There are many advantages to owning property in an unincorporated area. These areas lie outside municipal regions and property owners often pay lower taxes, enjoy more privacy, and have fewer regulations to follow.
Property investments in unincorporated areas have downsides, as well. Fewer regulations mean greater flexibility in how you use your property, but it can also mean more surprises in how neighbors are developing their land. Unincorporated areas often have fewer paved roads and less access to services like trash pickup and school busing.
And what about police, fire, and medical services? Are people in outlying areas left to fend for themselves? Fortunately, unincorporated areas do have access to emergency services. While each county operates a little differently, fire, police, and medical services are always available in some way.
In unincorporated areas, the local county sheriff’s office will likely respond to any police calls. The nearest hospital or medical facility provides emergency medical services, and the county or the nearest volunteer fire district will respond to fire emergencies. However, a subscription to a private fire or emergency response service may be prudent to ensure a timely response.
If your rental property lies in an unincorporated area, make sure you and your tenants know how your county handles emergency service. While the services are available, response times may lag behind those of city-run departments. This delay in emergency response could potentially lead to higher property insurance costs, as insurance companies often consider the proximity and quality of emergency services when determining premiums. In addition, these services may involve extra fees, and you may have higher property insurance costs due to the slower emergency response times in unincorporated areas.
It’s not always clear if a property is outside of municipal coverage. For example, some cities have “county islands”, which are areas within the city but are not actually covered by municipal services. It’s important to confirm if you’re property is located in an area that may be impacted by lack of municipal service coverage.
Owning property in an unincorporated area offers less access to services typically provided by a city government. However, with the proper research and mindset, the benefits of lower taxes and increased independence may be a good trade-off.
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