“I hadn't opened the letter for a week. They told me which date mattered and it was still two days away.”
Deandre H.Renter, Lansing
Free for Lansing-area renters who qualify
Got a notice from your landlord? See what happens next.
Pick the line that sounds like your week. You will see what usually follows, what our lawyers do about it and whether the clinic can take your case. It costs nothing to ask.
Which one sounds like you?
- I got an eviction noticePapers with a date on them
- My deposit hasn't come backOr they took too much
- Something is broken and they won't fix itHeat, water, mold, locks
- They changed my rent or the rulesFees, renewals, lease terms
- I was locked out or my things were movedCall us the same day
- I'm not sure what this isSend the paper, we'll read it
- Free if you qualifyYou pay us nothing
- Renters in the Lansing areaIngham, Eaton and Clinton counties
- Bring any paperA lawyer reads it first
Free means no fee for the clinic's work. A court can charge a filing fee, and we help you ask for a waiver. If we can't take your case, we say so and point you to other help.
Three worries, answered
What it means for your home, your kids and your car
These are the three things callers lead with. The answers are general; your own papers decide your dates.
My home
A notice is the start of a process, not the end of it. Most places make a landlord go through a court before anyone can make you leave, and each step has a date. We read your papers and mark the dates that are yours.
Eviction noticesMy kids
A move in the middle of a school year costs a family more than the rent. We ask for time to find a place near school, and we push back when a notice follows a complaint about something unsafe.
Repairs and safe homesMy car
Your car gets you to work and to court. Parking rules, permits and towing are written into leases, and a car towed after a dispute can cost more than the rent. We check the lease and the tow, then write the letter.
Leases and fees
Before you reach out
What to know before you send the first message
Who can the clinic help?
Renters in the Lansing area whose household income is under the clinic's limit and whose problem is with a landlord. The check on the get-help page takes about three minutes, and a person confirms the answer by phone.
Is it really free?
For renters who qualify, yes. The clinic is a nonprofit and does not bill you for its work. If a court charges a filing fee, we help you ask the judge to waive it.
What if I already have a court date?
Call the same day. A missed hearing can end in a judgment against you, and a lawyer can often do more before the hearing than at it.
Will you tell my landlord I called?
No. We contact your landlord only after you ask us to and we have agreed to take your case.
What if I don't qualify?
We tell you why, and where we can we point you to a legal aid line, a mediation program or a tenant group. You still get a straight answer about what the paper means.
The first visit
Open the envelope with us
Most renters write after weeks of leaving a letter unopened. That is normal. Send a photo of it, and a lawyer reads it, tells you the date that matters most and says whether the clinic can take the case.
What to bring
The notice or court papers, in the envelope if you still have it
Your lease and any texts or emails about rent
Photos of what is broken, with the dates you took them
Bank records or receipts that show what you paid
What neighbors said afterward
“My landlord kept the whole deposit. The clinic sent one letter and I had a check the next month.”
Shanice T.Renter, East Lansing
“The heat was out for three weeks. They explained what I could ask for and what I should not do, like stop paying rent.”
Audra K.Renter, Lansing
Sample comments. Each client's case is different, and these don't predict the result of yours.
Not sure it's a legal problem? Send us the paper.
A short message is enough. A lawyer replies on the next business day with what it means and what to do first.