Among the many flexible home rental platforms to have emerged over the past decade or so has been Blueground – and we’ve reviewed them below.
The demand for furnished move-in-ready apartments has risen sharply in recent years – a result of changing patterns in work and living. In step with this trend has been a continued explosion in digital platforms making it easier than ever to both offer and and purchase products and services – in this case rental homes. One of the most reputable names in the rental sector is Blueground. But what makes them stand out from the crowd? We’ve dug deep to find out.
About the company
Blueground was founded in 2013 in Athens, Greece after its founders grew frustrated with how hard it was to find decent furnished apartments for longer stays. That early focus on practicality and comfort helped shape the company as it expanded and later set up its headquarters in New York. Today, Blueground operates in cities around the world, offering professionally furnished apartments – some owned or leased directly, others managed for local property owners – aimed at people who need flexible, medium- to long-term places to live.
Property locations
The Blueground’s apartments are located in cities across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and beyond, with a strong focus on popular hubs like New York, San Francisco, London, Paris, Berlin, Dubai and Athens. Rather than scattered listings, they tend to concentrate in well-loved neighbourhoods where people actually want to live and are near work offices and transit hubs.
Pricing
At first glance, Blueground’s pricing can seem quite expensive, but the main reason for this is because the monthly rates are for fully furnished, equipped apartments with utilities and Wi-Fi bundled in. Costs vary a lot by city and size — for example a studio in New York will invariably be steeper than a two-bed in Lisbon — but for comparison, and as a general rule, you can expect to pay more than in a conventional unfurnished rental and less than in a short-stay hotel.
How to book
The first thing to know about booking with Blueground is that you’ll need to create an account first. Once you’re set up and logged in, pick your destination city and move-in / move-out dates via the homepage. If you don’t know your exact dates, there’s a ‘flexible dates’ option too. Next, filter your options for specific requirements such as budget, neighbourhood, number of bedrooms and building amenities. After clicking ‘search’, you’ll see all available options based on your criteria along with a total price breakdown for each property. Once you’ve found your desired property, submit your booking request, pay to secure the booking and wait to receive a confirmation email, which will be no later than about 30 days before your lease start date.
Conclusion
Blueground stands out from Airbnb-style platforms and traditional rentals by specialising in fully furnished, medium- to long-term apartments with predictable monthly pricing. Because Blueground owns or leases many of its properties directly — alongside managing others — there’s less uncertainty than peer-to-peer platforms, where experiences can vary depending on the host. That said, it’s often pricier than peer-to-peer options, and deposits or utility billing can vary by market. Overall, Blueground is a reliable choice if you want a consistent, ready-to-live-in apartment and fewer unknowns on a stay of a month or longer.
For more information, visit Theblueground.com