Blueground left Portugal.
Tenants are still
waiting to be paid.
On March 17, 2026, Blueground, the global provider of furnished short and medium term rentals, announced that its operations in Portugal were ending. Tenants were told to be out by May 30, 2026, regardless of the leases they had signed. Deposits that were due back within 30 days still have not been returned. Let’s hold Blueground accountable to its customers.
What happened
March 17, 2026
Blueground announces it is leaving Portugal
Tenants were told their leases were ending regardless of what they had signed, and that apartments had to be vacated by May 30, 2026 unless the landlord agreed to a direct contract.[1][9]
April – May 2026
Tenants are left scrambling
As Blueground wound down, tenants had to negotiate their own contracts with landlords or find another place in a crowded Lisbon rental market, at their own cost in time and money.[9][1]
July 8, 2026
Deposits still unpaid, no update until August 10
Deposits were due back within 30 days of moving out, and the contracts say so.[7] They have not been paid.[2][3] Blueground’s email acknowledges the money is owed, deposits and advance rent included, and says only that a further update will come by August 10, 2026.[8]
Why Blueground is in breach
1.The termination was a breach of contract
In our position, Blueground had no contractual right to end the leases early. The contract only ends before its fixed term if the landlord’s own lease over the apartment ends (Clause 2.2), and tenants were never shown proof of that.[7] It was Blueground itself that set those terminations in motion. Under Article 1089 of the Portuguese Civil Code, the sublessor stays liable to the tenant when the termination is its own doing.[5]
2.Tenants bore the costs of the early termination
Tenants had to negotiate directly with their landlords or find another home within weeks.[9] Where that carried costs, such as higher rent, moving expenses or agency fees, Blueground did not cover them, as it does not recognize that it is in breach. Its own contract states that a party in breach must compensate the other side for all resulting losses (Clause 16).[7]
3.The deposits have not been returned
Deposits were due back within 30 days of moving out (Clause 3.4).[7]As of July, tenants were still waiting. Blueground’s July 8 email acknowledges the money is owed, deposits and advance rent included, and tells tenants to wait until August 10, 2026 for more information.[8]
This is the position of the tenants organizing this action, informed by legal advice obtained by members of the group. It is not legal advice to any reader. If your situation differs, consult a lawyer.
The emails Blueground sent
If you received one of these emails, register your case.
What you can do right now
1. Register your case
It lets us count the people affected, total what is owed, and hand legal counsel a ready-made group of claimants. Join the collective action →
2. Preserve your evidence
Keep your lease, emails, payment receipts, photos, and anything else. Do not delete anything.
3. Send a formal written demand
Write to Blueground’s Portuguese entity by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt, ask for your deposit and damages, and set a deadline.[6] This creates a formal record of default that strengthens any claim.
4. Complain to DECO
DECO, the Portuguese consumer protection association, handles complaints against companies. Also file in the official Livro de Reclamações Eletrónico.
5. Small claims: Julgados de Paz
For claims up to €15,000, the Julgados de Paz are a fast, low-cost route to a judgment. No lawyer is needed.
6. Tell your story publicly
Reviews and posts in expat and housing groups help other affected tenants find accurate information. Stick to facts you can document.
Blueground & Portugal: what people are asking
+Is Blueground leaving Portugal?
Yes. On March 17, 2026, Blueground announced it was winding down its Portuguese operation. Tenants with active leases were told their contracts were ending regardless of the terms they had signed, and that apartments had to be vacated by May 30, 2026 unless they reached a direct agreement with the landlord.
+Was Blueground allowed to terminate my lease early?
In our position, which is shared by lawyers consulted by affected tenants, no. Blueground's Lisbon sublease agreement contains no early-termination right in Blueground's favour. The only clause that ends a tenant's contract before its fixed term (Clause 2.2) applies when the landlord's own lease over the apartment ends. Tenants were never given proof that their landlord's lease had ended, and it was Blueground itself that initiated the termination of those landlord contracts. Under Article 1089 of the Portuguese Civil Code, even when a sublease lapses because the head lease ends, the sublessor remains liable to the subtenant when the cause of that termination is attributable to the sublessor. The same contract (Clause 2.3) also obliges Blueground to offer relocation to a similar apartment or a full refund for the remaining duration.
+When will Blueground refund my security deposit?
Blueground's lease agreements in Portugal provide for the return of security deposits within 30 days after the tenant vacates (Clause 3.4). Many tenants report that this deadline passed with no refund. On July 8, 2026, tenants received an email from Blueground titled 'Update on outstanding amounts'. In it, Blueground acknowledges 'the amounts owed to you in connection with your tenancy, including advance rent payments and your security deposit', says it needs 'additional time to finalize the process and timeline for these payments', and expects 'to provide a further update by August 10, 2026'. That is a written acknowledgment that the money is owed, with no date to pay it. If your deposit is being withheld, register on this site and keep every email as evidence.
