A stay at California’s viral ‘invisible house’ turned into a costly business for TikTok influencer Sean Davis.
What was intended to be a quick photo shoot at the stunning Joshua Tree rental soon spiralled into a $10,000 surprise bill after a seemingly harmless selfie triggered an unlisted fee.
What went wrong at ‘invisible house’?
Davis, who rented the reflective, mirrored mansion for a simple photo opportunity, later found himself facing a hefty fine after a selfie posted by a friend’s girlfriend went viral.
In a TikTok video that has now gained over 1.3 million views, Davis explained that the selfie, tagging a brand, violated the house’s rental agreement, triggering an additional $10,000 charge.
“We didn’t actually shoot any brand content inside the house,” Davis stated, adding that the selfie was taken in a bathroom, not part of the original photoshoot.
Despite this, the rental agreement included clauses related to photography, and the commercial use of the home for brand purposes incurred the surprise penalty.
Influencer explains the downside of visiting Invisible house
While the Invisible House in Joshua Tree is an Instagram-famous luxury property, Davis also shared his less-than-ideal experience staying there.
In addition to the shock of the unexpected fine, he expressed dissatisfaction with the house itself, describing it as uncomfortable for sleeping.
“You can’t see out of the house at night but can see in perfectly … worst part is it cracks like a skyscraper all night and is so loud,” he wrote.
Despite the complaints, some commenters on Davis’s viral post seemed less sympathetic to his situation, pointing out that commercial photoshoots typically require extra fees.
Others added that the commercial filming industry often charges separate fees for location use, with one commenter noting, “Seems pretty standard.” It seems the real surprise was not just the bill, but the fine print in the rental agreement.