Homestay IOM has come under fire for allegedly ‘doubling’ the registration fees for 2025.
The registration fee has gone up £5 for next year, from £60 to £65, whilst the two year registration fee has gone up from £80 to £95.
Registration fees include a fire inspection, £5million public liability insurance, access to customer support and registration.
Once registered the property will automatically be entered into the official property directory on Homestay IOM‘s new and improved website, but is left to the owner to decide how they wish to advertise it.
Homestay IOM
Manx.News spoke to Alex Maitland, Homestay Manager who explained the confusion within the new fees:
Alex explained that by law all properties looking to accommodate MGP and TT visitors must be registered with the Isle of Man Government under the Tourism Act 1975.
Registration
The legislation ensures that people get a good experience when staying on the island, but also that the properties have been inspected and are safe for use.
For the signature TT Races, hosts could earn up to £2,350 tax free income by registering their property.
Hosts are free to set their own rates for the property as well as advertising where the individual seems most appropriate to them.
Advertising Package
Homestay IOM is offering an optional extra of an advertising package priced at £110 for one year, or £175 for two years – both include the registration fee.
Although if hosts sign up before December 31 this will cost £99.
The optional extra includes a full listing on the Homestay website and marketing campaigns on the property to Homestay’s mailing list of over 10,000 people.
Homestay IOM do not take any commission from the booking, whereas the likes of Air BnB take a large commission on the booking.
Visit Isle of Man appointed the local firm to operate the scheme earlier this year and since the take over the company have delved into improving the overall experience for visitors and hosts alike.
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