A couple visiting the Isle of Man have spoken of their shock after finding their holiday accommodation was ‘like a building site’.

Gina Morton and her partner Steve Atkinson, from South Shields, arrived at the property in Onchan on Friday, August 8. They had booked to stay until Tuesday, August 12 through the holiday platform Vrbo (Vacation Rentals by Owner).

The booking confirmation described the property as a ‘stylish seaview apartment’ – but the couple said it was anything but.

Visit Isle of Man has since confirmed the accommodation is not registered, which it described as unlawful under the Tourist Act 1975. Vrbo has apologised and says it has given the couple a full refund.

Ms Morton said: ‘The apartment was horrific. It was a literal building site – there were uneven drains, electrical wiring hanging through walkways, acrow props and other building materials inside the property.

‘There were no handrails or lighting along the very narrow corridor to the main apartment. The apartment itself was incomplete and didn’t have smoke detectors or carbon monoxide alarms.

‘This property is being advertised as family and pet friendly - but it is very surprising that no one has been seriously injured there.’

With no alternative available that evening, the couple stayed one night before moving to the Comis Hotel for the rest of their trip.

Afterwards, Ms Morton contacted Visit Isle of Man, which confirmed the property was not registered for tourism purposes as required by law. She also contacted Vrbo, who she said were ‘adamant’ the property was registered and ‘seemed unwilling to look any further into it’.

She added: ‘I’ve heard absolutely nothing since from Vrbo or the host, so I’ve made a claim for a refund through my credit card company.

‘I have huge concerns for anyone going to this property about serious injuries and theft, especially those with children and pets. It’s a liability waiting to happen.

‘This completely ruined our holiday and made me concerned about what other unregulated and unregistered properties there are on the island.’

Visit Isle of Man said it planned to approach the owner. In a statement it said: ‘It is a legal requirement under the Isle of Man Tourist Act 1975 that all visitor accommodation properties must be registered with the Department for Enterprise. Operating an unregistered property is therefore unlawful.

‘The property in question is not registered. A member of the team has contacted the owner to remind them of their legal obligation to register, but so far no response has been received. Visit Isle of Man has taken all steps within its remit to address this matter.

‘Unfortunately, online booking platforms such as Vrbo, Booking.com, Expedia and Airbnb do not carry out checks to ensure that properties listed comply with local requirements. As a result, unregistered properties may appear on these platforms without the necessary approvals.

‘Not all accommodation businesses list on the visitisleofman.com website, but visitors can check if a property is registered by viewing the PDF at the top of this page: https://www.visitisleofman.com/trade/business-directory.’

The agency also said failing to register a property as tourist accommodation can breach building regulations and planning rules, while also potentially voiding insurance.

Vrbo said it had since taken action. In a statement it said: ‘We sincerely apologise that Ms Morton’s experience did not meet expectations. At Vrbo, we strive to ensure every guest has a safe and enjoyable stay, and we take reports like this very seriously.

‘Following a review by our Trust & Safety team, we identified significant misrepresentation and safety concerns with the property. As a result, we are issuing a full refund to Ms Morton and have communicated this update to her directly.

‘Vrbo hosts are required to comply with all local laws and regulations, as outlined in our Terms of Service. While hosts are ultimately responsible for their properties, our Compliance Team is investigating this matter and has suspended the listing during the review.’