How to Find a Safe and Affordable Apartment to Rent

When you rent an apartment, you want to know that where you choose to stay, you'll be safe and secure. Whether you are raising children or living on your own, when you feel safe and comfortable you can relax and enjoy your home.

In this guide, we look at factors you need to consider when you are looking for an affordable apartment in a safe area. Remember, crime can happen anywhere, it is up to you to take precaution wherever you live and to always look for the signs or the risks of high crime neighborhoods and communities.

Start with an Online Search

One of the simplest steps you can take to determine the safety of a neighborhood is to check out the average crime statistics for an area. These figures may not be available for every community; however, most websites will provide a general breakdown of the types and the frequency of criminal activity for an area. For example, you can visit a community or private security website that describes vehicle break-ins over the last month. If you have a car and you're interested in the area, you'll either have to take extra precautions to safeguard your vehicle or you'll need to look elsewhere.

Visit the Area

This may seem a little silly or a waste of time but spending a day on the weekend or an evening walking around the area can give you an idea of its overall safety and the community.

When you see other people, are they friendly? Are most houses locked behind secure gates and do people maintain their houses and their apartment units? You don't want to see heaps of trash lying around because it shows that the area is poorly maintained. You'll definitely want to walk around to ensure that there are no strange developments or squatters hanging around.

In one community, neighbors found substance users living under a bridge close to their residence. It took months before police and relocations services came out to remove the squatters.

Which Amenities are Nearby?

If you do need medical attention or the local law enforcement, earn which of these services are close by. You should also consider the standard of these services. How long on average, do police take to come out when you call? This information you can find online or by speaking to the police department yourself.

The Apartment

When you apply for an apartment to rent, you need to read the lease. Is it well-maintained, is it secure, can you contact help around the clock should something go wrong or if you feel threatened?

Psychology graduate and content creator