The versatile applicable selective laser melting (SLM) is a promising manufacturing technology that allows 3-dimensional design freedom for complex and challenging load bearing parts. A specific application of SLM is the production of thin-walled housings for piezoceramic actuators which induce cyclic loads. Although there are investigations on the fatigue behavior of SLM-specimens, wide acceptance of SLM is limited by a lack of knowledge concerning the operating behavior of actual parts. This paper presents a review on existing studies about fatigue life analysis in SLM as well as results from uniaxial high cycle fatigue (HCF) tests of 1.4542 stainless steel as-built and machined specimens with a stress ratio of R = 0. Due to a lower surface roughness machined specimens show significantly higher fatigue strength compared to as-built ones. The obtained fatigue strength at 107 cycles of as-built specimens is used as input for fatigue tests of thin-walled actuator housings. Numerical simulation is used to determine the stress distribution of thin-walled as-built actuator housings under specific loads. Results indicate that the thin-walled as-built actuator housing withstand higher peak stresses compared to as-built specimens due to a high stress gradient.