Legal aid

Legal Services Corporation (LSC) funds legal aid offices across the country. Legal aid gives you a lawyer for civil problems like eviction, even if you cannot afford to pay one. It is for people with low income. Go to lsc.gov and choose "Get legal help" to find the office nearest you.

You can get legal advice even if you cannot pay for a lawyer. You may qualify for free legal aid (a lawyer at no cost) based on your income. A lawyer can tell you what your state's law lets you do about repairs, including whether you can hold back rent.

AlabamaLegalHelp.org is a website run by Legal Services Alabama with articles about eviction and repair problems for renters. It also lists do-it-yourself instructions and forms for handling these problems.

Alabama has 5 regional Volunteer Lawyers Programs where lawyers give free legal help in certain civil cases to people with low income. Call the program for your county. Birmingham: 205-250-5198. Madison County: 256-539-2275. Montgomery County: 334-265-0222. Mobile, Baldwin, Washington, and Clarke counties: 251-438-1102. All other counties: 888-857-8571.

The University of New Mexico School of Law Economic Justice Clinic represents tenants in eviction defense cases. It also supports tenant groups working to improve housing conditions. Call 505-277-2146.

AZLawHelp.org is a joint legal aid site run by Community Legal Services, DNA People's Legal Services, Southern Arizona Legal Aid, and the Arizona Bar Foundation. Call 866-637-5341 or apply online to check if you qualify for free or reduced fee legal help.

Arizona Free Legal Answers lets you post a legal question online for free if you qualify. You can ask about housing, eviction, or being homeless. Volunteer lawyers cannot call you and cannot represent you in court.

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) gives free legal help to low-income Austin renters in landlord disputes. Call 1-888-988-9996 if you need a lawyer because you were locked out or had a privacy problem.

BASTA is part of TRLA. It helps Austin renters deal with problem landlords as a group. BASTA gives advice and legal help, and builds tenant associations. Call 512.522.9984 or go online to find in-person workshops and meetings.

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid gives free legal help to low-income Austin renters in landlord disputes. Call 1-888-988-9996. BASTA helps Austin renters push for building-wide repairs. The group gives guidance and legal counsel and helps neighbors form tenant associations.

Contact a legal aid group before any court date. A legal aid lawyer can look at your case and find defenses. One example is housing code violations that lower the rent you owe. If you qualify, a legal aid lawyer can represent you for free.

LawHelpCA is the statewide finder for free legal aid. It lists legal aid offices near you. You may qualify for free help if your income is low. Website: www.lawhelpca.org.

If you cannot afford a lawyer, you may qualify for free or low-cost legal aid. To find a legal aid office near you, go to LawHelpCA.org.

The Law Center for Better Housing represents Chicago renters in eviction court for free. Start at its Rentervention website: https://rentervention.com/

The Law Center for Better Housing also gives Chicago renters free legal help. This includes emergencies where you have been locked out. Start at its Rentervention website.

CTLawHelp.org is a free self-help website built by several Connecticut legal aid groups. It has plain-language legal information on evictions, security deposits, rent increases, discrimination, and utilities (water, electric, gas). A free live chat can help you find what you need. Visit ctlawhelp.org.

Connecticut's Right to Counsel Program gives free, experienced lawyers to renters who may qualify, if they face eviction or losing a housing subsidy. Visit evictionhelpct.org and answer a few questions to find out if a lawyer is available in your town. If your town is not yet covered, you can still call the program's hotline for advice. The Connecticut Bar Foundation runs Eviction Help CT.

Florida Law Help (floridalawhelp.org). This website has a tool that helps you find legal help by where you live or your legal topic.

Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) is a free website with plain-language legal information and court forms. Its Get Legal Help tool asks about your problem, your zip code, and your income. Then it sends you to the legal aid office that covers your area. Start at illinoislegalaid.org/get-legal-help.

Kentucky Justice Online is a website that connects Kentuckians with free legal help. It tells you if you may qualify for free legal help. It lists self-help forms, FAQs, and step-by-step guides, plus Kentucky's four regional legal aid programs and their phone numbers.

The Louisiana Legal Navigator is a website about your rights. It explains when a landlord can try to evict you. Eviction is a court case to remove you from your home. It explains your rights during that case and how to fight or delay it. It also lists free or reduced-cost legal help near you. Go to louisianalegalnavigator.org.

Massachusetts Legal Help (masslegalhelp.org). This free website is run by Massachusetts legal aid programs. It has plain-language information on housing, apartments, and shelter, and can help you see if you qualify for free or low-cost legal help. It never charges you anything to use the site.

Michigan Legal Help is a free website for anyone with a Michigan legal problem, including renters. It has self-help guides on leases, landlord problems, eviction, and security deposits. Its Guide to Legal Help tool asks about your problem and income, then points you to legal aid lawyers or self-help tools. It also lists self-help centers in courthouses near you.

LawHelpMN.org lists Minnesota renter law topics such as eviction, security deposits, repair problems, and housing discrimination. Use its LawHelpMN Guide to get connected to legal help and referrals.

Missouri Tenant Help is a free website that helps Missouri tenants facing eviction or other housing needs. Its EDDE (Eviction Defense Document Engine) tool helps you create your own court documents to fight an eviction for free. You still have to file the documents with the court yourself.

