“I thought the notice meant I had a week to be out. Nélida showed me it was the start of a process, not an order. I had time to fix it.”
Altagracia M.Tenant
Free tenant legal clinic · Paterson
A notice is not an eviction.
Fairlease is a nonprofit clinic for Paterson renters. Got a notice, a lockout threat or a landlord who won't fix the heat? Talk to a lawyer who works for you, in English or Spanish.
- Free for tenants who qualify
- Help in English and Spanish
- Walk-ins Tuesday and Thursday
No fee for tenants who qualify by income. If a court charges a filing fee, we explain it before we file and ask the court to waive it where we can.
Rent is a bill. A home is a right.
In housing court, landlords often arrive with a lawyer. Tenants often arrive alone, holding a notice they only half understand. Fairlease exists to change that.
We're a small nonprofit with a phone that gets answered. We read the paper with you, tell you straight which dates matter and which threats are noise, and stand next to you when it goes in front of a judge.
A paper taped to your door is frightening. It is also only the first step in a process, and you have rights at every one of them.
Plain answers, no bill.
Free
to talk to a lawyer, if you qualify2
languages: English and Spanish4
kinds of housing trouble we take2
walk-in days a week
Free for tenants who qualify by income and household size. We check on your first call, and if you don't qualify we tell you who else to call.
Where we step in
Four kinds of housing trouble we take on. Pick the one closest to yours.
Evictions
Notices, court papers and lockout threats. We read them with you and go to court with you if you qualify.
Eviction help
Repairs
No heat, mold, pests, leaks. We push your landlord to fix what the law says they must.
Repair help
Security deposits
Getting your deposit back, or questioning deductions that don't add up.
Deposit help
Fair housing
Discrimination, retaliation and unsafe lease terms, including how to leave a lease safely if you're a survivor of violence.
Fair housing help
Who we show up for
Parents, grandparents, roommates and first-time renters: anyone who pays rent and wants to stay safe at home.
What neighbors tell us
“My landlord stopped answering about the broken boiler. After Fairlease sent a letter, a repairman came that week.”
Anwar K.Tenant
“Lisandro explained everything to my mother in Spanish and to me in English. Nobody made us feel small.”
Patrice D.Tenant
Each client's case is different. These stories don't predict the result of yours.
Got a notice? Bring it to us.
Call, text or walk in. Bring the paper and we'll read it with you. If you're searching on a shared phone or computer, the Quick exit button at the top leaves this site at once.
Free for tenants who qualify. We tell you about any court fee before we file anything.