Every once in a while, you may have tenants move out of an apartment without giving you notice or taking their things. After the requisite time has passed according to landlord laws in your area, you are then left with an apartment to clean out. And this often does not just mean cleaning in the strictest sense. It also means removing any furniture and personal items that the tenants may have left behind.

There are cleaning companies that offer these services. They typically advertise them as "clean-out" services. Here are some tips to follow if you find yourself needing to hire one.

Get an on-site estimate.

Every clean-out project is different. In one apartment, the cleaners might need to move five couches and scrub the fridge from top to bottom. In another apartment, they might need to deep-clean the carpet and remove 12 boxes of takeout containers. It's really hard for a cleaning company to give you an estimate without seeing the space. So, make sure you have the cleaners out to give you an on-site estimate before proceeding with the project. This way, the cleaners will know exactly what kind of work they'll need to do on the place, and they can price the project accordingly.

Decide what you want done with the left-behind items.

The cleaning team will often remove items like old furniture, kitchen supplies, and trash. They may have an organization they donate the usable items to, or they might even sell some of them. However, they should be open to leaving behind any items you want to keep. So, before the cleaners come, go through the apartment and put tape on anything you do want left behind. Tell the cleaners you've done this, and they'll make sure to leave the taped items in place when they remove everything else.

Plan on the process taking several days.

It may take the clean-out team a day or more to get all of the extra stuff out of the apartment before they can even begin to clean. They may also need to do some more intensive cleaning, such as shampooing carpeting or steam-cleaning drapes. So, you'll need to be patient. Have the cleaners come in a week or more before you really need the apartment spotless so they have enough time to do their job thoroughly.

Hiring clean-out services is the easiest way to deal with an abandoned apartment. Just make sure you follow the tips above in the process.