understand that grilling is a big deal for them, so I don’t want them to be disappointed in their stay. I said that I don’t have a grill because my deck is wood, and I am concerned with fire.
Update- I rent the entire house, and I manage it remotely ( 400 miles away). The tiny grill was used and not cleaned because where do you put hot charcoal?
I have a maid/cleaner who cleans at at 4-star level…so far, so I am pushing it asking her to clean the grill.
Bottom line- I focus on cleaning dog poop, hosting people with dogs, and the grillers can rent a place that has a grill. It is her brother and son who want to grill.
I LOATHE cleaning the BBQ grill! There is always a happy dance when I find it unused. It is a job that I go back to do because I can’t face it after the house is returned to perfection.
Thanks. And that’s the point. Yeah, lady really nice grill. Fork over the deposit and haul it over. It’s one of those passive aggressive, “yeah, whatever you want,” like saying yes you can have a discount then sending over a special offer of $1 off. But seriously if one is trying to monetize their assets and needs the money, why not.
I can’t make up my mind if my timing on my outdoor space (last year’s big project) was worth it. I kind of wish I had the $4000 or so in my account. The sink and fridge part is my favorite part though. I recommend it if anyone is looking for a reasonably priced modular outdoor kitchen. It’s by Char-Broil and available only at Lowe’s.
Yes, it’s a separate house with its own patio and backyard.
I rented a VRBO in Hawaii in early March. The cleaners there apparently took your mindset to the next level and just never cleaned the gas grill at all. The first time I tried to use it, I had problems getting it to light and it just didn’t seem to get hot enough. It was late and dark, but it got the job done. The next time I wanted to use the grill, it was daytime and I realized that it was just filthy and clogged up. I disassembled the grill surface, the heat spreaders and the burners and used the provided scraper and brush and removed all of the burnt food I could reach inside the grill. The scrapings completely filled a 2.5-gallon bucket (I’m not exaggerating). The crumbs and ash had completely filled up the bottom of the grill up to the burners. After the cleaning, the grill ignited properly and I could control the heat properly.
Edit: I left the grill in a usable state, but even though it was much better than when I found it, I personally would’ve been embarrassed to provide a grill in that state to my own guests. The grill had a cover and I wonder if that was part of the problem. I put the cover back on before I checked out, but maybe the cleaners took that as a sign that it hadn’t been used.
I offer a propane grill as an amenity in my backyard and do not charge extra for use of it. Although we have not had any issues with the gas so far, there were a few guests who left the grill as a mess. I send them clear instructions for the kitchen and grill before their check-in, so they know that they are not allowed to use pans on the grill.
I have a small BBQ grill purchased for $130. I have a picture of it on the listing but I do not charge extra. They do leave it dirty so I just spray it with Easy Off, let it sit for a while and then I hose it down and let it air dry. I think it’s a nice amenity to offer.
I have a lakehouse that I rent on AirBnB and people expect a grill, so I offer both a weber 22 kettle charcoal and supply charcoal and starter, and I also supply free weber propane and holland legacy grill, with one bottle allowed for guests (which is way overkill but some folks cook every meal on the grill)
It’s all free for my guests, it’s an amenity and guests love them!
It’s included in the price, but it’s not free. 
Same here. Arizona Mountain rentals got to have a grill. We bought it used so the cost was minimal. The guests use it most of the time. When they use it, they always leave it dirty. We dont leave the cover on it anymore because we forgot to clean it one time. The next guest did not complain but Not a shining moment for us. We turn it on and burn off the crud and wipe it down. Reminds us to check the propane level at the same time.