(HOUSTON) — Moving can be stressful enough without worrying about crime in your new neighborhood, but that’s a reality for many. We want to live where it’s safe, but how do we know if it’s safe?
Apartment complexes offer plenty of potential targets for criminals, so when you decide to move to a new apartment you need to do your homework to protect yourself and your family.
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The Friendswood Police Department has a few tips to help you:
Visit the complex after dark.
Most people shop for an apartment during the day when the tenants are at work and the leasing office is open, but you should go back in the evening. Are there people loitering? What are the neighbors like? This is usually the best time to see the complex in action, police tell us.
“Everybody is home from work; kids are back out of school, so that’s the best time to see what’s going on in your new home,” Lisa Price with the Friendswood Police Department said.
Talk to the residents.
If you see residents at the laundry room or the mailboxes, ask them about the complex.
“That’s definitely the best way,” Price said. “You’re going to get better feedback from those people than you are probably from the leasing agent.”
Look at security features.
Price said to pay attention to the security features of the apartment, such as secondary locking devices for sliding glass doors.
You can also ask to see records that the door locks were changed after the previous tenants moved out.
Check on criminal activity.
Don’t just take the leasing agent’s word on criminal activity at the complex or in the area. Do your own digging and get real answers.
“You can call the local police department and ask them to give you crime data for that apartment complex,” Price said.
Look at the screening process.
And finally, think about how well the leasing office is screening you as an applicant.
It might seem like an inconvenience to be screened thoroughly when applying for an apartment, but that means they are likely doing the same to your
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How to Pick a Safe Apartment Complex was originally published on news92fm.com
