Apartments.com National Survey Reveals Neighborhood Crime Rates May Dictate Where Renters Choose To Live

Apartments.com National Survey Reveals Neighborhood Crime Rates May Dictate
Where Renters Choose To Live
Renters Take Preventative Measures to Safeguard Their Apartments and Are
Willing to Pay More Rent for Additional Security Amenities

CHICAGO, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Renters seek a safe haven when searching for
an apartment. According to a national Apartments.com survey--conducted during
national crime prevention month--96 percent of respondents said neighborhood
crime rate influences where they choose to live. More than 750 renter survey
respondents stated violent crimes including assault and battery followed by
theft and burglary concern them most. To protect themselves, renters are
acting responsibly including keeping strangers out of the apartment community
and are even willing to pay more in rent to live where they feel secure.

Survey results also reveal renters do not feel as safe as they have in
previous years. While more than 66 percent of renters said they feel extremely
to moderately safe living in their current neighborhood, a 2006 Apartments.com
survey on apartment safety and security shows this figure has dropped by 12
percent and the number of renters who said they do not feel safe has increased
by 8 percent.

Renters are looking out for themselves by keeping a pulse on the neighborhood.
A quarter of respondents who have been living in the same neighborhood for
more than a year said there has been an increase in crime-related activity
compared to the previous year. To safeguard themselves in their apartments,
renters are taking preventative measures including never buzzing in strangers
or allowing anyone they do not recognize inside the apartment community when
coming and going. Renters are also installing deadbolts, owning dogs and using
timers for lighting, radios and the television when they are not at home.

In addition to taking safety matters into their own hands, renters are
looking--and willing--to pay more in rent for specific safety features. The
top five safety features renters said they would pay more to have, when asked
to choose all that apply, are:
1. In-unit security alarm system: 49%
2. 24/7 building security patrol guards and a doorman: 45%
3. Security cameras on the apartment community property: 42%
4. Mandatory background screening for all residents: 30%

5. Cylinder deadbolt locks on windows and doors: 29%

To answer the apartment safety needs of their residents, many professionally
managed apartment communities and private landlords are doing their part to
keep renters' minds at easy by providing peepholes on apartment doors,
securing windows and doors with locks and running background checks on
potential residents.

For those who do not have an alarm system in their apartment or security
guards patrolling the grounds, there are cost-effective ways renters can
secure their apartment. Many break-ins can be prevented with mini-entry
alarms, wireless door chimes, sensors and motion detectors. Decals that read
"Beware of Dog" or announce the apartment has an alarm system or a
neighborhood watch in effect can raise doubt among intruders, turning them
away from the apartment building.

Renters looking for other ways to prevent crime in their apartment are
encouraged to read "Preventing Crime in Your New Place"
(http://living.apartments.com/safety/preventing-crime-in-your-new-place-city-town/)
located in the "Apartment Living" section on Apartments.com.

As part of its monthly "What Renters Want" research series, Apartments.com
surveys renters on various topics. For more information on these surveys or to
receive a copy of additional survey results, please contact Tammy Kotula at
tkotula@apartments.com.

About Apartments.com
Apartments.com (http://www.apartments.com) is the most visited national
apartment Internet listing subscription service with more than 50,000 unique
addresses representing more than three million rental units from managed
properties, newspaper classifieds and for-rent-by-owner properties. With
personalized searches, highly visual ads featuring "Walk Through Video,"
"Apartments.com Anywhere" mobile solutions, 360-degree virtual tours,
professional photography, and comprehensive community listings, Apartments.com
makes it possible for renters to access apartment rental inventory from across
town or across the country. Leads from highly qualified ready-to-rent
prospects are delivered to Apartments.com customers, increasing closure rates
and decreasing the average cost of leasing an apartment. The Web site's
foundation of solid partnerships with the local newspaper and television
station Web sites of more than 1,000 newspaper affiliate and strategic
partners across the country include Yahoo! Real Estate, AOL Real Estate,
Univision (www.univision.com), the Chicago Tribune
(www.chicagotribune.com),The Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com) and the
Los Angeles Times (www.latimes.com). Apartments.com is a division of
Chicago-based Classified Ventures, LLC. Additionally, Apartments.com owns and
operates Apartment Home Living (http://www.apartmenthomeliving.com), a leading
social media apartment Web site distinguished by a "live for fun" community
experience, proprietary lifestyle matching and local living guides to help
renters find their perfect place to live.

SOURCE Apartments.com

Tammy Kotula, Public Relations & Promotions Manager of Apartments.com,
+1-312-601-5249, tkotula@apartments.com