Free legal help for Chicago tenants
These organizations help tenants for free. Call early: before you withhold rent, deduct a repair, or go to court. Bring your Slumish evidence packet from any issue.
Locked out, utilities shut off, or got court papers?
A lockout is illegal in Chicago. Call 911 for a lockout, then call one of the organizations below the same day. If you got an eviction summons, don't miss your court date.
Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt
Free legal help, mediation and connections to rental assistance for Cook County tenants. Weekdays 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Lawyers' Committee for Better Housing (Rentervention)
Chicago tenants facing repairs, unsafe housing, lockouts, utility shutoffs or eviction. Text "hi" to chat with their bot.
Legal Aid Chicago
Free civil legal representation, including housing cases, for people with low incomes.
Chicago Volunteer Legal Services
Volunteer lawyers who take landlord and tenant cases.
Center for Conflict Resolution
Free mediation with your landlord, in or out of court.
Report code violations to the City
Call 311 (312-744-5000 from outside Chicago), use the CHI311 app, or go to 311.chicago.gov. Each issue in Slumish has a ready-to-paste description and a place to save your service request number.
Slumish isn't a law firm and doesn't give legal advice. These organizations are independent of Slumish. Read your rights