It’s your dream apartment, complete with off-street parking, plenty of space, a dishwasher, and you’re all set to sign the lease. But before you commit to moving in, there’s one more piece of homework you need to do – confirm that your apartment is in a safe neighborhood.

A great apartment in a not-so-great neighborhood can end up being a costly nightmare if your home is burglarized. While getting renters insurance should be a given no matter where you lease, if you rent in a high-crime area your property insurance cost could be more. And don’t overlook the threat to your personal safety and peace of mind that living in a bad neighborhood can create.

Fortunately, you have plenty of resources for finding out if a neighborhood is safe before you commit to moving there. Here are four ways you can assess the safety of a neighborhood:

* Use online resources that provide crime statistics. It’s likely the local police department will have information available on its website. Plus, the FBI provides its Uniform Crime Report statistics at www.fbi.gov. The reports are usually never more than a year old, and sometimes as recent as the first half of the current year. The reports carry statistics for towns, counties, cities and states across the country and track everything from violent crimes like murder and rape, to home invasion, theft and burglary.

* Next, find out if the area has a neighborhood watch in place. These volunteer organizations, comprised of residents in an area, have been around for more than 40 years and rely on the vigilance of neighbors to keep communities safe.

* Make contact with the community and the people who live there. Walk the neighborhood and use your good judgment. If you don’t feel safe strolling the streets near an apartment, how safe will you feel living there? Talk to neighbors and ask questions about the security of the apartment building and neighborhood.

* Seek online renters insurance quotes and compare results. Insurance companies have vast resources for assessing the risk associated with a given address. If a quote comes back very high, it could be a warning sign that the company considers the rental unit to be in a high-risk neighborhood.