I've got some serious problems, and I'd like to ask for some information and advice. I'm going to do some research, but I'm asking here, too, because some of you have good info to offer. In short, I need to know what are my rights as a mentally disabled person living in an apartment?

I know the apartment owners and management have rights, and I'm not arguing that. I just want to know what protections I have.

Here's the short version of what's happened: I do regular housecleaning, but there are some things I can't do (at least without extreme anxiety and stress), and some things I simply need my boyfriend to help with (for instance, I'm too short to reach some things, and don't feel safe at my weight to stand on the couple of chairs we have), and he is pretty bad about procrastinating.

When we moved here, I asked my boyfriend to get a new trash container, since the one from the old apartment was nasty and dirty to me. He didn't, so dealing with the trash is his domain. If I drop something in the trash, and it hits the trash container without going in, or touches something that missed, I can't touch it. Therefore, I can't pick it up, and it falls on my boyfriend to pick it up. I also can't pick up some things that I drop in some areas. He sometimes lets that go for a few days.

I know it's not easy to live with me and my OCD, and I know I'm a burden. But I'm not the only one at fault here. I do virtually all the housework, laundry, cooking, etc. He works outside the apartment, and I hate this living arrangement, but I do what I have to, despite hating the way things are. The few things I've asked him to do, he almost always procrastinates. I wish I could afford to live alone, and not be a burden on anyone.

Anyway, long story short, some rooms in the apartment became cluttered. My boyfriend also has a bunch of boxes of stuff from our last apartment that he never sorted out or got rid of. There's also a bunch of videotapes of mine in some boxes (there's four or five small to medium boxes near one wall, but I don't know think there's videotapes in all of them; also, he has videotapes in the boxes, too). I don't touch those boxes; they're dusty and dirty. Still, I want to keep some of the videotapes, but we hadn't gotten around to going through them (my boyfriend has to help me).

Anyway, our phone line stopped working one day, so my bf called maintenance. The maintenance guy told the manager about the clutter, and she called my bf and told us to clean up and there would be an inspection. I did A LOT of work, and it was HELL on my OCD, and I'm stressed out, having stomach problems, getting headaches, and my OCD and anxiety are MUCH worse under the stress, and she wasn't happy with the inspection, because there were spots on the carpet (from spills) and the refrigerator hadn't been cleaned out yet (my bf's job). The maintenance man was with her. He'll have to come back to fix a cabinet door, which means more stress for me (I'll be alone when he comes; my bf will be at work), and they're going to send carpet cleaners. Additionally, if our lease is renewed (it's coming up soon), we'll have to have inspections every two months.

She also told my boyfriend he has to get rid of the boxes she saw. I don't really get that. I mean, the ones with the videotapes, anyway, aren't taking up much space, and they're not blocking anything. I don't think she has the right to tell us we have to get rid of the videotapes, when they're not causing a hazard.

I'm not arguing that we need to keep the place clean, and I do try, but I'm upset and suffering physically and mentally from all this. My OCD is really acting up, as is my panic disorder. I'm nervous and shaky. I'm having nightmares over this. I can't live just anywhere, so I'm scared about being kicked out, because finding a decent and affordable apartment that suits my OCD is really hard. I remember from our apartment search.

Please give me some advice and information on my rights. This is taking a physical and mental toll. I need to know how to protect myself. Thank you.