Where Are You Going To Live During Pilot Season?

The craziness of pilot season is just starting in Hollywood. When actors make their way to California, they are always concerned about having their resume and headshot and management in order. Many of them don't give enough thought to where they are going to live once they get to Los Angeles. Rentals are at a premium during pilot season because landlords and homeowners know they can make a killing renting out apartments and spare rooms.

Pilot season also creates a big demand for hotel and motel rooms. Besides the actors coming to Los Angeles for pilot season, there's also a big demand for rooms thanks to the number of awards ceremonies at this time of year. You can certainly find an apartment for rent but be prepared to pay a higher price since most apartments that offer short-term leases have already been booked. The remaining few can make big money since there is such a demand for places to live.

How do you go about finding a place? Two of the most popular online sites are Craigslist and Airbnb. Although you can narrow your search some by location on Craigslist, Airbnb is more focused as it gives you a checklist of items to search for in an apartment or rental property. There is also a very helpful online site from Westside Rentals that allows landlords to list properties that have opened in Los Angeles and the surrounding area. There is also the option of taking over an existing rental by subleasing it from a person who is moving before their lease is over.

If the actor coming to Hollywood is a child actor with a parent who is employed in the corporate world, there is always corporate housing rentals. This would require some coordination with the company that employs the parent but it is certainly worth checking into as a housing option.

The other thing to worry about when finding a place to live is LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION. There are dozens of casting locations that host auditions on a regular basis. A good number of them are in the Hollywood, DTLA and San Fernando Valley area. While you might find a rental place that has a cheaper price in Orange County or Simi Valley, the amount of time spent in traffic getting to an audition might make the idea of living further out not worth it in the long run. Many auditions are last minute so being in Long Beach doesn't make it easy to get to Burbank in 30-minutes to an hour for a time sensitive audition window.

Here's a few numbers to give you an idea of how crowded the acting field is in Los Angeles. Just taking the amount of adults out of the equation (since Zach is still in the teen category), the California Department of Labor issues around 50,000 entertainment work permits every six months. (The work permits for minors must be renewed every six months.)  The vast majority of these work permits are for minors working in the Los Angeles area. Add in the large number of adult actors also in Los Angeles for pilot season (much less year round residents) and you'll have a good idea of how many people are searching for housing in Los Angeles.

I'm not trying to scare you off from being a part of pilot season. I just want you to be prepared for the competition for housing that goes along with the competition for booking roles and the increase in traffic from the new (temporary) residents.

If you do decide to join us in California for the next few months, enjoy your stay in Los Angeles!

This actor makes the San Fernando Valley his home.