Missouri's courts tell people seeking legal help to call the legal services program in their area. Legal services also has a statewide website.

The City of Lincoln names the Tenant Assistance Programs of Legal Aid of Nebraska, the UNL College of Law, and the State Bar Association. It says they give legal help to tenants at eviction court.

The State of Nevada Self-Help Center is run by the Nevada Supreme Court. It gives free court forms and information to people who go to court without a lawyer. If you live in Clark County or Washoe County, use that county's self-help website instead for forms made for your court. Visit selfhelp.nvcourts.gov.

The Civil Law Self-Help Center helps Clark County renters respond to an eviction notice. The site lists current rental assistance (money to help pay rent) programs too. Las Vegas renters can file their answer at lacsn.org/efile. Visit civillawselfhelpcenter.org for forms and information.

The Modest Means Helpline gives legal advice by phone to New Mexico residents of modest means. It can help people who do not qualify for New Mexico Legal Aid because of income or conflicts of interest. Call 505-797-6013 or 888-857-9935. Lines are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Legal Resources for the Elderly Program is a free, statewide helpline for New Mexico residents age 55 and older, with no income limit. It advises on landlord and tenant issues along with other civil legal problems. Call 505-797-6005 or 1-800-876-6657. Lines are open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

LawHelpNY is a free website that lists free legal services in every New York county and explains housing law in plain language. Use its Legal Directory to find the legal aid office for your county. You can also chat with a LiveHelp operator Monday to Thursday, 9 AM to 9 PM. Website: lawhelpny.org.

For free legal advice at any point, call 311 and ask for the Tenant Helpline.

Free legal aid groups across New York can take cases about being locked out or harassment (unwanted, hostile treatment) if you qualify. Check lawhelp.org to find one near you.

Where to get help: NYC renters can get free legal advice about a deposit fight. Call 311 and ask for the Tenant Helpline.

Ohio Legal Help (ohiolegalhelp.org). This website has information on housing topics. Topics include eviction, repairs, landlords, security deposits, and mobile homes. It also covers subsidized housing (private housing where the government helps pay part of the rent). And it covers foreclosure (when a lender takes a property because the owner missed payments).

The Oklahoma Bar Association publishes free guides on tenant rights and the eviction process for anyone in Oklahoma. Read them online at okbar.org or call 405-416-7000, or 800-522-8065 toll free.

Oklahoma Free Legal Answers lets you ask a civil legal question (not about a crime) online for free, if you qualify. You can ask about housing or eviction. A volunteer lawyer in Oklahoma answers you. Go to oklahoma.freelegalanswers.org to see if you qualify.

OregonLawHelp.org connects Oregonians with legal information and legal help for civil problems. Oregon attorneys write the information on the site. Search for legal help at oregonlawhelp.org.

For free legal help with eviction, call the Philly Tenant Hotline at (267) 443-2500. The hotline can tell you about your options, including free lawyers if you qualify.

The Philadelphia Municipal Court hears cases about a written or oral lease. Court interviewers help you fill out the papers. They cannot give legal advice. On your trial day, the Lawyer of the Day Program gives free, same-day representation if you qualify by income. If you do not have a lawyer and want to start a case, go to the First Filing Unit, 10th floor, 1339 Chestnut Street. For information, call 215-686-2901 or 215-686-7987.

Pittsburgh's Housing Opportunity Fund has a Legal Assistance Program. It offers free housing legal services to tenants who qualify and live in the City of Pittsburgh. Services include mediation (a meeting where a neutral person helps you and your landlord agree). They also include full legal representation, a lawyer for your case. Call 412-255-6694 or email HOF@ura.org.

South Carolina Free Legal Answers lets you post a civil legal question about housing or eviction online at no cost. You get an email when a volunteer lawyer answers, then you sign in to the site to read it. Visit sc.freelegalanswers.org to see if you qualify.

Virginia's Judicial System Court Self-Help Center gives legal information to people handling their own court case, including landlord-tenant cases. Judges and court staff can explain the law, but only a lawyer working for you can give you legal advice. Find it at selfhelp.vacourts.gov.

If your landlord takes you to court to evict you, you may get a free lawyer through the state's Right to Counsel program. A state law, RCW 59.18.640, created this right for tenants with low income. You may qualify if you get TANF, food stamps, SSI or similar public benefits, or if your income is low under federal poverty guidelines. The Office of Civil Legal Aid runs the program with legal aid groups statewide. Ask about the program as soon as you get an eviction notice.

Washington Courts runs Self-Help Washington, a set of resources for people going to court without a lawyer (self-represented persons). Its Eviction & Housing Issues section covers eviction under the landlord-tenant act, other housing issues, forms, and formal complaints. It also links to the court forms used statewide in Washington Courts. Self-help centers that work with the courts offer free, limited legal services and information to people going to court without a lawyer. Get help from a legal aid group for your specific case.

The Northwest Justice Project gives legal help with civil (non-criminal) problems to low-income people in Washington who qualify. Outside King County, call the CLEAR Hotline at 1-888-201-1014, weekdays 9:15 am to 12:15 pm. In King County, call 211 weekdays 9 am to 5 pm to be sent to a legal aid office.