# Find help in Philadelphia Free help for Philadelphia renters in one place: the tenant hotline, free legal aid, court forms, help paying rent and emergency housing. If you got a notice after you asked for repairs or called 311, these groups and city offices may be able to help. Each link opens the provider's own site. > Information being verified with legal partners. Some details may change. Call the Philly Tenant Hotline to confirm. ## Need someone today? - Philly Tenant Hotline: 267-443-2500 - Save Your Home Philly: (215) 334-4663 - Emergency housing: [Find emergency housing (City of Philadelphia)](https://www.phila.gov/services/property-lots-housing/buy-sell-or-rent-a-property/find-housing/find-emergency-housing/) Nothing about your case is sent anywhere. Links open the provider's own site with no case details. ## All 36 resources ### Services - [Legal help for tenants (PhillyTenant)](https://phillytenant.org/legal-help/): PhillyTenant. The main place to start for free tenant legal help, including a hotline. - [Free legal help to avoid eviction (City of Philadelphia)](https://www.phila.gov/services/property-lots-housing/get-free-legal-help-to-avoid-eviction/): 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)](https://clsphila.org/portals/get-legal-help-now/): Community Legal Services. Ways to ask Community Legal Services for free civil legal help, including problems with a landlord. - [Contact Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA)](https://philalegal.org/contact-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)](https://lcdphila.org/get-legal-help/): Legal Clinic for the Disabled. Free legal help for people with disabilities, including housing problems. - [Legal services for older adults (SeniorLAW Center)](https://seniorlawcenter.org/services/about-our-services/): SeniorLAW Center. Free legal help for older adults, including landlord problems and eviction. - [Get help (Public Interest Law Center)](https://pubintlaw.org/get-help-english/): Public Interest Law Center. A legal group that takes some housing, discrimination and unsafe-home cases. - [Eviction Diversion portal (City of Philadelphia)](https://eviction-diversion.phila.gov/): City of Philadelphia. The city's official website for the Eviction Diversion Program. - [Help paying rent (PhillyTenant)](https://phillytenant.org/rental-assistance/): PhillyTenant. A list of rent help programs with links to apply and ways to contact them. - [Get help paying rent (City of Philadelphia)](https://www.phila.gov/services/property-lots-housing/buy-sell-or-rent-a-property/information-about-renting/get-help-with-paying-rent/): City of Philadelphia. The city's list of places that may help with rent. - [Elder Justice and Civil Resource Center (Philadelphia Courts)](https://www.courts.phila.gov/ejc/): Philadelphia Courts. A help center at the court with civil resources and in-person help. - [Complaint about unfair rental practices (City of Philadelphia)](https://www.phila.gov/services/crime-law-justice/report-a-crime-or-concern/discrimination-and-unfair-practices/file-a-complaint-about-unfair-rental-practices/): 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)](https://www.phila.gov/services/crime-law-justice/report-a-crime-or-concern/discrimination-and-unfair-practices/file-a-complaint-about-housing-or-property-discrimination/): 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)](https://www.phila.gov/services/property-lots-housing/report-a-problem-with-a-building-lot-or-street/): City of Philadelphia. How to report repair and building problems to the city. ### Guides - [Landlord–tenant legal help list (Philadelphia Municipal Court)](https://www.courts.phila.gov/pdf/municipal/resources/landlord-tenant/legal-information.pdf): Philadelphia Municipal Court. A court list of legal aid groups, court help and ways to find a private lawyer. - [Eviction notices explained (PhillyTenant)](https://phillytenant.org/eviction-notices/): PhillyTenant. Explains notices that ask you to leave, to move out, or that end your lease. - [How eviction court works (PhillyTenant)](https://phillytenant.org/eviction-court-process/): PhillyTenant. An overview of the steps in an eviction case, from the notice to court and after. - [Eviction Diversion Program guide (PhillyTenant)](https://phillytenant.org/eviction-diversion-program/): 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)](https://phillytenant.org/eviction-court-hearing-options/): 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)](https://phillytenant.org/my-landlord-is-taking-me-to-court-what-are-my-defenses/): 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)](https://guides.jenkinslaw.org/self-help-landlord-tenant/finding-forms): Jenkins Law Library. Links to court forms, agency forms and sample forms for landlord–tenant matters. - [Missed your court date (PhillyTenant)](https://phillytenant.org/i-missed-my-court-date-what-do-i-do/): 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)](https://phillytenant.org/how-can-i-file-an-appeal/): 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)](https://phillytenant.org/filing-an-answer/): PhillyTenant. Explains how to respond if your landlord says you broke an agreement made in court. - [How soon you could be locked out (PhillyTenant)](https://phillytenant.org/how-soon-can-i-be-locked-out/): PhillyTenant. Explains the steps after a court ruling and when a legal lockout may happen. - [Illegal evictions (PhillyTenant)](https://phillytenant.org/illegal-evictions/): PhillyTenant. Explains changed locks, cut-off utilities, removed belongings, and ways you may respond. - [Guide to avoiding self-help eviction (City of Philadelphia)](https://www.phila.gov/2024-04-08-guide-to-avoiding-self-help-eviction/): City of Philadelphia. The city explains what landlords may not do to force a tenant out without going to court. - [Getting repairs made (PhillyTenant)](https://phillytenant.org/repairs/): PhillyTenant. Guides and options for when your home needs repairs. - [Asking for a reasonable accommodation (PhillyTenant)](https://phillytenant.org/reasonable-accommodation/): PhillyTenant. How to ask your landlord for a change you need because of a disability, with sample letters. - [Subsidized housing (PhillyTenant)](https://phillytenant.org/subsidized-housing/): 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)](https://www.phila.gov/departments/fair-housing-commission/fair-housing-commission-intake-form/): City of Philadelphia. The form to start a complaint with the Fair Housing Commission. ### Records - [Check a diversion application (City of Philadelphia)](https://eviction-diversion.phila.gov/#/Status): City of Philadelphia. A page to check the status of a diversion application that was already sent. - [Look up an eviction case online (PhillyTenant)](https://phillytenant.org/how-do-i-look-up-an-eviction-court-case-online/): PhillyTenant. Step-by-step help to find your eviction case and its papers online. - [Court case search (Municipal Court CLAIMS)](https://fjdclaims.phila.gov/): Philadelphia Municipal Court. The court's own public search for eviction cases and their records. - [Property records search (Philadelphia Atlas)](https://atlas.phila.gov/): 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)](https://www.phila.gov/services/property-lots-housing/buy-sell-or-rent-a-property/find-housing/find-emergency-housing/): City of Philadelphia. Where to go during the day and after hours to ask for emergency housing, and what the first meeting involves. --- This tool shows public city records and general information. It is not legal advice. Talk to a tenant lawyer or call the Philly Tenant Hotline.