There have been reports in the UK national press recently that holidaymakers to Majorca will face a price hike because of a clampdown on Airbnb on the island.

Similar rules are already in force on the Isle of Man.

Airbnb is a website that enables people to lease or rent their properties to holiday makers.

It’s the most famous player in the market but other companies do the same thing.

The Spanish holiday isle of Majorca, along with the other Balearic islands - Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera - is about to have its tourist bed numbers capped and new restrictions applied to Airbnb -type lets.

Majorca, which received more than 36 million visitors in the first half of this year alone, has introduced a limit of 623,624 beds for tourists, a number which is to be cut again by 120,000 over the next few years.

People advertising holiday rentals on Airbnb and similar sites will face hefty fines if they do not obtain a licence.

Airbnb reported 15,800 active listings in Majorca last year.

Tourism in the Isle of Man is clearly on a much smaller scale than Majorca but a trawl through the company’s website found 221 listings on the Isle of Man.

These ranged from guest houses, flats and barn conversions right through to rooms in private homes.

Tourism regulators in the Isle of Man have now reminded anyone considering making a bit of spare cash by renting out accommodation to holidaymakers that their property must be registered.

They have issued the following statement: ’It is a legal requirement for all visitor accommodation on the Isle of Man to be registered with the Department of Economic Development’s tourism team.

’The process is straightforward and includes quality, fire and hygiene checks to ensure the property is safe and welcoming for visitors.

’Anybody currently offering visitor accommodation who has not yet registered with the department should get in touch with the tourism team in the first instance for a safety and quality review which is free.

’You can do this by emailing [email protected] or telephoning 695700.

’Registration is quick and easy and costs as little as £50 a year, including a free listing on the island’s most visited tourism website, www.visitisleofman.com

’Any properties offering visitor accommodation that have not been registered with the department can face fines up to £5,000.’