+What compensation can affected tenants claim?
Blueground's contract (Clause 16) states that a party that breaches its contractual obligations must indemnify the other party for all losses suffered, including emerging damages and lost profits. Combined with Article 1089 of the Civil Code, our position is that tenants can claim the extra rent paid for replacement housing, moving costs, and other losses caused by the early termination, in addition to the unreturned deposit itself. Under Articles 805 and 806 of the Civil Code, money debts with a fixed payment deadline also carry interest at the legal rate from the day the deadline passes.
+Did Blueground do this in other countries too?
Portugal is not an isolated case. Blueground shut down its Spanish operation in a similar manner, and former tenants there also described problems recovering their deposits.
+Is a lawsuit or collective action being organized?
Affected tenants are organizing to pursue their claims together, through a tenants' association and, if necessary, joint legal action in Portugal. Registering your case on this site does not commit you to anything. It lets us count affected people, quantify the amounts owed, and share updates on legal steps.
+What are my rights under Portuguese law?
A lease is a binding contract, and Portuguese law protects subtenants specifically. Article 1089 of the Civil Code keeps the sublessor liable to the subtenant when the head lease ends for a cause attributable to the sublessor. Article 9 of the NRAU (Law 6/2006) requires legally required communications about the cessation of a lease to be made in writing, signed, and sent by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt, not by ordinary email. You can complain to DECO (the Portuguese consumer protection association), file in the Livro de Reclamações Eletrónico, and bring claims before the courts or, for amounts up to €15,000, the Julgados de Paz.
Sources
- [1]“Blueground is exiting Portugal”, a March 2026 discussion among affected tenants on r/PortugalExpats. Tenants describe long-term leases, including NRAU contracts, terminated with about two months' notice, and question the legal basis for it. View source
- [2]“Anyone had problems getting a deposit back from Blueground in Portugal?”, a July 2026 thread on r/PortugalExpats. Tenants describe deposits and cleaning fees still unpaid more than 40 days after moving out, with no deductions claimed, and quote the July 8 email. View source
- [3]Complaint filed with Portal da Queixa on July 3, 2026 about the retention of a €2,476 deposit after a lease that ended May 31, 2026 in Lisbon, past the 30-day contractual deadline. View source
- [4]Trustpilot reviews mentioning Lisbon and Portugal, including a July 2, 2026 review, “Security deposit not refunded after the contract ended”: a Lisbon deposit due back within 30 days, unpaid by the end of June, with Blueground promising only “another update by 10 August”. In its public reply, Blueground acknowledges “the concern around outstanding payments during this transition”. View source
- [5]Article 1089 of the Portuguese Civil Code (Caducidade). The sublease lapses when the head lease ends, “sem prejuízo da responsabilidade do sublocador para com o sublocatário, quando o motivo da extinção lhe seja imputável” (without prejudice to the sublessor's liability to the subtenant when the cause of the termination is attributable to the sublessor). View source
- [6]Article 9(1) of the NRAU (Law 6/2006 of February 27). Communications between the parties concerning the cessation of a lease must be made in writing, signed by the declarant, and sent by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt. View source
- [7]Blueground's standard Lisbon sublease agreement (BGPROP Portugal, Unipessoal Lda.): Clauses 2.2 and 2.3 (termination only upon the end of the head lease, with a relocation or full refund obligation), 3.4 (deposit refund within 30 days of vacating), 16 (party in breach liable for all losses, including emerging damages and lost profits) and 17 (notices by email or registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt). Copies held by the organizers of this action.
- [8]Email from Blueground to affected tenants, July 8, 2026, with the subject “Update on outstanding amounts”. It acknowledges “the amounts owed to you in connection with your tenancy, including advance rent payments and your security deposit” and promises only “a further update by August 10, 2026”. Screenshot above. View screenshot
- [9]Termination email from Blueground (re-emea@theblueground.com) to tenants: “As Blueground is exiting the Portuguese market, we will no longer be managing this apartment after May 31, 2026 … If no direct agreement is reached, the apartment will need to be vacated by May 30, 2026.” Screenshot above. View screenshot
- [10]Articles 805(2)(a) and 806 of the Portuguese Civil Code. A money debt with a fixed deadline is in default automatically when the deadline passes, no demand needed, and carries interest at the legal rate from that day. View source
- [11]Trustpilot reviews mentioning Spain, in which former tenants describe the shutdown of Blueground's Spanish operation and problems recovering deposits during that closure. View source