The apartment is beautiful... it has a great view of the pond surrounded by weeping willows. The complex is new, the location seems great... but is it safe? The landlord is not going to tell you about the high neighborhood crime rate if he wants you as a tenant. In order to guarantee your safety, you'll need to do some research on the area.

Your research needs to go beyond magazine articles. Don't assume that the location is safe because it was ranked one of the "Top 50 Cities." There is no set standard for ranking cities, so each list will be different from the next. If you're looking for a city's crime rate, you will find better information by visiting a crime statistic search engine.

HomeFair.com is one such engine. This site contains crime statistics for thousands of U.S. and Canadian cities. Consumers enter the state and city their moving from and state and city they're moving to. HomeFair then displays a chart and some general information about the area. You may also want to visit BestPlaces.net for comparative city profiles, school statistics and other helpful features.

These web sites provide consumers with general ideas about the new area. Once you've gotten some statistics, go to the neighborhood, and get a feel for what's there. The complex may look tranquil during your early afternoon visit, but what happens when the sun goes down? Is it the hangout place for a bunch of teenaged hooligans? You'll need to visit the complex at random times on random days in order to know the area a little better.

Don't overlook the quality of a complex just because you like one of the units. Look at the grounds themselves. Does the complex look clean/well maintained? Is there garbage in the grass? Is the grass mown? Do the laundry rooms or work out rooms look like they're kept clean and safe? Is the area well lit?

How safe does the apartment you want appear to be? Is there a porch light? Is there a peep hole? Is the door safe, or made of particle board? Are there good locks on the door? How do you feel about the neighbors?

If it isn't too terribly awkward, you can get a great feel for the apartment community by visiting with some of the tenants. Strike up a conversation with a tenant and find out how they feel about living there. If someone has problems with the landlord or the complex safety, they will be happy to have someone listen the them gripe!

By doing a little research, you can learn a lot about the neighborhood. Once you've learned about the area, you can feel safe moving in to your new apartment.

Published: September 13, 2000

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