On average, a landlord tenant lawyer will cost an individual between $225 and $300 dollars across the U.S. How much a lawyer will cost will depend on the experience level of the attorney as well as the complexity of the case.
This hourly amount can also range, on average, between $200 and $500 per hour or more, depending on the location where the lawyer practices and the specific issues in the case.
Typically, a landlord-tenant lawyer will charge an hourly rate to assist their clients. When a case is more complex, it will likely cost more money to resolve.
There are also certain situations in which a landlord-tenant lawyer will charge a flat fee. This type of fee arrangement may be used for specific services, for example, drafting a lease agreement.
Some attorneys will also offer free legal consultations, where they do not charge the client a consultation fee for the initial meeting. During this initial meeting, both the potential client and lawyer will be able to determine if they will be comfortable working together, and the lawyer may provide the potential client with some general legal advice, such as possibilities for resolving their issue.
What Does a Landlord-Tenant Attorney Do?
A landlord-tenant attorney is a type of lawyer who helps individuals, whether they are a landlord or a tenant, whenever an issue arises, as well as steps to take to prevent issues from arising in the first place. These lawyers are familiar with landlord-tenant laws and can help their clients with any landlord-tenant dispute cases.
When an individual is a landlord, having a lawyer will help them ensure they are following their rights and duties of a landlord and protect their interests in their property. This is especially true in cases where the tenant:
- Has breached the lease agreement
- Did not pay the required rent
- Is using the property in an illegal manner
- Has stayed past their lease term and has become a trespasser
When an individual is a tenant, their lawyer can assist them with ensuring their tenant rights are protected, which may arise when:
- The tenant has experienced discrimination
- The landlord is trying to illegally evict them
- The landlord refuses to make necessary repairs for a habitable unit
- A tenant has been injured due to property issues
- The landlord has violated the terms of the lease agreement
A landlord-tenant lawyer can also help both tenants and landlords with different types of documents that outline the terms of their rental relationship. The most important of which is, of course, the lease agreement itself.
What Factors Affect the Cost of a Tenant Lawyer?
There are many different factors that can affect the cost of a landlord-tenant lawyer, including:
- The location of the attorney’s practice
- The attorney’s experience level
- How complex the legal issues are
- The details of the specific case, such as the type of eviction
- The cost of court filing fees
- The fee arrangement the attorney charges
When a lawyer practices in a larger city or more urban area, they will often charge higher fees than lawyers in smaller towns. In addition, when a lawyer has a high success rate or extensive experience handling landlord-tenant cases, they may also charge higher rates.
The more straightforward the case is to resolve, the lower the overall cost is likely to be for the client. When a case is more complicated or involves multiple legal issues, such as disputes over repairs or wrongful eviction, the cost is likely to rise.
It is important for clients to be aware that, in addition to the fees they are required to pay their attorney, they may also need to pay other court costs or filing fees. This can apply even in cases where the lawyer charges a flat fee.
The fee arrangement used by the lawyer may also impact the overall cost of resolving the issue. As noted above, some lawyers will offer potential clients free initial consultations, which can help them get an idea of the difficulty of resolving their issue and the possible cost.
How Are Tenant Lawyer Fees Typically Charged?
Typically, landlord-tenant lawyer fees will be charged by the hour based on the rates noted above. In some situations, however, an attorney may charge a flat fee for simple services, such as drafting a lease or reviewing a lease agreement.
Although rarely used in these types of cases, if a case may involve a substantial settlement award or payout, a landlord-tenant lawyer may charge a contingency fee. This may apply to cases involving housing discrimination, property damage, or personal injury.
How Much Does a Landlord-Tenant Lawyer Cost for Landlords?
Typically, the hourly fee for a landlord-tenant lawyer will be the same whether the client is a landlord or a tenant. For landlords, specifically, flat fees may be used for simple issues, such as drafting a lease, which may range anywhere from $500 to $5,000, depending on the complexity of the document.
Are There Low-Cost or Free Landlord-Tenant Lawyer Options Available?
