Cleaning and Stain Removal - Professional Cleaners vs DIY Renting

I've recently purchased a home that leans towards the "fixer-upper" category. While I plan on eventually replacing all of the upstairs carpets, I have other improvements I want to make first, so I've decided to just clean the carpets for now. What I can't decide is whether to hire professional carpet cleaners or just rent a machine and do it myself. Any thoughts on pros/cons of either or experiences?
Thanks!

Erikup, Welcome to the DIY Forums.
Depends on the results you are expecting. While it is true that you can rent the equipment and do it yourself, rental equipment is nowhere near as efficient as the professional equipment. This is especially true in the removal of moisture left when cleaning is complete. Material the carpet is made of will also have a lot to do with the end results. Choice is yours. Good luck.

If you are going to replace the carpets down the road anyways and just want them touched up. Hire a professional and have them dry clean the carpet/spotting any stains. Dry cleaning is only cleaning the top 1/3 of the fiber...this will improve appearance...it will be dry if they do it right in a hour...and no moisture problems. Ask them about encapsulation. If you have experience running a rotary you can diy this...but i would say that only if you have experience.