Take a look inside a $5.5 million luxury Miami houseboat at the center of a tax dispute over whether it's a house or a boat

Maria NoyenApr 1, 2022, 23:12 IST

The Arkup #1 houseboat in Miami.Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Arkup #1, a luxury houseboat in Florida, is at the center of a tax dispute with Miami-Dade County.
The debate is whether Arkup #1 should be taxed as a home, or whether it's exempt as a "vessel."

The owner of a green-energy luxury houseboat in Florida has found themselves at the center of a tax dispute with Miami-Dade County.

Arkup houseboats are designed to be eco-friendly "livable yachts."Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The home is the mastermind project of two French engineers, whose yacht company is dedicated to building future-proof floating homes.

Arkup co-founder Nicolas Derouin stands by the houseboat in 2019.Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

The $5.5 million home is docked in Miami's star-studded Star Island.

Arkup #1 is docked off of Miami's glitzy Star Island.Google Maps, Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Arkup #1 has all the trappings of a luxury modern mansion, including a kitchen decked out with Miele appliances overlooking ocean views.

The open concept kitchen is fully fitted with Miele appliances.Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The floating mansion may be recognizable since it was spotlighted in Netflix's "The World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals."

The Arkup houseboat's first-floor living area.Joe Raedle/Getty Images

While the current owner stays on the boat from "time to time," Arkup #1 is set up to accommodate eight people in four bedrooms.

The houseboat can sleep up to eight people in four bedrooms.Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Attorneys for the owner say they chose Arkup purely because it was an "eco-friendly alternative to gas-guzzling yachts."

The home is also configured with smart-house automation.Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Examples of how environmentally conscious it is includes its rooftop layered with solar panels and a rainwater collection system.

Its "green energy" features include a rooftop loaded with solar panels.Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The home itself is also designed specifically to withstand extreme climate-change related weather.

Views from Arkup #1.CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images

Even though it also has all the necessary features of a recreational vessel, and has been designated one by the US Coast Guard, Miami-Dade County officials aren't convinced.

Is Arkup #1 a house or a boat?CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images

Even though it also has all the necessary features of a recreational vessel, and has been designated one by the US Coast Guard, Miami-Dade County officials aren't convinced.

Whether or not the home is a house or a boat is still in contention — but representatives for the owner say their client is not trying to find a tax loophole.

The Arkup houseboat is at the center of a tax dispute between Miami-Dade County and its owner.Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

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Take a look inside a $5.5 million luxury Miami houseboat at the center of a tax dispute over whether it's a house or a boat

The owner of a green-energy luxury houseboat in Florida has found themselves at the center of a tax dispute with Miami-Dade County.

The home is the mastermind project of two French engineers, whose yacht company is dedicated to building future-proof floating homes.

The $5.5 million home is docked in Miami's star-studded Star Island.

Arkup #1 has all the trappings of a luxury modern mansion, including a kitchen decked out with Miele appliances overlooking ocean views.

The floating mansion may be recognizable since it was spotlighted in Netflix's "The World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals."

While the current owner stays on the boat from "time to time," Arkup #1 is set up to accommodate eight people in four bedrooms.

Attorneys for the owner say they chose Arkup purely because it was an "eco-friendly alternative to gas-guzzling yachts."

Examples of how environmentally conscious it is includes its rooftop layered with solar panels and a rainwater collection system.

The home itself is also designed specifically to withstand extreme climate-change related weather.

Even though it also has all the necessary features of a recreational vessel, and has been designated one by the US Coast Guard, Miami-Dade County officials aren't convinced.

Whether or not the home is a house or a boat is still in contention — but representatives for the owner say their client is not trying to find a tax loophole.