Free Legal Help for Tenants and Landlords in Iowa

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

Right to a free lawyer in eviction cases

Statewide: No statewide right to counsel in eviction cases was found in Iowa Code ch. 648 or ch. 562A. Iowa Code ch. 648; ch. 562A (checked)

Des Moines: No local right to counsel found.

Free legal aid organizations

Iowa Legal Aid — Free civil help including eviction; apply via the Get Help page. Des Moines office: 606 Walnut Street, 25th Floor.
Serves: Polk County (Des Moines), Johnson County, Linn County, Scott County, Black Hawk County, Story County

Find a tenant or eviction lawyer in Iowa

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.

Iowa State Bar Association - Iowa Find-A-Lawyer — (515) 243-3179
Participating attorneys charge $25 or less for up to 30 minutes of initial consultation. The bar refers phone callers to this online directory; (515) 243-3179 is the bar's general number.

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.