California Civil Rights Department
- Investigates housing discrimination complaints.
- Website: www.calcivilrights.ca.gov/
- Phone: 1-800-884-1684
Tenant Law Group
Legal Aid Resources List
Free or Low-Cost Legal Support for California Renters
Find free or low-cost legal support to protect your rights as a renter in California. Below is a curated list of trusted organizations and government agencies offering assistance with issues like discrimination, habitability, landlord harassment, and more.
Statewide
California Courts Self-Help Guide
- Provides free, reliable legal information to help Californians navigate the court system. For tenants, it offers step-by-step guidance on eviction cases, renters’ rights, small claims lawsuits, and housing-related legal forms.
- Website: www.selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/
California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA)
- Provides free legal services to low-income individuals and families in rural California, including tenants with issues such as unlawful evictions, unsafe living conditions, housing discrimination, and challenges related to public or subsidized housing.
- Website: www.crla.org/
- Phone: 1-800-337-0690
California State Bar Lawyer Referral Services
- Connects individuals with qualified local attorneys based on their legal needs through certified, nonprofit, and low-cost referral services across California.
- Website: www.calbar.ca.gov/LawyerReferralServices
California State Bar Legal Help
- Connects low-income Californians with free legal help. Tenants can find support for evictions, landlord disputes, discrimination, unsafe housing, access to hotlines, self-help centers, and pro bono services.
- Website: www.calbar.ca.gov/Public
Disability Rights California
- Nonprofit that advocates for the rights of people with disabilities, including tenants. It helps individuals access and maintain safe, accessible housing by offering legal assistance with discrimination, reasonable accommodation requests, and unlawful evictions.
- Website: www.disabilityrightsca.org/
- Phone: 1-800-776-5746
Housing & Economic Rights Advocates (HERA)
- Provides free legal assistance and advice to low- and moderate-income tenants.
- Website: www.heraca.org/
- Phone: 1-510-271-8443
LawHelpCA.org
- Directory of legal aid offices and self-help resources across California.
- Website: www.lawhelpca.org/es
Tenants Together
- Statewide tenant rights organization that provides legal guidance and resources.
- Website: www.tenantstogether.org
- Phone: 1-888-495-8020
Northern California
Bay Area Legal Aid (BayLegal)
- Provides legal services to low-income individuals across the Bay Area, assisting tenants with evictions, discrimination, habitability issues, and problems related to Section 8 or public housing.
- Website: www.baylegal.org
- Phone: 1-800-551-5554
Centro Legal de la Raza
- Provides free and low-cost legal services to low-income individuals in Alameda County, including tenants. The organization supports renters facing eviction, unsafe living conditions, landlord harassment, and housing discrimination.
- Website: www.centrolegal.org/
- Phone: 1-510-437-1554
East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC)
- Provides free legal services to low-income individuals and families in Alameda County. EBCLC supports tenants dealing with eviction, unsafe housing conditions, landlord harassment, and housing discrimination.
- Website: www.ebclc.org/
- Phone: 1-510-832-3040
Eviction Defense Center
- Provides free and low-cost legal services to tenants facing eviction in Alameda County, with additional support available to renters in Berkeley and Richmond. and housing discrimination.
- Website: www.evictiondefensecenteroakland.org/
- Phone: 1-510-452-4541
Eviction Defense Collaborative
- Organization in San Francisco that provides legal and rental assistance to tenants at risk of eviction, and support to residents of city-run shelters.
- Website: www.evictiondefense.org/
- Phone: 1-415-947-0797
Law Foundation of Silicon Valley
- Provides free legal services to low-income individuals and families in Santa Clara County. Assists tenants with eviction defense, unsafe housing conditions, landlord harassment, and housing discrimination. Also advocates for the rights of people with disabilities and those experiencing homelessness.
- Website: www.lawfoundation.org/
- Phone: 1- 408-280-2424
Law Office of Jeremy V. Reyes
- Provides low-cost legal services to tenants throughout the East and North Bay Areas.
- Website: www.jeremyreyeslaw.weebly.com/
- Phone: 1-707-815-0088
Legal Access Alameda
- Provides free legal assistance to low-income individuals in Alameda County. For tenants, it offers support with eviction defense.
- Website: www.vlsc-acba.org/
- Phone: 1-510-302-2222
Legal Aid of Marin
- Offers legal aid to low-income residents in Marin County.
- Website: www.legalaidmarin.org
- Phone: 1-415-492-0230
Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County
- Provides free legal assistance to tenants in San Mateo County.
