The iconic Shark House in Headington, Oxford, featuring a 25-foot shark sculpture protruding from its roof, is now available for long-term rental at £4,000 per month, following a ban by Oxford Council on its use as a short-term Airbnb rental. Owner Dr. Magnus Hansson-Heine lost a planning appeal after years of renting it out to tourists. Originally listed at £6,000, the price was reduced due to council regulations. The property includes four bedrooms, three with en-suite bathrooms, a garden, and a conservatory. The shark, conceived by Dr. Hansson-Heine’s father, symbolizes protest against war and has become a prominent artwork in Oxford.
The iconic house, which has a 25ft shark sticking out of its roof, can now be rented for £4,000 a month after the council banned it as a holiday rental.
Owner Dr Magnus Hansson-Heine lost a planning appeal to Oxford Council, which banned the house from being used as an Airbnb-type rental.
The prestigious four-bedroom, four-bathroom property in Headington, Oxford, also known as Shark House, is currently listed on Rightmove and is available to rent from £4,000 per month.
In accordance with council regulations, the property was listed as a long-term rental property with an initial price of £6,000 per month.
A week later, on 23 December 2024, the price was reduced by £2,000.
Shark House will be available from 5 March 2025 and is described in the listing as “synonymous with Oxford’s skyline”.
Now officially for sale, it features 1700 square feet of interior living space, a fully equipped kitchen, public transportation and off-street parking.
Three of the four bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms, and the grounds include both a garden and a vibrant conservatory already full of plants.
A prestigious 4-bedroom, 4-bathroom property is listed on Rightmove and available to rent from £4,000 per month
Three of the four bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms, and the property features both a garden and a vibrant conservatory that is already filled with plants.
Now officially on the market, it boasts 1,700 square feet of interior living space, a fully equipped kitchen, public transportation and off-street parking.
Dr. Hanson-Heine, who inherited the famous building from his father who passed away in 2019, has been renting it out for short-term stays on Airbnb for the past five years.
His late father Bill Heine originally built the sculpture without formal planning permission from Oxford City Council in 1986, the 41st anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan.
A six-year planning battle ensued, only to end when the then Environment Secretary, Michael Heseltine, personally visited the house and allowed the building to continue.
After the Jaws-like building was erected to protest war and bombing, it became one of Oxford’s most famous and photographed homes.
Late last year, Dr Hanson-Heine was informed that he had to cease using the property as a short-term rental by March 11, 2025, which he said would have a negative impact on Oxford’s tourism industry as a whole. I felt it.
For several years he has been renting out the house to tourists, with a night’s stay costing more than £1,000 during peak seasons.
“Shark House is a testament to creativity, freedom, and a voice against conformity,” the Airbnb listing says.
“Built by my late father, Bill Heine, and sculptor John Buckley, this building sparked a national conversation about public art and personal expression.
Owner Dr Magnus Hansson-Heine lost a planning appeal to Oxford Council, which banned the house from being used as an Airbnb-type rental.
For the past few years Dr Hanson-Heine has been renting out the house to tourists, with a night’s stay costing more than £1,000 during peak periods.
Bill Heine outside his home (also known as Shark House) on Oxford’s High Street.
“Headington Shark House is more than just accommodation, it’s about diving into a piece of living art history.
“It invites you to ponder its deeper meanings or simply enjoy its whimsical defiance.”
The shark sculpture is an impressive 25-foot-tall steel and fiberglass sculpture that “crashes” through the roof.
It was installed head first at dawn one morning with the help of a crane.
According to Bill Heine, this was his way of expressing what it feels like when a person feels “completely helpless with anger and hopelessness and a hole in the roof.”
Dr Hanson-Heine had previously hit back at the council for banning the property as a short-term rental.
He told the Telegraph: “Some forces in parliament are simply using this as an excuse to score cheap political points by pursuing local landmarks at the expense of the public.” Ta.
“This does nothing to help people looking for a home. All they’ve done since March is loot people who want to experience a piece of Oxford’s history from the inside. .”
Late last year, Dr Hanson-Heine was told that he must cease using the property as a short-term rental by March 11, 2025.
After the Jaws-like building was erected to protest war and bombing, Shark House became one of Oxford’s most famous and photographed homes.
Six years after the shark sculpture, Environment Secretary Michael Heseltine personally visited the house and granted permission to keep the structure.
However, the council staunchly defended its decision.
The report said there was an increase in letting out entire properties for all or most of the year, resulting in “the loss of valuable housing in Britain’s least expensive cities”.
It added that around 3,500 families were on the waiting list for social housing in Oxford.
Councilor Linda Smith, Oxford City Council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “If a property is converted from residential to short-term rental business without planning approval, we will take enforcement action.”
“We live in one of the cheapest places to live in the UK.
“There are nearly 800 properties in Oxford that are fully let as short-term rentals, but we need properties for people to live in, not as holiday accommodation.
“The out-of-control growth of short-term rentals can deprive our cities of much-needed housing and create a dire situation in our quiet neighborhoods.”
