Bookings

G1. How bookings work on Blueground

Blueground operates Instant Book only, with no approval step.

What this means

Guests can book immediately if availability rules match
The partner receives an automatic reservation email
The listing calendar blocks automatically (if PMS/iCal is synced)
The partner must contact the guest via the provided email to ensure a smooth move-in experience.

Partner responsibilities after booking

Contact guest within 24 hours
Complete screening (ID/background check) if applicable
Sign lease or rental agreement if applicable
Share move-in information
Provide support during the guest's stay

G2. Standard cancellation policy (Guests & Partners)

Blueground follows a standardized cancellation policy across all markets.

Guest cancellations before move-in

30+ days before move-in

No partner payout

0–29 days before move-in

For bookings with a duration of 30 days or more partner receives a payout equal to one month's rent minus the Blueground commission
For bookings with a duration of less that 30 days partner receives a payout equal to the total collected amount minus the Blueground commission

Guest early termination after move-in

For bookings with a duration of 30 days or more
- The minimum stay has to be met
- Guest needs to provide a 30 days' written notice
- Guest will continue to be charged for 30 days after the notice
For bookings with a duration of less that 30 days
- The total booking is non-refundable so partner will receive the total amount net of the Blueground commission

Partner cancellations

The expectation is that all confirmed bookings will be honored as cancellations have a negative impact on guest experience.

If the reason for the cancellation is that the guest didn't pass the partner's screening criteria, the guest receives a full refund and there is no commission owed to Blueground. Note that the partner should provide records with the reasoning for a failed background or credit check if requested by Blueground.

For any other reasons, including the partner's availability or pricing being out of sync, the guest receives a full refund and the partner owes Blueground the full commission for the booking. A partner may be responsible for a cancellation for reasons such as the listing being materially different from the description provided when the guest booked. In such cases, partners are still responsible for the full commission owed.

G3. How to extend or shorten a booking

All modifications must be done through Blueground Support.

To request an extension

Email: partner-support@theblueground.com

CC the guest
Provide booking ID & new requested dates
Please ensure you don't provide a quote as this needs to come from the Blueground booking engine. The final quote will also include a guest fee and any applicable installment or processing fees based on the guest's selection on payment plan and payment method.

Blueground will:

Update the booking to reflect the new duration
Collect payment
Update the calendar

Note that the partner commission also applies to any extensions to bookings acquired from Partner Network.

To request an early termination

Guest provides written notice to partner-support@theblueground.com
Blueground support will send a confirmation to guest and partner, update the calendar to reflect the new end date, and calculate refunds and payouts accordingly

G4. How to cancel a booking

To cancel a booking (guest or partner):

Email partner-support@theblueground.com
Provide booking ID, reason, and supporting documentation if needed and let us know if you can provide any alternative properties
Partner support will inform the guest and apply the relevant cancellation policy.

G5. Who to contact for booking issues

For booking changes, refunds, cancellations

Email: partner-support@theblueground.com

For onboarding, integrations, and listing issues

Email: partner-onboarding@theblueground.com

Include:

Booking ID and / or Listing ID
Screenshots (if relevant)
Clear description of the issue

G6. What guest information will I receive?

Once a booking is confirmed, you will receive the guest details you need in order to complete screening, communicate effectively, and coordinate move-in.

For PMS-integrated partners

Guest information automatically appears in your PMS and the Partner Portal (bookings section), including:

Guest name
Email address
Phone number

This happens as part of the booking sync process. In all cases, Guest details are included in the reservation notification email sent by Blueground to your designated contact email.

G7. Who is responsible for background checks and guest vetting?

Every guest who books your apartments is identity-verified and background-checked by Blueground — automatically, before the booking is confirmed, and at no cost to you:

Identity verification — real-time ID authentication and biometric matching confirm the guest is exactly who they claim to be (powered by Jumio).
Payment fraud screening — every transaction is risk-scored to catch and flag fraudulent bookings before they go through (powered by Adyen).
Background and tenant screening — for US citizens with an SSN on file: credit, eviction history, and multi-state criminal and sex-offender checks (powered by MyRental).

If a guest doesn't clear the checks, Blueground handles it end to end — the booking is cancelled, and you're kept in the loop. Nothing reaches you unscreened.

Partners remain responsible for any additional vetting required by their local regulations or lease terms.

Preparing the rental agreement
Having the guest sign the agreement
Ensuring it meets local regulations
Managing deposits, check-in instructions, and house rules

This ensures a direct legal relationship between you (the property provider) and the guest.

G9. Who handles guest questions or in-stay issues?

Partners are responsible for:

Move-in coordination
Questions about the property
In-unit issues
Lease-related questions

Where guests should NOT be redirected

Guests should not contact Blueground for:

Building access
Check-in issues
Repairs
Lease or documentation questions

The partner is the primary point of contact.