- Website: www.legalaidsmc.org
- Phone: 1-650-558-0915
Legal Assistance for Seniors
- Offers free and low-cost legal services to Alameda County residents aged 60 and older. Assists senior tenants with wrongful evictions, unsafe living conditions, and housing discrimination, often linked to elder abuse, guardianship, or public benefits issues.
- Website: www.lashicap.org
- Phone: 1-510-832-3040
San Francisco Tenants Union
- Offers low-cost tenant rights counseling.
- Website: www.sftu.org/
- Phone: 1-415-282-6622
Central California
California Indian Legal Services (CILS)
- Offers legal assistance to Native American communities across California, including tenants’ rights.
- Website: www.calindian.org
- Phone: 1-800-829-0284
Central California Legal Services (CCLS)
- Offers free legal services in Fresno, Merced, Tulare, and nearby counties.
- Website: www.centralcallegal.org
- Phone: 1-800-675-8001
Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance (GBLA)
- Provides free legal services to tenants in Kern County.
- Website: www.gbla.org
- Phone: 1-661-325-5943
Inland Counties Legal Services (ICLS)
- Provides legal aid for tenants in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
- Website: www.inlandlegal.org
- Phone: 1-888-245-4257
Southern California
BASTA
- Offers legal assistance to tenants in the Greater Los Angeles area who are facing eviction, unsafe living conditions, or harassment by their landlords.
- Website: www.basta.org/
- Phone: 1-213-736-5050
Bet Tzedek Legal Services (Los Angeles)
- Provides free legal assistance, including housing and tenant rights.
- Website: www.bettzedek.org
- Phone: 1-323-939-0506
Community Legal Aid SoCal
- Provides free legal services to low-income individuals and families in Orange and Los Angeles Counties. For tenants, the organization offers assistance with eviction defense, unsafe housing conditions, housing discrimination, and landlord harassment.
- Website: www.communitylegalsocal.org
- Phone: 1-800-834-5001
Eviction Defense Network (EDN)
- Offers low-cost and pro bono legal support to tenants in Los Angeles County who are facing eviction.
- Website: www.edn.la/
- Phone: 1-213-385-8112
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA)
- Provides free legal services to low-income residents of Los Angeles County, supporting tenants facing eviction, landlord harassment, housing discrimination, unsafe living conditions, and Section 8 and public housing issues.
- Website: www.lafla.org
- Phone: 1-800-399-4529
Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County (NLSLA)
- Provides free legal assistance to low-income individuals and families throughout Los Angeles County. For tenants, NLSLA offers support with eviction defense, landlord-tenant disputes, housing discrimination, illegal rent increases, unsafe living conditions, and Section 8 and public housing issues.
- Website: www.nlsla.org
- Phone: 1-800-433-6251
Public Counsel (Los Angeles)
- Provides free legal services to low-income individuals and families across Los Angeles County. For tenants, it offers support with eviction defense, landlord harassment, housing discrimination, habitability issues, and access to affordable housing.
- Website: www.publiccounsel.org
- Phone: 1-213-385-2977
Riverside Legal Aid
- Provides free legal assistance to low-income individuals and families in Riverside County. For tenants, the organization offers help with eviction defense, habitability issues, and unlawful detainers.
- Website: www.riversidelegalaid.org/
- Phone: 1-951-888-2039
Stay Housed LA
- Provides free legal assistance to tenants in Los Angeles County who are at risk of eviction.
- Website: www.stayhousedla.org/
Community Legal Aid SoCal (formerly Legal Aid Society of Orange County)
- Provides legal aid to tenants in Orange and southeast Los Angeles counties.
- Website: www.communitylegalsocal.org
- Phone: 1-800-834-5001
Legal Aid Society of San Diego (LASSD)
- Provides free legal services to low-income individuals and families in San Diego County. It helps tenants with eviction defense, landlord-tenant disputes, unsafe living conditions, housing discrimination, and access to Section 8 and public housing.
- Website: www.lassd.org
- Phone: 1-877-534-2524
Disclaimer: This page provides general information about landlord-tenant laws in California and is not intended as legal advice. We encourage you to consult with a qualified tenant attorney or local tenant advocacy organization for guidance specific to your situation.
Call one of Tenant Law Group's Intake Specialists
Get help right away.
(415) 801-8878
Intake@tenantlawgroupsf.com
Fill out our Online Intake Form to Get Started Now
Providing us with some basic information on this form will make it easier to determine what type of help we could potentially offer you.
Stay Informed on Tenant Rights
Explore our blog for the latest news and tips on tenant rights.