There are so many great benefits that come with renting, one of them being that when something goes wrong, it's the responsibility of the landlord to take care of the problem.

The problem with that is is that the landlord may not be as in a hurry as you are. There are some things that need to be fixed ASAP. Therefore, I suggest learning a few skills that will empower you to take control of those minor emergencies that often take place in our apartments. Here are a few tips:

Change A Light Bulb

Let's start out easy. A light bulb burning out is one of the most common inconveniences that happen in our daily lives. And though it's a simple problem, it's become a little more difficult now days with all the choices we have. LED, CFL, warm light, soft light? How do you know which one to choose? A little online research should help you figure out what is best for you. Consumer Energy Center has some great tips on deciding what's best for you.

Once you've chosen which light bulb the next step is to flip the switch of the light you're changing to “Off”, unscrew the burnt bulb, screw new one in, flip light switch to on and then you're done.

Plumbing

A clogged sink or toilet is a real inconvenience, but an easy fix. Shower drains are often clogged by hair, so the first thing you can do is to remove the drain cap and see if you can see the obstruction. Sometimes you can just fish out the clog with your fingers, but if you can't or if it grosses you out too much to do so, then there are a lot of commercial drain cleaners out there that you can purchase to take care of the situation.

A clogged toilet is usually easily fixed by a plunger. A really difficult clog can be taken care of by a toilet snake. If you don't own a plunger then do yourself a favor and go out and buy one. They're not expensive and they are a very useful tool.

Find A Stud

A stud is a support beam located behind the drywall. This is where you are going to want to anchor things to your wall. Hanging items on your wall can damage the dry wall if not placed properly on a stud. To help yourself find a stud remember that there are studs on either side of a window, next to electrical outlets and there's always a stud in every corner of a room.

Finding a stud takes a skill that can take some time to develop so swallow your pride, do yourself a favor and buy a stud finder. You can buy a stud finer at any home improvement store for around $10.

These simple skills can end up saving hours of frustration and inconvenience. Although some of these things might be your landlords responsibility, you're only hurting yourself by not taking care of these tiny problems when they arise.