Closed gym in Castletown goes up for sale

Shut to members earlier this month after landlord dispute

A Castletown gym which shut its doors to members earlier this month has been put up for sale.

BodyCraft Fitness, in Market Square, closed on 19 October after a dispute with the landlord.

At the time the business owner said the landlord had changed the locks and forced the temporary closure without notice.

They confirmed that whilst there was debt owing ‘due to Covid’ the amount had greatly decreased and they were in negotiations to complete the 10-year lease term which had two years left.

However now the business has been advertised for sale ‘immediately’ on a ‘turnkey basis’ with confirmation that the gym has currently ‘paused trading’ while the sale process is completed.

According to the owner the gym is a ‘profitable business’ with previous ‘very high levels’ of monthly membership, corporate memberships and contracts and weekly class revenue.

The gym equipment, gym management software, branding and social media presence and distribution lists are included in the sale as well as existing membership and corporate contracts.

In response to earlier comments made by social media, by the owner of BodyCraft Fitness, the landlord of the building the gym is run from contacted Manx Radio.

They said the company’s debts were exceeding the annual rent and were ‘increasing continually’ – adding that the business owners ‘have not paid a single payment of rent of service charge’ in months.

The landlord also highlighted that it was receiving other bills that had not been paid and that the debt from the business was all ‘post-date Covid’ and the business had four months rent free during the pandemic.

They added that the business owner was not paying any consumption bills under the service charge claiming: “They are expecting the landlord to fund their business and keep the lights on”.

The landlord also told Manx Radio it was informed that the company was intending to ‘voluntarily liquidate’ the business.

There is no indication as to how much BodyCraft Fitness is being sold for.