Would you pay £6,000 a month to live in a house with a shark in the roof?

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 presidenꦐt Bill Clinton famously smok▨ed ‘but did not inhale’ marijuana.

But after years as an Airbnb, with single nights costing more than £1,000 during peak season, the loca🐠l 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.

But Oxford City Council ordered the end of this arrangement after it was notified of an official complaint, citing the reaso💧n as the ‘change of use to short let accommodation.’

However, as per reports in , 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 p💜roperties across the city.

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 renꦰting 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 sectorඣ is still virtually unregulated.

‘What we do know is there are nearly 3,500 households on our waiting list and that short lets can cause misery in♈ our communities.’

But all is not lost for the iconic Headington Shark. The property is now available to letജ on OpenRent for £6,000 per month.

With four bedrooms and four bathrooms, there’s plenty besides the unusual art to draw tenants. The house is 1.5 miles from Oxford city centre, and with its renewed identity as a rental, it ‘invites you to ponder its ♛deeper meanings or simply enjoy its whimsical defiance.’

‘The Headington Shark House isn’t just accommodation; it’s a dive into a pi𒐪ece of living art history,’ the reads.

‘Featuring the awe-inspiring “Untitled 1986” – a 25ft fibreglass 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 ha🅰s captivated the world.’

This isn’ღt the first time that the Headington Shark – which was n♎amed a ‘protected landmark’ in 2022 despite the owner’s objections – has come into jeopardy.

From the beginning, the installation has proved controversial. Dr Hansꦐon-Heine’s father, Bill Heine, curated the design in secret with the help of sculptor John Buckley before unveiling it in 1986 without planning permission.

The initial reaction to the shark was shock, but it quickly embedded itself as a classic part of Oxfordian culture – and as the assures, people came ‘from all over the country to 🌞speak in its defence at various public forums.’

After secretary for the environment Michael Heseltine made a personal visit to the home, he declared that the shark should be allowed to stay as a permanent resident – and it was there that the six-year-long argument ended. 🉐Until now, at least.

‘The government shouldn’t get to decide what kind of art people are and aren’t allowed to see…it shouldn’t be up to the tastes and whims of a select group of people to decide for others what they 🍬can and can’t do with their lives and their homes,’ the Headington Shark’s website continues.

‘The sculpture has the meaning that you place on i🀅t, how it strikes you, and what it brings up. The sculpture can offer an example of what happens when we suddenly find something unexpected that breaks from the normal patterns of how we imagine things to be.

‘It might give an insight into change and the fragile nature of things that otherwise feel safe and stable, allowing us to look again with fresh eyes. Or perhaps it’s just a💎 bit of fun.’

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