Owner of iconic home with 25ft shark sticking out of roof loses battle to rent on Airbnb for £1,000 a night

The owner of a home with a 25-foot shark sticking out of his roof We were told by the Labor-run council that we should stop renting it out as Airbnb.

For the past few years, Dr Magnus Hansson-Heine has been renting out the house for short-term stays, with a night’s stay costing more than £1,000 during peak periods.

After the death of Dr. Hanson-Heine’s father, Bill Heine, the house became one of Oxford’s most famous and photographed homes. A shark-like “Jaws” crashed into a roof built as a protest against war and bombing.

Last July, Dr Hanson-Heine appealed against Oxford City Council’s order to cease letting out the property as a short-term holiday rental.

But now The planning inspector sided with the local authority, meaning Dr Hanson-Heine will have to stop letting out the property by March 11 next year.

He believes this will damage Oxford’s tourism industry and leave it in a “significantly poorer” situation.

However, planning inspectors said the house – known around the world as ‘Headington Shark House’ – would represent a ‘very small reduction’ in Oxford’s housing supply, but was unsuitable for short-term rental. It was determined that

Based on the City Council’s own planning regulations, According to a BBC report, short-term rentals are only allowed in allocated sites in city centres, district centres, or on Oxford’s “major arterial roads with frequent direct public transport links to the city centre”. Should.

Dr Hanson-Heine told the Telegraph: “Shark House is not just a home, it is a major tourist attraction.”

“It’s great to be able to open it up to the public and celebrate together, and I plan to continue to do so for as long as I can.”

“While the plans are under appeal, we have not yet heard any complaints from neighbors and the inspectors found no such harm in their decision.

“We receive mostly five-star reviews from our guests.

“Some factions in Congress are simply using this as an excuse to score cheap political points by pursuing local landmarks at the expense of the public.”

“This will do nothing to help people looking for a home and all they have done since March will be to deprive people who want to experience a piece of Oxford’s history from the inside.”

“Oxford’s tourism and accommodation sector will suffer significantly.”

The structure, made of fiberglass and steel and built by sculptor John Buckley, was built without official planning permission on the anniversary of the atomic bomb being dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki in 1986. Ta.

The six-year planning battle only came to an end when then Environment Secretary Michael Heseltine personally visited the house and allowed the building to continue.

Last year, the house was added to the Oxford Heritage Property Register as a place of interest, despite Mr Magnus’s objections, after his father first installed the shark in protest against planning laws.

After being told to stop renting out properties last year, Dr Hanson-Heine previously said: “I’m going to fight this, but it seems so arbitrary that they chose me.” Ta. Some people in Oxford use their homes as Airbnbs on weekends.

“The house has had previous planning disputes with the council and this could be revenge.

“This house has been used as an Airbnb for 5 years and advertised on other platforms. Why would they want to close it now?

“Shark House allows visitors to the region to step into a unique part of Oxford’s history, but the closure of Airbnb will represent a significant loss to Oxford’s signature tourism offering. It’s for that reason.”

Dr Hanson-Heine, who inherited the house after his father died in 2019 at the age of 74, says it is rented out most weekends.

It has a great guest rating of 4.86 on Airbnb. The house sleeps up to 10 people and costs over £2,000 for two nights in April. Average price is £300 per night.

MailOnline has contacted Oxford City Council for comment.