An iconic house with a 25ft shark sticking out of the roof has is now available to rent for $5,000 a month — after the council banned it from being a holiday let.
Owner Dr. Magnus Hanson-Heine lost a planning appeal from Oxford Council to ban the house being an Air BnB type rental.
The quirky four bed and four bathroom property on New High Street in Headington, Oxon, also known as the Shark House, is now listed on Rightmove and is available to rent for $5,000 per month.
It will be available to rent from March 5, 2025, and the property listing states that bills are included and that students can inquire.
The property is furnished and is described on the listing as a “dive into a piece of living art history”.
It has a fully equipped kitchen, laundry facilities, SKY TV, and fast Wi-Fi, as well as off-street parking.
For the last five years, Dr Hanson-Heine has been letting the property out on Airbnb for short term stays.
His late father Bill Heine had initially constructed the sculpture without official planning permission from Oxford City Council in 1986.
Dr Hanson-Heine has now been informed that he must stop using the property as a short-term let by March 11, 2025 — a move which he believes will hurt Oxford’s tourism industry overall.
A statement on the property listing says: “Nestled in the heart of Headington – Oxford, The Headington Shark House isn’t just accommodation; it’s a dive into a piece of living art history.
”Featuring the awe-inspiring 25ft fiberglass and steel shark sculpture that spectacularly ‘crashes’ through the roof, this Victorian marvel offers a one-of-a-kind stay.
”Experience the comfort of modern living while enveloped in a story that has captivated the world.’
”’The Shark House stands as a testament to creativity, freedom, and the voice against conformity. Erected by my late father, Bill Heine, and sculptor John Buckley, it sparked a national debate on public art and personal expression.
”Today, it invites you to ponder its deeper meanings or simply enjoy its whimsical defiance.”
Dr. Hanson-Heine has previously hit back at the council for the short term late ban.
He said: “Certain elements of the council have just used this as an excuse to score some cheap political points by going after a local landmark at the expense of the public.
“This does nothing meaningful to help people looking for homes, and after March all they will have done is to rob people who want to experience this piece of Oxford’s history from the inside.
“I suppose my message would be ‘Come while you still can’.”
However, the council has defended the short term let ban on the Shark House.
It said an increase in renting out entire properties for all or most of the year has resulted in the “loss of valuable homes in the UK’s most unaffordable city”.
It added that there are nearly 3,500 households on the waiting list for social housing in Oxford.
Councillor Linda Smith, Oxford City Council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “Where properties have changed from being residential homes to becoming short let businesses without planning approval, we do take enforcement action.
“We live in one the least affordable places for housing in the UK.
“There are nearly 800 properties let out entirely as short lets in Oxford and we need those for people to live in and not as holiday accommodation.”