Condo/Villa with patio?

Living in California I would take it for granted that a condo (or in the case of Florida, a ';villa';) would have a patio with a bar-b-que. Is this true for Florida?

I%26#39;ve looked at a few of the rental websites and haven%26#39;t seen patios and/or bar-b-ques listed. Is this because they%26#39;re so common they don%26#39;t require pointing out, or do I need to make sure the listing specifically says there is one available?

Condo/Villa with patio?

I have not stayed in Florida but am searching through hotels to plan a trip there now and found that Fantasy World Club Villas have screened in patios and bbq%26#39;s on the grounds that you can use. I%26#39;m not sure about BBQ%26#39;s but I think Sheraton Vistana village does have patios/balconies with most of their condos.

Condo/Villa with patio?

In most cases, the bar-b-q is out in a central area for multi-unit use and many of the units DON';T have patios or decks. You use the common areas. I usually rent villas - as in houses, not condos, which are more like apartments in many cases. Do read descriptions carefully. You%26#39;ll find something you like.

If you like to bar-b-que you should probably rent a single home (or villa as they call them) I think due to fire hazards they don%26#39;t put them on condo patios. There are several websites to rent from ours was a 4br/3 bath for about $115/nt plus 12% tax. They have a private screened in pool and for an extra charge you can have a bar-b-que. You definitely had to ask for it. $35/week I think. It was very old and I just assumed it would be a gas grill so we had to run out for brickettes, lighter fluid, matches, etc. Since then we%26#39;ve switched rental companies and haven%26#39;t asked for a grill so I would ask what type of grill you%26#39;ll get first to make sure it%26#39;s the type you prefer. They also supply great cushioned lounge chairs around the pool which is very relaxing too.

Most of the up-scale rental homes will have a barbecue. I have had good experiences with All Star Vacation Homes.

Most of the townhomes have private patios. For the grills you can rent one at an extra cost. Try these websites privatevacationhomes.com/home_pbd153.html, www.vacationhomes.com and www.villadirect.com

I%26#39;ve not rented any properties that charge extra for grills, but I do rent higher end houses, so that may be the difference. I did notice the house I rented in march had a 2 page discussion of gas and charcol grill requirements and recommendations from the County Fire Marshall%26#39;s department, possibly the result of hurricane issues or some fires. This caused propane grills to be moved out from under the pool cages into the open area near the enclosed lanai - a first. Given the fact there was more than sufficient space to remove it from any overhang, I found the whole thing strange. Undoubtly, insurance is playing into this whole grill issue. And this was a concrete/stucco house with a poured concrete deck over 60%26#39; long.

To look for villas (houses) and condos at good prices, check Alexander Homes, on the web as FloridaSunshine, and All Star vacation Homes. I%26#39;ve used both and prefer All Star, but again, I do rent at the higher end, they may not be best for your needs. VillaDirect is often recommended and they have a good site with accommodation ratings similar to All Star. They too have condos. I much prefer a house and they can be had for the same price range as a condo, so it%26#39;s your choice.

Time shares are different still, though they are more like condos/apartments.

We had a villa at Disney%26#39;s Old Key west, and the BBQ was in a little courtyard shared by a couple of units. My mom gets timeshares down there and it is much the same with them as well.

The Sheration Vistana Resort has enclosed patios and the barbque grills are outside at various location on the resort. Each section has aprrox. 4 bar-b-que grills. Hope thats helpful.

Misskaren - to answer your questions - Yes, you need to be VERY specific when renting houses aka villa%26#39;s. Most are privately owned so each is equiped differently. And depending on the rental agent, the requirements are different to what units need to be equiped with.

Think nothing of e-mailing the listing agent and ask SPECIFICALLY what facilities you have.

FYI - When renting in Florida Villa is not a commonly used ';local'; term. It is houses, cottages, condo%26#39;s and hotels/motels.

equipped - sorry