Georgia Legal Report
Georgia apartment residents have a right to protect their families and feel safe and secure in their homes. By law, Georgia apartment owners have a responsibility to protect their residents from violent crime, sexual assault, and foreseeable harm. Unfortunately, all too often, apartment complex owners are more concerned with limiting their financial exposure than protecting tenants and their guests.
The Sandy Springs Police Department urges prospective tenants to check apartment complex crime and security measures prior to renting:
Sandy Springs Apartment Safety Checker
One of the biggest concerns when it comes to renting an apartment is safety. Feeling safe in your own home is important to any renter. There are a few steps you can take to help in your research.
- View the neighborhood crime rate. Using the Apartment Safety Checker tool, you can compare the criminal activity in your chosen area.
- Visit the area. If possible, walk, drive, or take a bus through the area to see how safe it is. If there is a particular route you would use to get to school or work, use that. Consider the quality of the area both during the day and at night.
- During your apartment tour, look for secure entrances and exits; lighting around sidewalks, stairwells, hallways, mailboxes, laundry rooms and other common areas; and security features such as peepholes, deadbolt locks, and any on-site security.
The Apartment Safety Checker Map, created in conjunction with Sandy Springs Police, provides the numbers on incidents reported within the individual apartment communities. Included as part of the Apartment Safety Checker program are: Part One Crime (murder, rape robbery, aggravated assault, theft, motor vehicle theft, arson, narcotics offenses), as well as Disorderly Conduct and Loitering/Prowling. Any unfounded reports of crime are excluded from the totals.
Want to know how a particular Sandy Springs apartment complex measures up in terms of safety? Check out the apartment complex crime-per-unit index or call Sandy Springs police for detailed information on a particular complex or unit.
Victims of Georgia Apartment Assault or Injury: What Are My Legal Options for Justice and Compensation?
As each case and property is unique, victims of violent apartment crime should speak with an experienced security negligence firm as soon as possible to ensure all evidence, such as surveillance footage or broken lighting, is preserved and their best interests are protected.
