19 May 2024

At the end of a residential tenancy, how clean should the carpet be?

Moving in and out of a rental home involves many tasks. As a tenant, you need to pack, unpack, coordinate with landlords, and make sure everything is in order. Amidst the chaos, carpets' cleanliness is often neglected, leading to disputes between landlords and tenants who are leaving.

According to the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, tenants must ensure that when their tenancy concludes, they leave the property reasonably clean and tidy. Tenants are only required to leave the property in a condition that the average, reasonable person would define as clean and tidy, which may not equate to what a landlord considers to be an acceptable standard of cleanliness!

According to the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS), over half of the disputes it considers involve cleaning. It’s worth spending time to thoroughly clean the property, including the carpets to:

Prevent disputes

Ensuring the property is as clean as when you moved in is important to get your deposit returned. The landlord or letting agent expects the property to be returned to the standard it was when you moved in. You can decide between hiring professional carpet cleaning services in Christchurch or doing it yourself. Nonetheless, ensuring the task is completed is crucial.

TIP: when you move into a rented property, take pictures of each room at the beginning of the tenancy to show the condition. For landlords, keep the receipt of the professional carpet cleaning company to demonstrate the carpets were professionally cleaned for the start of the tenancy.

Get a good reference from the landlord or letting agency

The rental market is highly competitive, which makes a reference from a previous landlord a valuable commodity! If you’ve left their property in an inadequate state, this information may be included in any reference. Leaving dirty carpets when your tenancy ends can damage your reputation and lead to deductions from your deposit.

A bedroom with a large bed and a balcony.

How can you tell if a carpet is clean?

One of the biggest misconceptions about carpet cleanliness is that if it looks clean, it must be clean. However, the truth is that dirt often lurks deep within the carpet fibres, invisible to the naked eye. Clean carpet is soft to the touch, warm, and inviting.

Check for smells: A clean carpet should smell neutral or pleasant, with no lingering odours from cooking, pets, spilled food and drinks, or tobacco.

Look for stains: inspect the carpet for any visible stains or discolorations. Clean carpets should be free from noticeable marks.

Test the texture: run your hand across the carpet to feel for any residue or sticky patches. Carpets should never be crunchy underfoot.

Use a white cloth: lightly dampen a white cloth and blot a small area of the carpet. If the cloth picks up dirt or discoloration, the carpet is not clean.

So, what can you do to ensure that your carpets are truly clean and pass the landlord check? The answer lies in professional carpet cleaning. Opting for professional carpet cleaning goes beyond DIY methods or superficial cleaning. It involves a thorough removal of embedded dirt, stains, and allergens, effectively restoring carpets to their pristine condition.

If you are coming to the end of a tenancy and keen to hire an affordable carpet cleaning Christchurch company, book your carpet clean today on 021 638 637. Christchurch Carpet Cleaning provides carpet cleaning services for tenants and landlords in Christchurch and surrounding areas, including Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Rolleston, Lincoln, Oxford, and Ohoka.

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A dirty carpet in a room with a radiator.

Stain alive: how a deep carpet clean can save your carpet

28 April 2025

There’s nothing like the thought of having to replace a tired, stained or fading carpet to drain your colour; the prospect of a big-ticket expense is rarely welcome. But before you rip up your carpet and start a fresh, you maybe lucky, a professional carpet clean can work wonders to bring carpets back to life saving you the cost and hassle of replacing. Is it damaged or a dirty carpet? First things first: is your carpet truly worn out, or just in need of a deep clean? It’s easy to mistake a dull, grubby appearance for permanent damage, but more often than not, embedded dirt and grime are to blame. High-traffic areas, especially in homes with pets or kids, can quickly become discoloured. In commercial spaces, daily footfall can leave carpets looking tired far sooner than they actually are. A visit from a team offering expert carpet cleaning in Christchurch NZ lift stains, remove odours, and revive carpet fibres, leaving it looking significantly better, and your money in your wallet. Age and the quality of the carpet matter Carpet doesn’t last forever. But with regular maintenance and professional cleaning, many carpets can last a good 10 to15 years or more. The higher-quality materials like wool respond better to cleaning and last longer than cheaper carpet options. If your carpet is still within its expected lifespan, a deep clean from an affordable carpet cleaning Christchurch provider extends its life for years to come. However, if your carpet is showing signs of wear such as frayed fibres, bare patches, or delamination (the separation of the different layers of carpet which looks like wrinkles or ripples), it might be time to consider replacing it. Christchurch Carpet Cleaning assess all carpets before cleaning them, not only to deliver realistic expectations of what can be achieved, but also because there can be underlying causes such as flood damage or improper installation which need to be addressed as a priority. Cleaning can't reverse physical damage, but it can restore surface appearance. Dirty carpets: there’s more than meets the eye Think about what your carpet is exposed to every day. Pets, children, work boots, or food and drink spills all take a toll. Getting carpets cleaned, for either residential or commercial carpet cleaning , enhances the look and feel of your floors but also removes the nasties that reside on them. Allergens, bacteria, and moulds impact our health, and hot water extraction is a highly effective way to remove them to create a healthier environment for your family or employees. When in doubt give Christchurch Carpet Cleaning a shout If you’re unsure whether cleaning or replacing is right for your carpet, book a consultation with Christchurch Carpet Cleaning . We’ll organise a specialist in professional carpet cleaning to assess your floors and recommend the most cost-effective, safe and practical approach. Even carpets you thought were beyond saving can be dramatically improved with the right techniques. Christchurch Carpet Cleaning also offer additional options such as sofa cleaning, upholstery cleaning services , and rug cleaning in Christchurch, allowing you to freshen up your entire space in one go. Before you spend thousands of dollars on a new carpet, explore your options with the best carpet cleaning Christchurch has to offer. Whether it’s for your home or business, our carpet cleaning Christchurch services are designed to breathe new life into tired carpets - saving you money, time, and stress. Ready to transform your floors? Book an appointment today, call 021 638 637.