Not in the state of Oregon. The neighborhood is out of the control of the apartment owner and or manager so why should they be punished for that. They do have control over who moves into your apartment, however a bad neighbor is not grounds to break a rental agreement. If the apartment is unfit by the standards of county housing athority then you can refuse to pay rent untill the problem is fixed. If you know for a fact that bad things are happening in your neighborhood contact the police they may have a neighborhood watch or other help for you.

Only adding to Heather's answer. This is a good example of "buyer (or renter in this case) beware". The apartment complex is not responsible for the activities of the neighborhood it is in. You, as a prospective renter, are responsible for checking the neighborhood out before you sign the lease. Where you might have grounds to break the lease is if the aprtment complex is not properly screening/evicting tenants. For example, I lived in a really nice complex and the lease actually stated what the grounds for eviction were. One of those grounds was illegal activity on the part of the tenant (NOT the neighborhood). Read your lease. If there is anything in writing about the role/responsability of the complex management to ensure the safety of tenants. . .challenge them on it. If not, you might be out of luck. You also might be able to hash out a deal with them that if they let you break your lease penalty free (get this in writing) because you don't feel safe and they aren't being responsive to complaints that you won't sue. Laws differ everywhere, so if you really feel you have a case against the apartment management/rental company you should consult an attorney. Always check out the neighborhood before signing a lease!!! Hope this helps.