facebook

twitter

instagram

Learn about Stay Housed LA and our mission

entity.node.canonical

About Stay Housed LA

Apply for Legal Help

Find a Workshop

Learn How Evictions Work

Learn how to defend yourself from eviction

Self-Help Eviction Defense

<h2>Before you begin</h2>Do you have an unlawful detainer (eviction lawsuit) filed against you?&nbsp;<ul><li>If YES – continue to fill out this form.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>If NO – please sign up for a workshop or clinic <a href="https://www.stayhousedla.org/workshops">here</a>.&nbsp;</li></ul>To be eligible for legal services:<ul><li>You MUST live in Los Angeles County. If you do not live in Los Angeles County, please check out our page about the <a href="https://www.stayhousedla.org/tenant-rights">eviction process</a>, which includes information about state law.&nbsp;</li><li>You must be low income.</li><li>You are more likely to get representation if you live in one of these <a href="https://www.stayhousedla.org/priority-zip-codes">zip codes</a>. SHLA does not yet have enough lawyers to represent all tenants in Los Angeles County. Therefore, we are prioritizing the most vulnerable communities.&nbsp;</li><li>Your immigration status does NOT matter. We represent documented and undocumented tenants.&nbsp;</li><li>You do not need to have a written lease.&nbsp;</li></ul>Stay Housed LA has limited staffing. We are not able to guarantee representation to every tenant who is income eligible, in a priority zip code, and completes an intake.&nbsp;&nbsp;You can still understand and protect your rights with other resources! For eviction self-help materials, visit our <a href="https://www.stayhousedla.org/self-help-eviction-defense">self-help page</a>. To attend a workshop and learn more about your rights, sign up <a href="https://www.stayhousedla.org/workshops">here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;PLEASE do not enter multiple requests for legal services as this slows our team down. If you need additional services, please contact the legal server provider you already spoke to. Unfortunately, we cannot transfer clients to another legal service provider.&nbsp;<ul><li>The information you enter in this website will be shared between the organizations that make up Stay Housed LA, the County of Los Angeles, and their third party evaluator.&nbsp;</li><li>No attorney-client relationship is formed by filling out this website form.&nbsp;</li></ul>If you need assistance applying for legal services, call the Stay Housed LA hotline at 1-888-694-0040.&nbsp;

Your address is in Los Angeles County. Click next to continue.

Your address is not in Los Angeles County. Stay Housed LA only serves residents of Los Angeles County.

The Notice to Vacate is the last step in a legal eviction process. Have you gotten a Notice to Vacate?
<img alt="Notice to vacate" src="eviction-notice.png" />

You were served a &ldquo;Summons&rdquo; and a &ldquo;Complaint-Unlawful Detainer&rdquo;. They are usually served together. This is the eviction lawsuit.
<div class="flex flex-row"><img alt="Summons - Unlawful detainer-eviction" src="summons-page1.jpg" /><img alt="Summons - Unlawful detainer-eviction" src="summons-page2.jpg" /></div>

<h2>Income Eligibility Information</h2>

Please input information about your income to determine whether you are eligible for free legal services.

Thank you for reaching out to Stay Housed LA

Unfortunately, tenants who do not have an active eviction case or do not meet our income requirements are not eligible for legal representation through Stay Housed LA.

However, anyone can attend an educational event where we provide information about the eviction process and your rights as a tenant in Los Angeles County.

See the workshops below that are relevant to you. If you want to have a one-on-one conversation with a legal professional, make sure to sign up for a clinic.

Based on the information you provided, you are eligible for free legal services.

Please fill out the form below to be connected with a legal service provider and a community-based organization in your area.

Contact Information

By selecting &quot;text&quot; as a preferred method of contact, you agree to receive text messages from Stay Housed LA. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies.

Apply for free legal services to help with eviction in Los Angeles County. 

Sign Up for Update

Stay Connected

If you did not qualify for a StayHoused LA Lawyer, this workshop is essential for you. Join the EDN Tenant Empowerment Program and learn how to prepare your case so that we can step in to represent you once a judge is assigned. 

City of Los Angeles

County of Los Angeles

Be a TEP Pro - Preparing your case for victory (Hosted by Eviction Defense Network)

Eviction Defense

Eviction Process

Eviction Trial

Habitability

Know Your Rights

Join us to learn more about your rights as a renter in Los Angeles County! This presentation is a bilingual Spanish workshop to prepare you for the eviction process. 

Tenant Empowerment Program (TEP): Hosted by Eviction Defense Network

Join this workshop to learn more about renters’ rights in the City of Los Angeles. We’ll cover Rent Control Protections, habitability issues, the eviction process, and what to do if your landlord is harassing you.

