You never know when something could go wrong in your apartment. Therefore, it’s important to have a few handy tools available for minor mishaps. On the other hand, you may have a maintenance crew that fixes a lot of those issues and problems, especially if your complex prefers that you let them repair things.

Before you pick up the phone and dial for help, consider these tips for what you can fix yourself and what you should call maintenance for.

Fix It Yourself

When a light bulb goes out, this is a minor issue that you should be prepared to fix on your own. Keep a few extra bulbs ready in the event that they go out, including green alternatives to lower your utilities bill. Aside from changing any blown bulbs, avoid messing with other electrical units that you aren’t familiar with.

Another common household occurrence might include minor plumbing issues. A clogged toilet or drain is something you’ll likely have to fix on your own. Luckily, these are easy fixes that can be done with minor DIY know-how.

A beeping smoke detector is such an annoyance, you won’t want to wait for the maintenance crew to come around and fix it. Since it’s as simple as popping in a new battery, this is another fixer you should do on your own.

The A/C filter likely isn’t something you’ll think about, but consider setting a reminder to clean it once every month or so. This is something you can do to improve air quality and lower utility costs, so it’s worth doing on your own.

Accidents happen and it’s normal if your apartment ends up with a few scuffs on the floor or marks on the wall. This sort of general wear-and-tear may be taken out of your deposit, however, so it’s worth making a few quick fixes to repair any minor issues. Taking the time to fix these things will be worth doing on your own.

Time To Call Maintenance

When it’s more than a light bulb going out, it’s time to call maintenance for electrical issues. This could be the sign of a much larger issue that is connected throughout the apartment complex and an electrician will need to be contacted. Altering the electrical inside your apartment complex is not only dangerous for you, but unsafe for others as well. Therefore, leave it to the pros.

Clogged toilets and drains should be easy to fix, but massive plumbing issues are something you’ll want to call maintenance about. Whether it’s your apartment, or maybe you even notice a neighbors plumbing is flooding into your unit, quickly call maintenance when the situation looks to be more than you can handle.

The true gauge for whether or not you should call maintenance includes your comfort level with dealing with an issue. While you should avoid calling for every little incident, you also don’t want to take on more than you can handle. Therefore, consider this insight as you ask yourself, “What can I fix and what should I can maintenance for?”