No matter the time of day, having an issue crop up in your rental is always a drag. Clogged drains, broken light bulbs, and other common apartment maintenance problems can be a headache for both you and your landlord and could take some time before they can come out and make repairs.

If you’re feeling up to the challenge, we’ve put together some easy ways for you to take on maintenance in your apartment.

Couple fixing kitchen sink

Common Problems And How to Fix Them

• Unclog drains

If your drain is clogged the first thing you want to check for is hair. After you’ve done that you can consider baking soda and vinegar. Baking soda and vinegar have great cleaning properties, including helping break up clogs in drains and pipes. The best part is that you probably have these items in your pantry already, letting you quickly solve the problem before it gets worse.

Try the zip it drain cleaner and usually this will solve the problem.

Be sure to not use Drano. Drano is very harsh on pipes and can cause them to damaged. Not only is it harmful to pipes, but it can also be harmful to you. Drano can burn skin and irritate your eyes.

• Change light bulbs

This is likely the easiest thing you can fix for yourself in your apartment! Once you find out from your landlord what type of bulb you need to grab from the store, it’s often just a matter of untwisting the old bulb and putting the new one in. For more complex fixtures, like recessed hallway lights, you can research online for how to fix the specific type in your apartment.

• Fix Garbage Disposal

While most appliance repairs require a professional, there are some common issues that you can troubleshoot yourself before you need to make that call. If there is no power or a weird humming noise, you can use a wrench to get to the root of the problem. This guide shows you a step-by-step solution to repairing minor problems with your garbage disposal.