The Kardashian sisters were prevented from moving in to one of Miami's most upmarket suburbs.

The famous siblings - who recently relocated to Florida to film their new show 'Kourtney and Kim Take Miami' which is a spin-off of their popular reality series 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' - were told they were not welcome in the posh South Beach area and local residents blocked their application to secure three properties there.

A source told US gossip website RadarOnline that the sisters were forced to move to a 51,000-square-foot property within a gated community in North Miami Beach, almost 14 miles away from their filming locations.

The source said: ''The area is known for its hourly hotels, strip clubs and high crime rate. It's a far-cry from their usual posh digs, with just a 7-Eleven and an abandoned old bank close by.''

A local law states that potential new residents need to get signatures of approval from any neighbours living within 500 feet of the homes they wish to lease.

South Beach residents refused to allow Kim and Kourtney to rent the properties amid fears they would turn the quiet area into a circus by attracting film crews, paparazzi and fans.

The sisters, who are regularly joined in the area by their younger sister Khloe as well as other family members, have only moved to the area temporarily from their Los Angeles homes to revamp their clothing store Dash.

The new series of their popular show will hit screens in January.