Legal Aid Organizations
East Bay Community Law Center
Remote assistance only.
Contact Information
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- Address: 2921 Adeline Street, Berkeley, CA 94703
- Phone: (510) 548-4040
- Email: info@ebclc.org
Services:
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- Defense of Eviction/Unlawful Detainer cases
- Section 8/Housing Authority termination hearings
- Rent board hearings
- General counseling on tenants’ rights
- Assistance to individuals to represent themselves
- Rental Assistance program consultations and referrals
Fees: Free for low-income tenants residing in Berkeley, Oakland, Emeryville, and Alameda.
Contact Information
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- Address: 1735 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94612
- Phone: (510) 663-4744; Hours: Monday – Friday: 9am – 12pm and 1pm – 5pm
- Legal Advice Line: (800)-551-5554; Hours: Hour vary, for current hours see the website.
Bay Area Legal Aid has resources for tenants, including:
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- Eviction defense
- Fair housing and housing discrimination
- Housing conditions
- Rent control
- Lock-outs and utility shut-offs
- Section 8/HUD/public housing/subsidized housing
- Residential hotels
- Foreclosure
Fees: Services are free for low-income tenants
Contact Information
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- Address: 3400 E. 12th Street, Oakland, CA 94601
- Phone: 510-437-1554
- Email: tenantsrights@centrolegal.org
- Remote assistance only
Central Legal de la Raza has the following services for tenants:
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- Notice of termination counseling
- Eviction defense
- City of Oakland Rent Adjustment hearings
- Tenants rights’ counseling
- Assistance to individuals who represent themselves
- Small claims related to landlord-tenant
Fees: Free for low-income tenants.
Locations in Alameda County:
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- Alameda County North: 1305 Franklin Street #305, Oakland, CA 94612; Phone: 510-496-0496
- Alameda County South: 22551 Second Street #200, Hayward, CA 94541; Phone: 510-581-9380
- Alameda County East: 141 N. Livermore Avenue, Livermore, CA 94550; Phone: 925-449-7340
- Toll Free numbers for all locations: 855-ASK-ECHO | 855-275-3246 llamada gratis
Services: ECHO Housing has resources for tenants, including:
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- Housing discrimination/fair housing investigation
- Landlord/tenant mediation
- Rights & responsibilities – landlord & tenant
- Security deposit/delinquent rent assistance
Fees: Services are free.
Other Resources
Contact Information:
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- Address: 250 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, 6th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612
- Phone: 510-238-6182
- Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30am to 5pm
Services:
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- Counseling related to rent increases/rent adjustments in rent-controlled apartments in Oakland.
- Information and resources on paying utilities, back rent and help with deposits
- Housing Resource Desk: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am – noon and 1pm – 3pm, can direct the public to appropriate resources or can help schedule an appointment with an RAP Housing Counselor.
Fees: Services are free.
Alameda County Superior Court Self-Help Center
- Address: Hayward Hall of Justice, 24405 Amador Street, Department 501, Hayward, CA 94544
- Phone: 510-272-1393, Mon – Thurs 2:00 – 4:00 pm
- Online chat: Mon–Thurs 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Attorney Referrals
ACBA Lawyer Referral Service
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- $40.00 for attorney referral and 30-minute consultation. Attorneys charge $200 – 400/hour for services
- Phone: (510) 302-2222 x4
- You can also self-book a consultation online
BALI – Bay Area Legal Incubator
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- Address: 125 12th St. Oakland, CA Mezzanine Level
- Affordable legal services. Some attorneys offer sliding scale fees
- In-take form available on website, and you can also read the profiles and get contact information for the BALI attorneys
- Bay Area Legal Incubator Website for more information
California State Bar
The California State Bar lists basic information about all attorneys registered to practice law in the state of California. In addition, the site also provides an attorney referral service for the public to find qualified attorneys in their county.
Eviction Defense Center
The Eviction Defense Center (“EDC”) provides free legal services to tenants facing eviction in Alameda County and the City of Richmond. The Eviction Defense Center also processes rental assistance applications for the City of Berkeley.
Contact Information:
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- Address: 350 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Suite 703, Oakland, CA 94612
- Phone: (510) 452-4541
- Hours: Monday – Friday: 9:00 am-12:00 pm and 2:00 pm-5:00 pm
- Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday: 8:45 am-12:00 pm / 1:45 pm-4:45 pm; Friday: 8:45 am – 12:00 pm / 1:45 pm – 3:45 pm
Services:
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- Alameda County Residents: The Eviction Defense Center provides free and low cost legal services to Alameda County tenants who are facing eviction.
- City of Berkeley Residents: The Eviction Defense Center provides free legal services to Berkeley residents on a broad range of housing matters including substandard housing conditions, subsidized housing, rent increases, fair housing matters, and eviction defense. The Eviction Defense Center also handles Rental Assistance Applications for the City of Berkeley. Please contact us at 510-693-2775 to see if you qualify.
- City of Richmond Residents: The Eviction Defense Center provides free and low-cost legal services to Richmond residents on a broad range of housing matters including substandard housing conditions, subsidized housing, rent increases, fair housing matters, and eviction defense.
Updated 4.20.2026
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