Finding Free Legal Help for Eviction Defense

You may have a legal right to a free lawyer in your eviction case if you live in Washington, Maryland, or covered parts of Connecticut, or in one of 23 cities and counties that include New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia (in ten covered ZIP codes), and Baltimore. Most of these programs have an income limit, often 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, which is $31,920 a year for one person in 2026. Everywhere else, start with your local legal aid office, which the Legal Services Corporation's lookup finds by address, then your court's self-help center and a tenant hotline. Call the day you get court papers, because some programs meet tenants at the first hearing and others require you to apply before a deadline.

Where tenants have a right to a lawyer

As of October 2026, the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel counts 28 places with an eviction right to counsel: 5 states, 21 cities, and 2 counties. Minnesota and Nebraska limit theirs to public housing tenants: Minnesota's covers evictions for lease violations, and Nebraska's covers only Omaha. The rules in the other three states, and in the cities and counties within the states this guide covers:

For 2026, 200% of the poverty guidelines is $31,920 a year for one person and $66,000 for a family of four in the 48 contiguous states and D.C. The other cities with a right to counsel are Boulder, Bozeman, Cleveland, Columbus (Ohio), Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Louisville, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, St. Louis, and Toledo, each with its own eligibility rules. None is in Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, or Texas, and Philadelphia is the only one in Pennsylvania.

Many of these programs require a written notice of the right to counsel, such as with the notice to quit in Connecticut or with the court papers the sheriff serves in Maryland; call the number on that notice. How to ask in the largest programs:

• New York City: free help is available in every ZIP code regardless of immigration status. Go to your first Housing Court appearance and say "I would like an attorney," or call Housing Court Answers at 718-557-1379 or 212-962-4795, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Washington: respond to the eviction summons by its deadline, then call the Eviction Defense Screening Line at 855-657-8387 or apply online through the Northwest Justice Project. The summons warns that if you miss the deadline, you can lose the right to an appointed lawyer.
• Maryland: call 211 or apply through the Access to Counsel in Evictions program. Its lawyers handle failure-to-pay-rent, breach-of-lease, and holdover cases, and voucher or other subsidy terminations.

Free legal aid everywhere else

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC), a nonprofit established by Congress, funds 129 legal aid organizations covering every state, D.C., and the U.S. territories. Enter your address in the lookup on its "I Need Legal Help" page to find the office that serves you; LawHelp.org has legal information and free forms.

LSC-funded offices cap income at 125% of the poverty guidelines, which for 2026 is $19,950 a year for one person and $41,250 for a family of four, and they also set limits on savings and other assets, with some exceptions. Offices with other funding set their own limits, so call even if your income is higher. If an office cannot take your case, ask whether it offers advice clinics, help on court days, or a referral.

Court self-help centers and hotlines

Self-help centers and hotlines give free legal information, even when they cannot represent you:

• California: every superior court has a self-help center. LawHelpCA finds legal aid and lawyer referral services by county, county law libraries offer help for people without a lawyer, and 2-1-1 connects you with local services.
• Maryland: the Maryland Court Help Centers answer calls and chats at 410-260-1392 from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and District Court Help Centers offer in-person help.
• Washington: the CLEAR hotline is 888-201-1014 outside King County, or 888-387-7111 if you are 60 or older. Dispute resolution centers offer free or low-cost mediation of rent disputes before a case is filed.
• New York City: call 311 and ask for the Tenant Helpline, or email the Office of Civil Justice at civiljustice@hra.nyc.gov with your name, phone number, and Housing Court case number.
• Philadelphia: Community Legal Services is at 215-981-3700, the Philadelphia Tenant Advocate at 215-606-3556, the Tenant Union Representative Network at 215-940-3900, and the Philadelphia Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service at 215-238-6333 (referrals are free; an initial attorney consultation costs $35 for up to 30 minutes).
• Texas: every eviction citation must list the State Bar of Texas referral line, 1-877-9TEXBAR (1-877-983-9227), and state that you may qualify for free or low-cost legal help.

What to bring to an intake appointment

LSC rules require the offices it funds to check your income, household size, and assets before taking a case, and the lawyer needs to see your papers to spot defenses and deadlines. Bring:

1. Court papers: the summons, complaint, case number, and hearing date.
2. The landlord's notice and your lease, including any renewals or written changes.
3. Rent records: receipts, money order stubs, bank statements, and any ledger from the landlord.
4. Messages and evidence: texts, emails, and letters with the landlord, repair requests, photos or video, and inspection reports.
5. Proof of income for everyone in your household, such as pay stubs, benefit award letters, or a recent tax return.
6. Subsidy and assistance papers, such as a housing voucher, recertification letters, or a rental assistance application or approval.

Do not let the search for a lawyer cost you your deadline

Response deadlines in eviction cases are measured in days, and a lawyer may not be available before yours. If you cannot reach anyone in time, file your answer or other response yourself and keep calling; preparing for an eviction court hearing explains the deadlines and forms in several states, and defenses against eviction lists what to raise. How long the full process takes in your state is in the eviction timeline by state.