Free Legal Help for Tenants and Landlords in Texas

Legal aid organizations, right-to-counsel programs and official court self-help resources in Texas, 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. In justice court, parties may represent themselves or be represented by authorized agents who need not be attorneys. Tex. Prop. Code ch. 24; Sec. 24.011

Harris County (Houston): No guaranteed right to counsel. Harris County Housing & Community Development's Eviction Defense Program provides free legal advice before filing, representation in eviction cases and appeals, and help with negotiations and mediation, through Lone Star Legal Aid (832-927-4955; 1111 Fannin St., 9th Floor, Houston). Eligibility: Harris County residents with total household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guideline, with priority for those receiving unemployment benefits, with reduced income, or at risk of eviction from financial hardship. Source
Arlington: No. No right-to-counsel program for tenants was found.
Austin: No guaranteed right to counsel. The City funds eviction representation for low-income renters through TRLA and other legal partners, subject to their capacity. Source
Dallas: No right to counsel. The City has funded eviction legal help through Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas (Eviction Assistance Initiative), but its current status was not confirmed. Source
El Paso: No right to counsel, and no City-funded eviction representation program was found.
Fort Worth: No right to counsel, and no City eviction legal-representation program was found.
Houston: No guaranteed right to counsel. Harris County's Eviction Defense Program provides free legal advice and representation through Lone Star Legal Aid (832-927-4955) to county residents with household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guideline. Source
San Antonio: City-funded Right to Counsel program through TRLA for income-eligible tenants facing eviction; not a guarantee created by ordinance. Source

Free legal aid organizations

Lone Star Legal Aid — Houston main office 713-652-0077 / toll-free 1-800-733-8394; LSLA's eviction page addresses Harris County JP eviction dockets (https://www.lonestarlegal.org/services/eviction-right-to-counsel/).
Serves: Harris County (Houston), Montgomery County (Conroe/The Woodlands), Fort Bend County (Sugar Land/Richmond), Bell County (Killeen/Temple), Brazos County (Bryan/College Station), Galveston County (League City/Galveston)
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas — Dallas office, 1515 Main St., Dallas (214-748-1234); Legal Aid Line 888-529-5277.
Serves: Dallas County (Dallas), Tarrant County (Fort Worth), Collin County (Plano/McKinney), Denton County (Denton)
Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) — San Antonio office, 9501 Console Dr.; apply by phone (956) 996-8752.
Serves: Bexar County (San Antonio), Travis County (Austin), El Paso County (El Paso), Hidalgo County (McAllen/Edinburg), Williamson County (Round Rock/Georgetown), Nueces County (Corpus Christi)
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas - Lubbock office — 1711 Avenue J, Lubbock, TX 79401; (806) 763-4557, toll-free (800) 933-4557; intake by phone Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Free walk-in legal clinics in Lubbock cover landlord/tenant issues.
Serves: Lubbock County (Lubbock)
Lone Star Legal Aid - Tyler Office — 110 North College, Suite 302, Tyler, TX 75702; (903) 595-4781, toll-free (800) 248-0048. Serves Henderson, Rains, Smith, Van Zandt and Wood counties. Intake Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-3:30 p.m.
Serves: Smith County
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas - Odessa office — Serves Andrews, Crane, Ector, Loving, Ward and Winkler counties: 620 North Grant Ave., Suite 410, Odessa, TX 79761; 432-332-1207 or 800-955-1207 (Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-5 p.m.); statewide Legal Aid Line 1-888-529-5277.
Serves: Ector County
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas - Midland office — 10 Desta Dr., Ste. 675E, Midland, TX 79705; 432-686-0647 (toll-free 800-926-5630). Legal Aid Line 1-888-529-5277; landlord-tenant line 855-548-8457.
Serves: Midland County
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas - Abilene office — 500 Chestnut St., Ste. 901, Abilene, TX 79602; 325-677-8591 (toll-free 800-933-8591). Legal Aid Line 1-888-529-5277; landlord-tenant line 855-548-8457.
Serves: Taylor County (Abilene)
Lone Star Legal Aid - Longview Office — Longview office serves Gregg, Camp, Harrison, Marion, Panola, Rusk and Upshur counties. Intake: 1-800-733-8394; online applications accepted.
Serves: Gregg County
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas - Wichita Falls Office — 710 Lamar St., Ste. 300, Wichita Falls, TX 76301; 940-723-5542; toll-free 800-926-5542. The locations page does not list counties served; confirm coverage. Legal Aid Line 1-888-529-5277; online intake via https://legalaidtx.org/.
Serves: Wichita County
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas - Amarillo Office — 203 SW 8th Ave., Ste. 600, Amarillo, TX 79101; 806-373-6808. The locations page does not list counties served; confirm coverage. Legal Aid Line 1-888-529-5277; online intake via https://legalaidtx.org/.
Serves: Randall County, Potter County (Amarillo)
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas - Waxahachie office — 110 East Main St., Ste. 200, Waxahachie, TX 75165; 972-923-3344 / 866-614-3344. Serves Ellis and Kaufman counties.
Serves: Ellis County
Texas RioGrande Legal Aid — Comal County is in TRLA's 68-county service area. Apply for free legal help at (956) 996-8752 or toll-free (833) 329-8752, weekdays 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Central.
Serves: Comal County (New Braunfels), Guadalupe County
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas - Weatherford office — Lists Johnson County among the counties it serves; handles landlord/tenant issues. 100 Austin Ave., Ste. 201, Weatherford, TX 76086; 817-594-6332 / 800-967-6708. LANWT landlord-tenant line: 855-548-8457 (https://legalaidtx.org/locations/).
Serves: Johnson County
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas - Fort Worth office — Also lists Johnson County among its counties served. 600 East Weatherford St., Fort Worth, TX 76102; 817-336-3943 / 800-955-3959.
Serves: Johnson County
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas - San Angelo office — Serves Coke, Concho, Irion, Menard, Runnels, Schleicher, Sterling and Tom Green counties. 40 West Twohig Ave., Ste. 202, San Angelo, TX 76903; 325-653-6982. LANWT landlord-tenant line: 855-548-8457 (https://legalaidtx.org/locations/).
Serves: Tom Green County (San Angelo)

Find a tenant or eviction lawyer in Texas

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.

State Bar of Texas Lawyer Referral & Information Service — (800) 252-9690
A referred lawyer gives a consultation of up to 30 minutes for no more than $20. Residents of Bexar, Dallas, Harris, Jefferson, Tarrant and Travis counties are directed to their local certified referral service, such as the Houston Lawyer Referral Service (800) 289-4577, Dallas Bar Association (214) 220-7444, Lawyer Referral Service of Central Texas (512) 472-8303, or Tarrant County Bar Association (817) 336-4101.

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.