City of Los Angeles Tenants Rights Tuesday Workshop-Hosted by Coalition for Economic Survival (CES)

Rent Control Protections for the City of LA

Tenants Support Space

Either side in an eviction case can ask the other side to identify all of the facts they intend to prove as well as all of the witnesses and other evidence they have.  It happens in about 25% of the cases. This is called Discovery.  The moment you get papers with the words: "Interrogatories," "Admissions," and "Production of Documents", sign up for this workshop so we can teach you how to respond.  This workshop is in English and Spanish. 

How to respond to Discovery (Hosted by Eviction Defense Network)

Get help with using the Tenant Power Toolkit, an online resource that lets tenants create an answer (and other early paperwork) for their eviction case. Attendees will only get assistance with using the Toolkit to respond to their eviction -- you cannot get legal representation or help with other issues at this workshop. The Answer Tool can also be used at any time by tenants on their own.

Register Now

Tenant Power Toolkit: In-Person Answer Workshop at the Vernon Branch Library

En Español - Únase a nosotros en un taller en línea para aprender más sobre sus derechos como inquilino en la ciudad de Los Ángeles.

Ciudad de Los Ángeles: Taller Conozca Sus Derechos (ACCE)

In-person legal clinic and tenant's rights workshop for Long Beach renters. Learn about the urgent steps you must take after receiving an eviction notice. 

Hosted by Long Beach Residents Empowered and Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles.

Interpretation in Spanish will be available.


Long Beach Know Your Rights + Legal Clinic 

Learn about the City of Los Angeles Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance (TAHO) and how to fight back against landlord harassment, including bringing small claims actions. Attorneys will be present to answer questions. Spanish interpretation will be provided. This event is in-person at SAJE: 152 W 32nd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007. To register, please call (213) 745-9961 or email jcalderon@saje.net. 

// // //

Conozca la Ordenanza contra el Acoso a Inquilines (TAHO, por sus siglas en inglés) de Los Ángeles y cómo luchar contra el acoso de los propietarios. Abogados estarán presentes para responder preguntas. Se proporcionará interpretación en español. Este evento será en persona en SAJE: 152 W 32nd Street, Los Ángeles, CA 90007. Para registrarse, favor de llamar al (213) 745-9961 o mandar un correo electrónico a jcalderon@saje.net


More Information

Tenant Anti-Harassment Clinic (Hosted by SAJE and LAFLA)

Small Claims Workshop

In-person legal clinic for tenants in the city of Los Angeles, with a focus on Council District 10. Clínica legal en persona para inquilinos en la ciudad de Los Ángeles, con un enfoque en el Distrito 10 del Consejo.

City of Los Angeles: In-Person Tenant Legal Clinic (ACCE)

Rent Control Protections for LA County

City of Los Angeles Tenants Rights Thursday Workshop-Hosted by Coalition for Economic Survival (CES)

This workshop covers the eviction process, including pre-trial preparation and settlement negotiation.

Eviction Pre-Trial & Settlement Negotiation Workshop

Join us for an online workshop to learn more about your rights as a tenant in the County of Los Angeles.

County of Los Angeles:  Know Your Rights Workshop (ACCE)

Get help with using the Tenant Power Toolkit, an online resource that lets tenants create an answer (and other early paperwork) for their eviction case. Attendees will only get assistance with using the Toolkit to respond to their eviction - you cannot get legal representation or help with other issues at this workshop. The Answer Tool can also be used at any time by tenants on their own at https://tools.debtcollective.org. 

Tenant Power Toolkit: In-Person Answer Workshop at the LA Law Libary

Join us to learn more about how to prepare for a trial and negotiate a settlement in an Unlawful Detainer! There will be a presentation that will let you know what to expect on your trial date, how you should prepare for your trial date, and what you should consider when negotiating a settlement. This clinic is for renters in the City of Los Angeles with active Unlawful Detainers.

Trial Prep and Settlement Negotiation Clinic

If you did not qualify for a StayHoused LA Lawyer, this workshop is essential for you.  Join the EDN Tenant Empowerment Program and learn how to prepare your case so that we can step in to represent you once a judge is assigned. 

Join us to learn more about your rights as a renter in Los Angeles County! This presentation is a bilingual English/Spanish workshop to prepare you for the eviction process. 

A bilingual English/Spanish class walking you through assembling your Trial Binder.

Binder Assembly Demonstration.  Hosted by Eviction Defense Network.

