An Airbnb guest says he was fined $10,000 for taking a selfie inside the viral Invisible House in Joshua Tree, California.
The Invisible House is an iconic 5,500-square-foot mirrored home in the California desert. Its glass exterior reflects the landscape, making it appear almost invisible, and the design has made it a viral hit online. Inside, the property includes a 100-foot indoor pool and rents for about $2,400 a night on Airbnb.
In a series of TikTok videos, sports agent Sean Davis says he booked the house for $10,000, believing the price covered a stay and a simple outdoor photo shoot. He later discovered that taking pictures carried a separate charge, and he was billed an additional $10,000 for a selfie inside the house.
@seanmdavis We rented the invisible house in Joshua Tree for a photo shoot outside. We didn’t let them know we were taking some photos outside and got shook down for 10k over a selfie tagging a brand not even mine. Sleeping there is a the worst part. You can’t see out of the house at night but can see In perfectly. Worst part is it cracks like a sky scrapper all night and is so loud. #fyp #travel #invisiblehouse #palmsprings #joshuatree ♬ оригинальный звук – tenly
“Looks cool, but is a complete nightmare,” Davis warns about the Invisible House in a TikTok video with over 1.5 million views. “We didn’t let them know we were taking some photos outside and got shook down for $10k over a selfie tagging a brand not even mine.”
He later clarified in a follow-up video that a friend’s girlfriend had taken a selfie inside the bathroom of the house, tagged a brand on Instagram, and the brand reshared the post. Davis says that action triggered a clause in the rental agreement and a substantial fine.
Davis adds that no professional cameras were used, and the post was not linked to a paid brand campaign.
“We didn’t actually shoot any brand content in the house. We shot outside, but they had an issue with a selfie,” he writes in a caption. “A friend’s GF took a photo in the bathroom and tagged a brand that got reposted by the brand. It wasn’t even my brand. We paid $10k for the house and another $10k because of the photo.”
Many viewers expressed sympathy for Davis, but pointed out that charging for commercial use of rental properties is common.
“As someone who used to run a property with frequent filming, that’s about right,” a TikTok user explains. “It’s industry standard to pay for locations for commercial advertising use. Welcome to the industry! No one makes this same mistake twice!”
Another viewer says: “My uncle has an Airbnb, and the daily rate is $1,000, but brand shoots are $10k. Seems pretty standard.”
The Airbnb listing for the Invisible House confirms that the property is available for private groups, intimate gatherings, and filming and photography productions, but only with prior approval and an extra fee.
“Approval and production fee required. Inquire within,” the listing states.