If you are moving out of a rental property, it can be hard to know just how much cleaning will be needed. One area that always seems to be a gray area is carpeting. Different landlords have different ideas of what "clean" is. In order to ensure that get your deposit back, here are four tips to know what might be needed when it comes to carpet cleaning for move out.

1. Assess Damage

Take an honest look at damage that may have occurred while you were living in an apartment. There might be a chance that you won't get an entire deposit back if you did cause stains and damage. If there is anything that you can do to fix trouble spots or get stains professionally cleaned, this might be cheaper than losing your deposit.

2. Talk to Your Landlord

Some landlords do an extensive overhaul when tenants move out. If they might be removing carpeting anyways, you might be off the hook when it comes to cleaning this. Don't just assume that they will be replacing an older carpet though. Even if a carpet was old when you moved in, your landlord might still try to get some extra mileage out of this and just keep it for the next tenant.

3. Schedule an Initial Walk Through

If you aren't sure what your landlord's expectations are when it comes to cleanliness, it might be a good idea to have them drop by to do an initial assessment. They can then tell you exactly all of the things that you should clean up in order to get your deposit. Make a list when they are there so it is documented that you did what they asked. If they are fine with a vacuumed or lightly cleaned carpet, you might not need to get this professionally cleaned.

4. Provide Documentation From Initial Move-In

If you had a move-in checklist or took pictures of damage when you moved in, find these and review in case there is any push back from your landlord. If carpeting wasn't professionally cleaned when you moved in, you can make a case that this isn't your responsibility on move out.

Every landlord is different, so it is important to keep the lines of communication open when it comes to move-out expectations. You may be on the hook to pay for some professional move out cleaning, but make sure that really is your responsibility before you spring for it.

For professional cleaning services, contact a company such as Kathy's Quality Cleaning, Inc.