Model apartment in modeling: meaning, example and tips

How it works

For the agency an apartment is convenient: the models live near the office and the castings, are easy to reach, and a newcomer does not have to hunt for housing in a foreign city. For the model it is the simplest way to start.

The price is per person per week or month. This is where unfairness most often creeps in: testimony from New York models describes $1,200 a month deducted for a bunk bed in a room shared with four others.

So find out the price and conditions before you travel and compare them with the local market. If you are earning enough, ask whether you may live elsewhere.

In practice

The agency says the apartment will cost €150 a week, with two models to a room. On arrival the model finds four beds in the room. She photographs it and tells her mother agency, which contacts the partner, and she is moved to another apartment that matches the agreed terms.

What to watch for

Find out the weekly price and how many share a room.
Photograph the flat when you arrive and when you leave.
Check that the number of weeks on the statement is right.

Related terms

Money and rightsAdvanceAn advance is money or costs the agency pays for the model up front and later deducts from their earnings.Money and rightsPocket moneyPocket money is the weekly sum paid out for food and small costs abroad; it is an advance on the model's earnings and is deducted later.Money and rightsModel statementA statement is the agency's account of a model's income and expenses: every job, the commission, the costs advanced and the final balance.Agencies and representationPlacement agencyA placement agency represents a model in one particular market, such as Paris or Tokyo, and works together with the model's mother agency.Money and rightsAgency debtA negative balance arises when advanced costs exceed earnings after commission; the model then owes the agency.

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

01Do you have to live in the model apartment?

Usually not, but on a first trip it is the simplest option. Agree any alternative with the agency in advance.

02How do you know if the rent is fair?

Compare it with renting similar housing in that city. If it is much higher, ask the agency why.

Model apartment