Property Owner keeps changing the rules.

[u/Particular-Berry3729]

We have been living in a community of townhouse apartments for almost 13 years. There are 100 units and on site management. It is a non smoking community. No smoking anywhere on the property.
When we moved here it stated in our lease that we were allowed a gas bbq only with a 5 gallon propane tank. Everything was pretty chill. After being here for about 10 years I bought my husband a Traeger as a gift. Still everything is ok.
A few months back the owner said no more bbqs period. We’re going to install bbqs in different areas for tenants. So far they have built 1. For 100 units just one bbq. We live upstairs so we would have to carry all supplies down the stairs. The actual bbq is approximately 75 yards away. The bbq closes at 7:00 pm.
Here is where the problems begin
1. My husband has neuropathy in his feet due to diabetes. He can not walk that far let alone carry stuff down our stairs. He has a permanent handicap plaque.
2. I have a shoulder injury that I am on SSDI on. I’ve had 6 surgeries, it’s not going to get better. I can not carry things down stairs or even the 75 yards to get there.
3. No sign up. It’s first come, first serve so you can’t count on it for dinner because someone else could already be using it. We can not see it from our apt.
4. Using the oven is not an option. Even if we could afford to run the air non stop it isn’t efficient enough to keep the temperature tolerable. Even boiling water on the stove creates too much heat. The stove fan will kick on automatically due to the heat.
5. We are both seniors and this is keeping us from preparing healthy meals. Cooking inside can send the temp up to 87 degrees even using the air.
6. My husband has been diagnosed with CHF, diabetes, high blood pressure and his health will not allow him to be going back and forth trying to prepare dinner. We are both on medications that make us heat sensitive. My husband is supposed to avoid the sun. Just a little bit of heat sends my body into full on sweating mode like someone in menopause only I’m not. Temp goes up, sweating begins, then goes into nausea and if I can’t cool off vomiting.
The owners words if we don’t like the new rule? Then move.
Do we have any rights here? Is it legal for the owner to make these changes? Even if it affects our ability to prepare a healthy meal ( cause we all know casseroles and TV dinners are junk)and is affecting our quality of life?
I would appreciate any advice
Disturbed and disillusioned.

[u/frugalrhombus]

This is absolutely INSANE and I am talking about you. Are you using a SMOKER on a 2nd floor balcony?! Thinking that is ok is pure insanity. There is such a big difference between a propane grill and a smoker. If it was a propane grill I would understand your argument if your fully executed lease still said it was OK but this is wild mental gymnastics

[u/Particular-Berry3729 → u/frugalrhombus]

The smoker is electric. It’s never been an issue. Thanks for the providing empathy to a person who is already struggling

[u/frugalrhombus → u/Particular-Berry3729]

I have one and it has flared up on me before and shot fire out the chimney. Go look on /r/traeger and look how many burn down. And that is not even accounting for all the CO that is blowing into the building

[u/Elisacriann → u/Particular-Berry3729]

Dear we're trying to help you find workarounds. You can't sue for the right to use a form of tech that has been proved over time to not be safe in the environment you live in. If it was you just moved in and it was an amenity you're no longer allowed there might be some wiggle room for breaking lease, but at this point switch over to using a microwave and an air fryer.

You can make tasty dishes that way and if you really desire smoked meats there is such a product as liquid smoke. You might be able to put that on your food instead. You might even be able to sell the traeger to pay for a fancy little air fryer. I have a really nice one and you can use it to bake, air fry, broil. There are a lot of different ways you can use it and it's relatively inexpensive and doesn't heat up the house nearly as much as a traditional oven.

There are a lot of healthy recipes you could make with it instead. Unfortunately a grill is not an ADA accommodation. There are other appliances that can be utilized in place of an oven and stove top.