Planning your development
Visit Isle of Man commissioned a 'Non-Serviced Accommodation Study' in 2017 to understand where there is potential for non-serviced accommodation growth and development. We would be happy to share a copy of this study with you to help inform your planning.
From 1 January 2025 you will no longer be able to install fossil fuel heating systems in new developments. Further information can be found here: https://www.netzero.im/heatingsystems or by contacting the Net Zero team on climatechange@gov.im.
If you are interested in operating self catering visitor accommodation you are required to follow the registration process outlined below.
What do I need to do first?
Call the Visit Isle of Man Business Support team for an initial discussion and to arrange an advisory visit. The team will be happy to help you to understand the registration process and can answer any questions you may have.
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Visit Isle of Man Advisory Visit - the team will take an initial look at your property or development and provide guidance.
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Planning Permission may be required to use your property for tourist accommodation. Please contact the planning team on planning@gov.im to understand the requirements for your property. The following links may also be useful:
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Building Control - regulation application to authorise the property to operate as a tourist premises
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Fire Safety Advice - to be followed, please see the link below in the Useful Links and Documents
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Fire Risk Assessment - to be completed
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Insurance - prior to registration confirmation of public liability insurance is required (minimum £2 million)
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Access Statement - to be created
You will then:
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Complete the Registration Form and submit along with the Registration Fee.
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Display the Registration Certificate provided in the accommodation
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Create your accommodation profile on visitisleofman.com
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Advertise your property and welcome your first visitors!
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Your details will be passed to our independent assessment team to organise your Star Rating Assessment visit
There is a registration fee of £50 for an individual Self Catering property and £100 if you wish to register more than one Self Catering property in the same location. If you wish to register more than one property in separate locations the cost will be £50 per property.
You are required to complete a registration form and submit payment for your accommodation every year, by February.
What next?
Once the accommodation is registered and you have received your certificate which is to be displayed in the accommodation for visitors to see, you can advertise your property on your choice of platforms (Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb, websites, social media, magazines). You will receive a log in for the official tourism website visitisleofman.com to advertise your accommodation free of charge. This is the ‘shop window’ to the Isle of Man and we would encourage you to create your profile. Please remember to use high quality images and include all of the information you can to showcase your accommodation.
The Visit Isle of Man team sends a list of all registered accommodation to the independent accommodation assessors from Quality in Tourism (QiT). The assessors will contact you to arrange a visit to your accommodation and will provide you with a star rating. You will also receive a report and constructive feedback from the assessors. This visit will be repeated every 2 years to ensure the quality levels and standard of the accommodation is operating at the correct star level.
At this stage you will also be able to take part in the Great4 and Access4 schemes, each property is eligible to have up to 4 schemes free of charge (any additional will be chargeable):
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'Great4' Schemes - designed to assure visitors that participating businesses provide tailored services and facilities to meet their specific needs.
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'Access4' Schemes - help promote your business to potential visitors who may have additional access needs.