Yes, there may be low-cost or free landlord-tenant lawyer options available for individuals, such as:
- Pro bono programs
- Legal aid societies
- Government-funded legal services
- Low-income legal service providers
There may be non-profit legal aid societies that offer low-cost or free legal services to low-income parties for landlord-tenant issues. There are many state bar associations that provide pro bono programs through which volunteer attorneys offer free legal services to qualified individuals.
Often, however, these will only provide limited services and may be on a voluntary basis.
To find out about available services in their area, an individual can contact their local bar association to find out about lawyer referral services or pro bono programs in their area. It is important to note that these types of services often have income or other eligibility criteria for the individual to qualify for low-cost or free legal services.
In addition, an individual may receive different levels of assistance, such as limited legal advice, help filling out documents or forms, or representation in court, depending on the program itself. A local attorney, legal aid association, or bar association can provide an individual with available services and how they can apply for them.
How Can You Reduce the Costs of Hiring a Landlord-Tenant Lawyer?
There are several ways an individual may be able to reduce the costs associated with hiring a landlord-tenant attorney. It can be helpful to look into available online legal services for advice, including LegalMatch.com and its informative law library section, where an individual can find information on many legal topics.
If a tenant believes it may be possible to resolve the issue directly with their landlord, they can try to do this first, as it is the least costly method. If that does not work, they may try mediation or other alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods to resolve the issue outside of a courtroom.
An individual may also have a lease agreement with a clause that shifts the attorney’s fees to the other party if they win their case. It can be helpful for an individual to reach out to several different lawyers in their area to find out what fee amounts they charge their clients for handling the type of issue they have and choose the cheapest option.
Another helpful step an individual can take is to obtain a clear understanding of exactly what services are going to be provided in exchange for their payments. This can help an individual avoid paying for unnecessary billing hours.
Another way an individual can save on legal costs is to only hire a lawyer to help them resolve complicated legal issues.
What Questions Should You Ask Before Hiring a Landlord-Tenant Lawyer?
Before an individual hires a landlord-tenant attorney, whether they are the landlord or the tenant, there are several questions that a potential client should ask before hiring them. These may include:
- How long has the attorney been practicing landlord-tenant law?
- How will the attorney communicate with clients?
- What is their hourly rate?
- What services will be provided?
Asking about the attorney’s experience handling landlord-tenant cases will give a potential client an idea of their experience level and success rate. If an individual is a landlord, it may also be helpful to ask whether the attorney has experience with handling cases involving the same types of property, such as commercial or residential properties.
Potential clients should be informed about what methods and how often the attorney will communicate with their client. It is important for potential clients to be assured that when they need to contact their attorney, they will be able to do so as well as being able to receive regular updates on the status of their cases.
One of the most important questions potential clients can ask is the amount of the attorney’s hourly rate. This will provide an idea of the possible overall costs the client will be responsible for and ensure they will be in the potential client’s budget.
A potential client should also ask about other available payment arrangements if they are interested, such as flat fees for specific services. The attorney should be willing to discuss these issues in detail with potential clients.
It can also be helpful for a potential client to ask about the services that the landlord-tenant attorney provides, as they may be able to take advantage of additional services the attorney offers while resolving their current issue.
Do I Need To Hire a Landlord-Tenant Lawyer?
Even though not every issue between a landlord and a tenant will require legal assistance, an individual can reap many benefits of consulting with a landlord-tenant attorney, especially to prevent disputes from arising. It can be very helpful to have an attorney review any lease agreement or other property-related document before you sign it to make sure your rights are protected.
Landlord-tenant attorneys can provide numerous services and benefits, including:
- Providing legal advice about current landlord-tenant laws in your area
- Advising you of your legal rights or duties based on your position as a landlord or tenant under local, state, and federal real estate laws
- Researching and gathering evidence to help support your claim
- Filing a lawsuit against the necessary party
- Representing you in court
LegalMatch can help you find a landlord-tenant attorney in your area in as little as 15 minutes when you submit your claim online for free. In around 24 hours after you submit your concern, you will get responses from member attorneys in your area who can help you resolve your landlord-tenant issue.
