Find help in Philadelphia

All 36 resources

Services

• Legal help for tenants (PhillyTenant)

  PhillyTenant

  The main place to start for free tenant legal help, including a hotline.

• Free legal help to avoid eviction (City of Philadelphia)

  City of Philadelphia

  A city page about Right to Counsel, which may give some tenants a free lawyer in eviction cases, and about other services to stop an eviction.

• Get legal help now (Community Legal Services)

  Community Legal Services

  Ways to ask Community Legal Services for free civil legal help, including problems with a landlord.

• Contact Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA)

  Philadelphia Legal Assistance

  How to reach Philadelphia Legal Assistance, which can point you to its services, including help with eviction diversion and mediation.

• Legal help for people with disabilities (Legal Clinic for the Disabled)

  Legal Clinic for the Disabled

  Free legal help for people with disabilities, including housing problems.

• Legal services for older adults (SeniorLAW Center)

  SeniorLAW Center

  Free legal help for older adults, including landlord problems and eviction.

• Get help (Public Interest Law Center)

  Public Interest Law Center

  A legal group that takes some housing, discrimination and unsafe-home cases.

• Eviction Diversion portal (City of Philadelphia)

  City of Philadelphia

  The city's official website for the Eviction Diversion Program.

• Help paying rent (PhillyTenant)

  PhillyTenant

  A list of rent help programs with links to apply and ways to contact them.

• Get help paying rent (City of Philadelphia)

  City of Philadelphia

  The city's list of places that may help with rent.

• Elder Justice and Civil Resource Center (Philadelphia Courts)

  Philadelphia Courts

  A help center at the court with civil resources and in-person help.

• Complaint about unfair rental practices (City of Philadelphia)

  City of Philadelphia

  Explains who can file with the Fair Housing Commission, what proof to gather, and how to file.

• Complaint about housing discrimination (City of Philadelphia)

  City of Philadelphia

  How to file a housing discrimination complaint with the Commission on Human Relations, a different office from the Fair Housing Commission.

• Report a problem with a building (City of Philadelphia)

  City of Philadelphia

  How to report repair and building problems to the city.

Guides

• Landlord–tenant legal help list (Philadelphia Municipal Court)

  Philadelphia Municipal Court

  A court list of legal aid groups, court help and ways to find a private lawyer.

• Eviction notices explained (PhillyTenant)

  PhillyTenant

  Explains notices that ask you to leave, to move out, or that end your lease.

• How eviction court works (PhillyTenant)

  PhillyTenant

  An overview of the steps in an eviction case, from the notice to court and after.

• Eviction Diversion Program guide (PhillyTenant)

  PhillyTenant

  Explains the city's Eviction Diversion Program, where tenants and landlords may try to work things out with help, and how to prepare.

• Your options at the eviction hearing (PhillyTenant)

  PhillyTenant

  How to get ready for a hearing: evidence, asking for more time, what happens at the hearing, and agreements.

• Possible defenses in eviction court (PhillyTenant)

  PhillyTenant

  Issues you may want to look into for your case, and the proof that may support them.

• Finding landlord–tenant forms (Jenkins Law Library)

  Jenkins Law Library

  Links to court forms, agency forms and sample forms for landlord–tenant matters.

• Missed your court date (PhillyTenant)

  PhillyTenant

  Explains how you may ask the court to reopen a case you lost because you missed the hearing (a Petition to Open).

• Filing an appeal (PhillyTenant)

  PhillyTenant

  Explains the appeal packet, how to ask to skip court fees, how papers are delivered, and the response that may be needed later.

• Answering a breach of agreement (PhillyTenant)

  PhillyTenant

  Explains how to respond if your landlord says you broke an agreement made in court.

• How soon you could be locked out (PhillyTenant)

  PhillyTenant

  Explains the steps after a court ruling and when a legal lockout may happen.

• Illegal evictions (PhillyTenant)

  PhillyTenant

  Explains changed locks, cut-off utilities, removed belongings, and ways you may respond.

• Guide to avoiding self-help eviction (City of Philadelphia)

  City of Philadelphia

  The city explains what landlords may not do to force a tenant out without going to court.

• Getting repairs made (PhillyTenant)

  PhillyTenant

  Guides and options for when your home needs repairs.

• Asking for a reasonable accommodation (PhillyTenant)

  PhillyTenant

  How to ask your landlord for a change you need because of a disability, with sample letters.

• Subsidized housing (PhillyTenant)

  PhillyTenant

  Resources for people in different kinds of subsidized housing, such as public housing or a voucher.

Forms

• Fair Housing Commission intake form (City of Philadelphia)

  City of Philadelphia

  The form to start a complaint with the Fair Housing Commission.

Records

• Check a diversion application (City of Philadelphia)

  City of Philadelphia

  A page to check the status of a diversion application that was already sent.

• Look up an eviction case online (PhillyTenant)

  PhillyTenant

  Step-by-step help to find your eviction case and its papers online.

• Court case search (Municipal Court CLAIMS)

  Philadelphia Municipal Court

  The court's own public search for eviction cases and their records.

• Property records search (Philadelphia Atlas)

  City of Philadelphia

  A city map to look up a property's licenses, permits, inspections and code violations.

Emergency housing

• Find emergency housing (City of Philadelphia)

  City of Philadelphia

  Where to go during the day and after hours to ask for emergency housing, and what the first meeting involves.