Join us to learn more about how to respond to requests for discovery and tenants' rights in the city of Los Angeles! In addition to providing general information on tenants' rights, this presentation will answer three important questions: how do I respond to discovery? What are the consequences if I don't respond? How do my responses effect my case? This presentation is for renters in the city of Los Angeles.

Discovery Response and Tenants' Rights Clinic

In-person legal clinic for LA County residents, offering walk-in support for questions about your rights as a tenant and what resources may be available to you. Can also assist tenants in preparing and filing an Answer to an Unlawful Detainer action.

Tenants' Rights and Answer Clinic (Housing Rights Center)

Join us to learn more about general tenant protections for City and County of LA. We'll cover rent debt, tenant harassment, and the eviction process.

City and County of LA: Know Your Rights In-Person Workshop hosted by LACAN with LAFLA

Join us to learn more about your rights as a renter in the City of Los Angeles. In this workshop you will learn about Tenant protections, Rent control, the eviction process & how Stay Housed LA can help. 

LA City Tenant Rights Workshop Hosted by CBE in Collaboration with ICLC  

Join us to learn about your legal rights as a renter and the urgent steps you must take after receiving an eviction notice. Interpretation in Spanish will be available. 

Catalina Island Know Your Rights Workshop Hosted by LiBRE & LAFLA

Join us for the Eviction Trial Prep workshop, open to tenants in Los Angeles County. We will review the eviction process, trial, settlement, and how to gather and present evidence. This workshop is for people who have received a summons and complaint who do not have legal representation
//
Únase a nosotres para el taller de preparación para el juicio de desalojo, abierto a inquilines en el condado de Los Ángeles. Revisaremos el proceso de desalojo, el juicio, el acuerdo, y cómo reunir y presentar pruebas. Este taller es para personas que han recibido citatorio y denuncia que no cuentan con representación legal



LA COUNTY EVICTION TRIAL PREP WORKSHOP  //  TALLER DE PREPARACIÓN PARA EL JUICIO DE DESALOJO DEL CONDADO DE LOS ÁNGELES

City and County of LA: Know Your Rights Virtual/In-Person Workshop hosted by LACAN with LAFLA

Join us to learn more about your rights as a renter in the county of Los Angeles. In this workshop you will learn about Tenant's rights what is left of the COVID-19 Emergency tenant protections, the eviction process & how Stay Housed LA can help.


LA County Workshop Hosted by CBE in Collaboration with CLSoCal. 

Join us to learn more about your rights as a renter in the city of Los Angeles! This presentation will answer three important questions: What do I do if I can't pay my rent? What do I do if I get an eviction notice? Do renters in LA City have protections? This presentation is for renters in the city of Los Angeles and will not cover the tenant protections available in LA County.

L.A. City Renter’s Rights Workshop - Hosted by POWER and Inner City Law Center

Join us to learn more about your rights as a renter in the City of Los Angeles! This presentation will answer three important questions: What do I do if I can't pay my rent? What do I do if I get an eviction notice? Do renters in the City of Los Angeles have protections? This in-person workshop will be in Pico Union and is for renters in the City of Los Angeles and will not cover the tenant protections available in Los Angeles County. English, Spanish, and Korean interpretation will be offered.

L.A. City Renter’s Rights Workshop - Hosted by POWER and BASTA-U

City of Los Angeles Tenants Rights Monday Workshop-Hosted by Coalition for Economic Survival (CES)

Join us to learn more about general tenant protections for LA City. We'll cover rent debt, the eviction process, and how StayHousedLA and SAJE can help you. This workshop is specific to City of Los Angeles, please register for our County of Los Angeles specific workshops if you do not live in the City of Los Angeles. / Únase con nosotros para obtener más información sobre las protecciones generales para inquilinos en la ciudad de Los Ángeles. Cubriremos la deuda de alquiler, el proceso de desalojo y cómo StayHousedLA y SAJE pueden ayudarlo. Este taller es específico de la ciudad de Los Ángeles; regístrese para nuestros talleres específicos del condado de Los Ángeles si no vive en la ciudad de Los Ángeles.


LA City: Know Your Rights Virtual Workshop/ Cuidad de L.A.: Taller Virtual Conozca Sus Derechos. (SAJE & ICLC)) 

Join us to learn more about general tenant protections for LA County. We'll cover the eviction process, rent increases, and tenant harassment. 


LA County: Know Your Rights Virtual Workshop hosted by East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice with Community Legal Aid SoCal

Join us for an in-person workshop to learn more about your rights as a tenant in the County of Los Angeles.  This workshop is lead in Spanish, but English translation will be available as well.  We will close out the event with a fun game of Tenant Loteria.