The late, great, comedian Rodney Dangerfield once said, “When I drink I don’t know what I’m doing. I got loaded in Vegas, went out, I shot dice, I lost 1,000 bucks. I got even, though. I stole 400 Sweet ’N Lows.” Dangerfield often appeared in Las Vegas, headlining comedy shows since the late 1960s. Here is a guide to a top ten areas in Las Vegas for cheap rentals that I’m betting would be Dangerfield approved.

Hi, I'm William, your ApartmentHomeLiving.com Local Expert for Las Vegas, Nevada. This guide will give you sweet insights and the low down on the top ten Vegas neighborhoods for those on a tight budget. I mean the kind of places where when the birds fly over, they go, “Cheap. Cheap.”

There are basically two versions of Las Vegas, one for tourists and the second one for the people who live there, including workers and retirees. Having lived here for over 20 years, there is one thing I learned: If you move to Vegas, more people will want to come to see you. Keep that in mind when looking for a place.

It’s nice to have a spare bedroom for guests, and you might rent it out using Airbnb to make some gambling cash when family and friends are not visiting. Over 40 million people visit Las Vegas each year. If you don’t like the tourists, wait ten days, and there will be nearly a million new ones.

Another thing to know about is the huge difference in rental prices for vacation accommodations near the Las Vegas Strip, which is actually part of Clark County, and “normal” rents in affordable neighborhoods of the city of Las Vegas, away from the strip, where all the regular people live.

Dangerfield also said, “I went to buy a suit. I told the salesman I wanted to see something cheap. He told me to look in the mirror.”

Dangerfield was “old school” Vegas, funny, brash, and outspoken. I saw him perform here many times, and bless his heart, every time I think of old-school Vegas, he comes to mind. Be proud of your cheapness. Respect.

The neighborhoods covered in this guide are:

Downtown - The Old School Vegas

This is where it all started before the “strip” came into being. The Hotel Nevada was the first hotel built in Vegas. It opened in 1906 and was the first lodging to have indoor plumbing. I rented an apartment in this area for more than a decade until I bought a home in Summerlin.

You can save on apartments in this area if you avoid the pricey high-rise buildings and look for a clean place in some of the one-story complexes with a swimming pool. You can find very affordable basic studio apartments in the area as well as decent larger rentals (one to two bedrooms) for only a little bit more.

Every First Friday of each month, there is a street party on First Street downtown, with music, food, and works by local artists living in the Arts Factory building. It has a cool vibe and a bohemian atmosphere.

Nevada State High School Downtown is in this area and has a GreatSchools rating of 10/10.

University District – Home to UNLV, Go Rebels!

The University District is just north of Harry Reid International Airport. Many students from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) live in this area. Finding a place to share with roommates is a popular life hack to lower the cost of rent per person.

Like most of these affordable Vegas areas, studios can be found for a great price. Add just a little bit more to get a larger space. Even though I live elsewhere, one thing that frequently brings me to this neighborhood is the variety of events held at the Thomas & Mack Center on the UNLV campus. You can enjoy sports events, music concerts, and theatrical productions there.

Richfield – Yummy BBQ

Come to this area to find a cheap apartment and stay to be close to my favorite, tasty BBQ restaurant called Rollin Smoke Barbeque. Just thinking about that place makes my mouth water.

This is Southern-style BBQ with offerings of beef brisket, ribs, spicy hot links, savory-smoked meatloaf, and fried catfish. You can eat at the indoor bar or outdoor picnic tables and get BBQ sauce from ear-to-ear, or you can pick it up, take it out, or order home delivery.

This is a family-owned and operated restaurant. They came from Arkansas with these recipes and built a substantial local following. Cheap apartments all over Vegas are very similar, but this BBQ is OMG! You have to know about this place from word-of-mouth because it is in a nondescript area. Now, you know.

Rancho/Charleston – In the Middle

This area is a calm neighborhood in the middle of the city just southwest of where the I-15 and I-11 freeways intersect. If you work on the Strip, you can be home to your apartment in minutes.

A general rule of thumb is that the vacation rentals for the Strip are on the eastern side of the I-15 freeway, closer to the Strip. Once you go west of the I-15, you find more “normal” apartments with attractive rental prices.

Meadows – It is Great to be a Senior in Vegas

If you are in the 55+ Active Adult time of life, getting on the waitlist for some of the fantastic options in Senior apartments in the Meadows area. Many communities offer discounted pricing for all of the high-end amenities. After all – money saved on rent makes for more money to play the nickel slots, eh? <wink>

You may have a bit of a wait to grab one of these fantastic apartments and many have a waiting list, but it is worth the wait. In the meantime, there are plenty of other options for apartments in the area without age restrictions as well.

Las Verdes Heights – Going Upscale on a Budget

In some Vegas neighborhoods, the density of apartment buildings is so tight that you might feel like your neighborhoods are packed next to you like sardines. Not here. This neighborhood primarily has single-family homes (think ranch-style homes on oversized lots) with a few apartment complexes strategically placed to blend in with the rest of the community.

The apartments are more expensive in this part of town, but that extra cost also comes with a nice bump in size usually. This could be a good neighborhood to research if you want to live in a nice area and perhaps share a space with another person or roommate.

Pittman Neighborhood – Townhomes

This area is adjacent to Summerlin East. Summerlin is a gorgeous master-planned community (where I live now) that is very popular, but rents can be a bit higher by comparison with mostly homes available to rent.

In the Pittman neighborhood, there are some really wonderful options in townhomes available for rent that are a nice in-between choice, bigger than an apartment but smaller than a custom single-family home. These townhomes may share a common wall, or they may be standalone.

You likely want to check with each and choose one that is well-maintained and where the community fees (if any) are reasonable.

Twin Lakes - Country Living in the Big City

In this part of Vegas, there are actually two small lakes and large semi-green spaces, which is rare because water shortages have caused irrigation restrictions. There is the Twin Lakes Country Club, which has a nice restaurant. Reclaimed water is used for the golf course and drought-resistant landscaping.

All of the apartment complexes are found north of the country club’s golf course.

Paradise Palms - For Convenience

This neighborhood is smack dab in the middle of the action and spitting distance from the major hotels on the Strip (as long as they do the spitting). It is also near the university, so this gives the area a nice mixture of casino workers and students.

Typical apartment complexes are two-story walk-ups with about 10 to 20 units in a long building and parking in the back. Be sure to get a covered parking space; otherwise, your car will get as hot as an oven.

Royal Crest Estate – Circle on the Map

The Royal Crest Estate has a large Royal Crest Circle Drive as a prominent feature in the center of the neighborhood. A fun thing to do is to drive around the circle to see the choices of apartment buildings and condominiums (some condos may be rentals).

If you don’t find something suitable to be your Vegas kingdom on Royal Crest Circle Drive, just drive south to Royal Crest Street, and you will find an abundance (dozens of apartment complexes to choose from. If it is not too hot, take a walk around the neighborhood to get a feel for the area. You can always move across the street if you get tired of your place here.

Viva Las Vegas

One thing I noticed about Vegas is that although the housing prices have increased considerably over the past decades, the rents have stayed around the same. I think this is due to the competition and the abundance of nice apartment complexes to consider. This can help those on a limited or fixed income where the rent does not increase much over the years.