Any Oxfordian worth their salt knows all about the ‘Headington Shark’. The 25ft sculpture of a shark embedded head-first into the house at 2 New Street is an iconic piece of Oxford’s history – alongside The Turf Tavern pub, where former US president Bill Clinton famously smoked ‘but did not inhale’ marijuana.
Image Credit: Metro [FILE PICTURE - Bill Heine outside his house number two New High Street in Oxford. Photo released December 16 2024. The owner of the iconic "shark house" in Oxford says "come while you can" after council demand closure of quirky Airbnb.Oxford City Council won the planning appeal banning the use of short let accommodation last week for the quirky property in New Street, Headington, more widely known as the Shark House - which features a 25ft shark sticking out of its roof.This comes after owner Dr. Magnus Hanson-Heine, whose father Bill Heine constructed the sculpture without official planning permission from Oxford City Council in 1986.For the last five years, Dr. Hanson-Heine has been letting the property out on Airbnb for short term stays - but received notice from the council to shut it down, after a member of the public complained about the change from a residential use to a short-term let.]
But after years as an Airbnb, with single nights costing more than £1,000 during peak season, the local council has ruled that owner Dr Magnus Hanson-Heine must stop letting the home as short-term accommodation. The property, which became one of Oxford’s most recognisable sites after Dr Hanson-Heine’s father erected the ‘Jaws’ like artwork in protest against war in 1986, has been used as an Airbnb for the past five years.
Image Credit: Metro [FILE PHOTO - The Shark House in suburban Oxford. Photo released December 16 2024. The owner of the iconic "shark house" in Oxford says "come while you can" after council demand closure of quirky Airbnb.Oxford City Council won the planning appeal banning the use of short let accommodation last week for the quirky property in New Street, Headington, more widely known as the Shark House - which features a 25ft shark sticking out of its roof.This comes after owner Dr. Magnus Hanson-Heine, whose father Bill Heine constructed the sculpture without official planning permission from Oxford City Council in 1986.For the last five years, Dr. Hanson-Heine has been letting the property out on Airbnb for short term stays - but received notice from the council to shut it down, after a member of the public complained about the change from a residential use to a short-term let.]
But Oxford City Council ordered the end of this arrangement after it was notified of an official complaint, citing the reason as the ‘change of use to short let accommodation.’. However, as per reports in The Telegraph, Dr Hanson-Heine said that to his knowledge, he hadn’t received any complaints from neighbours – and suggested he was specifically ‘targeted’ by the council as part of a ‘test case’ on shutting down Airbnb properties across the city.
Image Credit: Metro [FILE PICTURE - Bill Heine outside his house number two New High Street in Oxford. Photo released December 16 2024. The owner of the iconic "shark house" in Oxford says "come while you can" after council demand closure of quirky Airbnb.Oxford City Council won the planning appeal banning the use of short let accommodation last week for the quirky property in New Street, Headington, more widely known as the Shark House - which features a 25ft shark sticking out of its roof.This comes after owner Dr. Magnus Hanson-Heine, whose father Bill Heine constructed the sculpture without official planning permission from Oxford City Council in 1986.For the last five years, Dr. Hanson-Heine has been letting the property out on Airbnb for short term stays - but received notice from the council to shut it down, after a member of the public complained about the change from a residential use to a short-term let.]
Dr Hanson-Heine said he believes the move will damage Oxford tourism and leave the historic city ‘significantly poorer’. Under planning inspector guidelines, he has until March 11 to stop renting the property on Airbnb. Councillor Linda Smith, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, said: ‘It’s almost impossible to say how many much-needed homes Oxford has lost to short lets because the sector is still virtually unregulated.
