There is one glaring question that is vitally important for property buyers: is the property you want to buy, in a safe area?

It is important to research the crime rate in a suburb that you want to invest in, as this has a direct effect on your insurance premiums and rental yields.

The best place to start is with the latest crime stats, which can be usually accessed from the website of each police force.

Some websites have interactive crime maps where hotspots are highlighted and what types of crime predominate in certain areas.

In addition, the Australian Bureau of Stats gather, a wide range of information on unemployment rates and average household incomes.

Also real estate and property investment websites, compile profiles of suburbs across the country, which include demographic information, weekly income figures and rental yields.

Living in a high-crime area can affect your ability to acquire an investment loan, as banks will look at the likelihood of finding suitable tenants to generate income, which has an effect on your ability to repay the loan.

Owning an investment property in an area where tenants are more likely to inflict malicious damage and default on rent, will also ensure that you will pay more for insurance premiums.

Selling the property in the future, could become difficult if you buy in high risk areas. Social perception means quite a bit when you are trying to sell property and buyers tend to stay away, from suburbs with bad reputations.

RealRenta's Property Management Software will automatically complete many recurring tasks, notify tenants and Owners of upcoming inspections, and can issue reminders and notices when a compliance breach occurs.

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