The day will come when you need to get rid of a mattress or a large piece of furniture. But what do you do if the object does not fit in your apartment community’s Dumpster? Most apartment complexes have strict rules about leaving trash near the garbage bin, requiring you to fit it your trash inside and close the lid. Don’t get stuck with fines for improperly disposing of your trash. Here is how to dispose of large objects if you live in an apartment community.

1. Sell Your Trash

Okay, so maybe no one wants to buy your old mattress (it’s illegal to buy a used mattress anyway), but if you are trying to get rid of a piece of furniture, particularly wood furniture or something that could be refinished, consider selling it first. You may be surprised who is interested in that old, wobbly wooden desk with dents and scratches on it. There are many people who would be happy to take it off your hands for a cheap price. Many times people list their old junk on online services for free just for the convenience of having someone else pick it up. Old treadmills, broken washers and dryers are the kinds of items that compulsive hoarders or fixer-upper type of people look for. Just be honest about whether or not the stuff works.

2. Donate Your Trash

If the object you are trying to get rid of is too big to fit into a car, charities such as the Salvation Army will send a truck to your apartment and pick it up for you. Otherwise, load your car or borrow a friend’s truck to take your trash to Goodwill. However, be considerate about the trash that you are donating. Goodwill or any other thrift store does not want anything that is broken beyond repair or so dirty that no one would buy it. Ask yourself it if it would be useful to someone else or if you just need to find a way to ditch it.

3. Break Down Your Trash

If your large object isn’t worthy of selling or donating, its time to consider a different approach. First, consider breaking the object down so it fits according to code in your apartment’s Dumpster. If you can stand to see it broken with a hammer or axe, have some fun chopping it up into manageable pieces. Better yet, if it comes apart, dismantle it and dispose of it piece by piece. Don’t expect the maintenance person or the trash collection service to do this for you. Remember, you don’t want to get stuck with a fine.

4. Hire a Trash Removal Service

Sometimes it may be impossible to fit large trash in a Dumpster. In this case, you may need to employ the help of a professional. Companies such as Got Junk? charge a fee to come to your apartment and pick up the stuff you cannot dispose of yourself. It may be worth it. Why not get together with some apartment neighbors to see if they have any large objects they are trying to unload? You could split the cost by putting your stuff together for one pickup.

5. Ask Your Landlord

When in doubt, just ask your landlord or apartment manager how to dispose of your items in question. They have likely dealt with this issue before, and it will not be the first time someone asks them how to get rid of something too large for the community’s Dumpster.

April Lentini writes for Apartment Guide in San Jose