Medical tourism is under threat in Munich

The article says that the Bavarian city ‘saved’ 298 apartments in the past year, which were rented illegally as a holiday home or to medical tourists for more than eight weeks.  Eight employees are a part of the special investigation group of apartments at the city authority.

Since this year, citizens can report alleged misappropriations online and 791 messages have been received, 263 apartments have been rented illegally as holiday apartments, 47 for medical tourists and 187 as commercial premises. For the rest, vacancy was suspected.

However, successes are difficult in the area of rents to medical tourists. The city is currently processing 200 cases. 86 apartments could be ‘saved’. In 2018, €622,800 in penalty payments were threatened, of which €285,000 were taken.

The city knows the location of most of these apartments reported by citizens. Most were in the Ludwigsstadt and Isarvorstadt (68 cases) because of the proximity of the inner-city clinics, and in Bogenhausen (52), where renowned clinics are also located.

Since 2016, the city has imposed nearly €1.2 million in fines, of which around 188,000 euros in the area of apartments and 899,000 euros in the field of medical tourism. Since December 2017, the city can impose a fine of €500,000.