Unlike criminal court — where defendants get a free public defender if they can’t afford their own attorney — most eviction courts, including in Los Angeles, do not provide tenants with free legal representation. As a result, most renters fighting eviction go to court without a lawyer, facing landlords who almost always have an attorney.
Tenant advocates say this can create an unfair imbalance — making it easier for work by eviction attorneys to go unchecked in a busy court system.
In one recent case, a judge caught a big problem. L.A. County Superior Court Judge Ian Fusselman sanctioned one of the most prolific L.A. eviction law firms — Dennis P. Block and Associates — for submitting fake case law in court. Legal experts told LAist the filing was likely created by misuse of a generative artificial intelligence program such as ChatGPT.
In that particular case the tenant, who prevailed, was represented by an attorney.
Tenant advocates say this case, and other complaints about mishandled evictions, underscore the importance of renters having an attorney. Lawyers can spot problems with a landlord’s case, and they can help tenants navigate an often confusing and fast-paced legal system.
“When tenants are not represented in eviction court, they're significantly more likely to lose,” said Jonathan Jager, a staff attorney with the pro bono law firm Public Counsel.
Landlords file thousands of evictions across L.A. County each month. There are not enough tenant defense attorneys to help every renter. But free attorneys are available in many cases. If you’re a renter facing eviction in L.A., here’s how to start looking for legal help.
Your first stop, according to tenant advocates interviewed for this story, should be StayHousedLA.org.
This program, launched at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and funded by the city and county of L.A., brings together an array of local legal aid nonprofits and tenant advocacy groups focused on helping renters learn their rights and fight to stay in their homes.
“A tenant doesn't need to call eight different nonprofit law firms to try to find one that has capacity for their case,” Jager said. “They can just call StayHousedLA.”
Jager emphasized the need to act fast. Under California law, renters served with an unlawful detainer (the legal term for an eviction lawsuit) have a short time to respond in court.
Evictions are “specially exempt from normal court rules,” Jager said. “If a landlord files an eviction case, the tenant only has five days to file an answer instead of the usual 30.”
StayHousedLA has $20.5 million in funding for legal services, and about 50 full-time attorneys available through different organizations. It has certain eligibility requirements for Angelenos seeking legal representation. Tenants need to earn 80% of the area’s median income or less, which is up to $70,650 for a one-person household or $100,900 for a family of four.
StayHousedLA also prioritizes cases in certain ZIP codes. If you live in any of the ZIP codes listed in this link, you’re more likely to receive free legal representation. Living outside those ZIP codes isn’t necessarily disqualifying. But tenant attorneys said StayHousedLA has chosen to channel limited resources into areas deemed most vulnerable.
“Everyone who signs up should be getting some sort of communication back from the legal services provider they are paired with, even if it is to say, ‘We do not have capacity to take this case on,’” said Amy Tannenbaum, another Public Counsel attorney. “They might be able to provide a vetted list of referrals to private attorneys who may be able to assist.”
L.A. tenants can turn to another potential source for free legal representation: the Shriver Housing Project’s eviction assistance center on the first floor of Downtown L.A.’s Stanley Mosk courthouse. Tannenbaum recommends showing up early to maximize your chances of getting legal help.
The reality, tenant advocates say, is that even if you reach out to these programs, you most likely will not receive a free lawyer. There are simply too many cases and too few attorneys.
“We're working on building that pipeline now for eviction defense,” Tannenbaum said. “It's not there yet.”
But that doesn’t mean you’re completely on your own.
Pablo Estupiñan, director of the Right to Counsel campaign for L.A. tenant rights nonprofit Strategic Actions for a Just Economy, encouraged renters to contact tenant advocacy organizations to learn how to defend themselves in court.
“There can be shame when people are facing eviction,” Estupiñan said. “You're not alone. There are thousands of people right now — across the city, across the county — that are being evicted, or are in court, with no access to legal representation.”
The Eviction Defense Network has videos on their website breaking down the eviction process for tenants who lack attorneys. They also host webinars and classes most days of the week where staffers and other tenants educate each other on how to best approach cases.
Attorneys also recommended reaching out to the L.A. Tenants Union. They said the union includes many members who, while they’re not lawyers, are knowledgeable about eviction.
“I've seen tenants represent themselves in court and win because they have the support of a tenant support organization,” Jager said.
He said tenants can also use TenantPowerToolkit.org to help with filing a response to an eviction lawsuit.
While these policies are unlikely to take effect any time soon, tenants in many parts of L.A. County may one day be given publicly funded attorneys in eviction court.
These “right to counsel” proposals are now under consideration by the L.A. city council and L.A. County’s Board of Supervisors. How exactly the programs would work is not yet clear, but advocates hope L.A. will follow in the footsteps of other cities with right to counsel programs, such as New York and San Francisco.
“Across the country, I think policymakers are seeing that right to counsel is a solution to reducing homelessness and preventing more evictions,” Estupiñan said.
L.A. city council members are waiting for the city’s housing department to deliver a report on the policy before taking an initial vote. That report was due six months ago. The County Board of Supervisors proposal, which would initially only cover tenants in unincorporated parts of L.A. County, is scheduled to be voted on next year.
If you’re hoping to track these right to counsel proposals, read LAist’s guide on how to watchdog your local government.
