Tenant and Eviction Lawyers in City and County of San Francisco, California
Free and low-cost legal help for renters and landlords in City and County of San Francisco: legal aid organizations, any right-to-counsel program, and the bar association's lawyer referral service.
Free legal aid in City and County of San Francisco
- Eviction Defense Collaborative — Free legal help for tenants facing eviction, (415) 947-0797.
- Bay Area Legal Aid — (800) 551-5554.
- La Raza Centro Legal — (415) 575-3500.
- Tenderloin Housing Clinic
Legal aid groups usually help people below an income limit and may prioritize eviction cases. Call as soon as you get court papers or a notice.
Right to a lawyer in eviction cases
Tenant Right to Counsel (Proposition F, the No Eviction Without Representation Act, approved by voters June 5, 2018, codified as S.F. Admin. Code Sec. 58.4, effective July 20, 2018; the City had up to 12 months to fully implement it, and the program was in effect July 11, 2019): the City must fund full-scope legal representation for all residential tenants facing eviction, available 30 days after service of an eviction notice (any notice to terminate tenancy) or on service of an unlawful detainer complaint, whichever occurs first, and continuing until the notice or complaint is withdrawn, the case is dismissed, or judgment is entered. It does not apply when the landlord or master tenant lives in the same unit as the tenant, or where a state or federal program already provides full-scope representation. Intake: Eviction Defense Collaborative, 415-659-9184 (per sf.gov, https://www.sf.gov/evictions-san-francisco). Code text: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/san_francisco/latest/sf_admin/0-0-0-60051 Source
Hiring a landlord-tenant lawyer
If you don't qualify for free help, a lawyer referral service can connect you with a local landlord-tenant attorney, often for a low-cost first consultation:
- State Bar of California directory of certified Lawyer Referral ServicesThe State Bar does not refer you to a lawyer itself. Its directory lists certified referral services you can search by county, practice area and language. Lawyers referred by certified services give a first consultation for a reduced fee or free. Each service sets its own fees, and the State Bar page does not list them.
Eviction court, fees and local help in City and County of San Francisco · Legal help across California · Can I sue my landlord in California?
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.