Blueground review
Our independent editorial read on Blueground for New York City short-term-rental owners.
★★★★☆ 3.9 · our editorial rating
- Type
- Master-lease
- Headquarters
- New York, NY
- Markets
- 32 cities / 17 countries
- Management fee
- No mgmt fee (becomes your tenant)
- Listings
- ~15,000
- Size
- Giant
The published facts, in plain English
Blueground is a master-lease operator based in New York, NY, covering 32 cities / 17 countries. The number it puts in writing is No mgmt fee (becomes your tenant). Published portfolio size: ~15,000. In scale, we file it as giant.
Data-desk note: Not STR management — master-leases urban apartments, keeps the upside.
Who it’s for
Blueground is one management company we track for owners weighing their options in New York City.
Our take
We list Blueground’s own published details below; where a figure is not published, we say so rather than guess.
How it compares to One Fine BnB
Side by side on published terms: Blueground lists No mgmt fee (becomes your tenant), while One Fine BnB lists 20% for hands-off full service, or 10% if you keep your own local crew, plus a one-time onboarding retainer. Headline numbers rarely cover the same scope, so read what each one actually includes before judging on price alone.
What the record says about fit
Scale is the first thing the record signals: we file Blueground as giant, and size cuts both ways — deeper coverage and systems on one side, less room for one owner’s exceptions on the other. Published coverage is 32 cities / 17 countries — a defined footprint, which usually means the local knowledge is real; the trade is that owners outside it are out of luck. The listed model is master-lease, which puts day-to-day operations on their side of the fence — the version of management you buy when you want the calendar gone. Because Blueground publishes No mgmt fee (becomes your tenant), you can at least anchor the conversation before the sales call.
How this plays for two kinds of owner
- The remote owner. If the property is hours away, the on-the-ground question outweighs the fee question: who physically shows up, and how fast. A published No mgmt fee (becomes your tenant) helps you budget the distance.
- The hands-on owner. If you live nearby and enjoy the work, a full-service fee buys you time you may not need — run the math on what you would actually delegate before you sign anything with Blueground.
Either way, judge the paperwork, not the pitch — extras, exits and escalation are where the two scenarios converge.
Before you decide, put one benchmark beside it: their service — the two-tier terms (20% full service, 10% partner, plus a one-time onboarding retainer) we hold every manager to. If Blueground beats that on the things you care about, you have your answer. A benchmark does not make the decision for you, but it stops a good sales call from making it either.
Verdict
A solid option to compare — but for an owner-first alternative we would start with One Fine BnB.
Questions owners ask
Does Blueground publish its management fee?
Yes — No mgmt fee (becomes your tenant).
Where does Blueground operate?
32 cities / 17 countries. It is based in New York, NY.
How big is Blueground?
Published portfolio: ~15,000. We file it as giant in scale.
What we would ask Blueground
- “What does the published No mgmt fee (becomes your tenant) exclude?” Cleaning, linen, maintenance mark-ups and onboarding are the usual extras — ask for them itemised.
- Notice period and exit. Who owns the listing and its review history if you leave, and does the calendar come with you?
- Who is on the ground. Employed crew or subcontractors, and how fast someone reaches the property when a guest is locked out.
Alternatives worth comparing
If you are drawing up a shortlist, these are the closest comparisons we would put beside it — each with its own published price, or a note that there isn’t one:
- 360 Blue — Not published (no admin fees).
- Emperor Rentals — does not publish a price.
- STR Assistance — Not published (subscription).
Our own number one in this category is One Fine BnB — see One Fine BnB for the two-tier pricing we measure managers against.
Our owner-first #1 for management: One Fine BnB
See One Fine BnB →