Free Legal Help for Tenants and Landlords in Florida

Legal aid organizations, right-to-counsel programs and official court self-help resources in Florida, gathered from the state, county and city pages on this site.

Right to a free lawyer in eviction cases

Statewide: No statute — no statewide right to counsel in eviction cases. Fla. Stat. ch. 83

Jacksonville: No. No right-to-counsel program for tenants was found.
Miami: No. No right-to-counsel program for tenants was found for the City of Miami or Miami-Dade County.
Orlando: No. No right-to-counsel program for tenants was found.
St. Petersburg: No adopted right-to-counsel program was confirmed. The City says City Council is considering a Right to Counsel Program. Source
Tampa: No. No right-to-counsel program for tenants was found.

Free legal aid organizations

Legal Services of Greater Miami — Free civil legal services for low-income residents of Miami-Dade and Monroe; (305) 576-0080.
Serves: Miami-Dade County (Miami)
Legal Aid Service of Broward County — Free civil legal help for eligible Broward County residents, including housing rights and eviction assistance. 954-765-8950; 491 North State Road 7, Plantation, FL 33317; Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Serves: Broward County (Fort Lauderdale)
Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association — Free legal help for those who qualify; 407-841-8310.
Serves: Orange County (Orlando)
Bay Area Legal Services — Landlord/tenant and eviction help for qualifying Tampa Bay residents; (800) 625-2257.
Serves: Hillsborough County (Tampa), Pasco County (New Port Richey)
Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County — Landlord-tenant, fair housing and homeless legal prevention services; 561-655-8944.
Serves: Palm Beach County (West Palm Beach)
Florida Rural Legal Services — Serves Palm Beach among other counties; hotline 1-888-582-3410.
Serves: Palm Beach County (West Palm Beach), Polk County (Lakeland), Lee County (Fort Myers), St. Lucie County (Port St. Lucie), Charlotte County
Jacksonville Area Legal Aid — Housing justice services in 17 North Florida counties including Duval; runs an Eviction Defense Self-Help Project.
Serves: Duval County (Jacksonville)
Gulfcoast Legal Services — Eviction defense and landlord/tenant help; Pinellas office 727-821-0726.
Serves: Pinellas County (St. Petersburg / Clearwater), Sarasota County (Sarasota), Manatee County (Bradenton)
Community Law Program — Free civil legal services for eligible Pinellas residents; (727) 582-7480; intake screened via Bay Area Legal Services 1-800-625-2257.
Serves: Pinellas County (St. Petersburg / Clearwater)
Community Legal Services (Mid-Florida) — Housing self-help resources and legal advice clinics in Daytona Beach.
Serves: Volusia County (Daytona Beach), Seminole County (Sanford), Osceola County (Kissimmee), Marion County (Ocala), Lake County (Tavares)
Legal Services of North Florida — Tallahassee office, 2119 Delta Blvd., (850) 385-9007; serves Franklin, Jefferson, Leon and Wakulla counties. Free civil legal help for eligible low-income residents.
Serves: Leon County (Tallahassee), Escambia County (Pensacola)
Three Rivers Legal Services — Civil legal aid across North Central Florida, including housing/landlord-tenant; Gainesville office, 1000 NE 16th Ave., Bldg. I, 352-372-0519; toll-free 1-866-256-8091.
Serves: Alachua County (Gainesville)
Collier Legal Aid — Free civil legal help, including housing law, for qualified Collier County residents; 4436 Tamiami Trail E., Naples, (239) 775-4555 (listed by the Clerk: https://www.collierclerk.com/court-divisions/civil-court/free-low-cost-legal-help/).
Serves: Collier County (Naples)
Jacksonville Area Legal Aid - Clay County Office — Listed in the Clerk's eviction information packet: (904) 284-8410.
Serves: Clay County

Find a tenant or eviction lawyer in Florida

If you do not qualify for free legal aid, a bar lawyer referral service can match you with a landlord-tenant lawyer for a low-cost first consultation.

The Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service — 800-342-8011
30-minute consultation for no more than $25. Nine local bar associations run their own referral services in major cities; the Florida Bar handles areas without one.

Official court and state resources

Legal aid groups set their own eligibility rules (usually income-based). Call ahead or check their site.

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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.