University of Michigan Student Legal Services

I contacted Student Legal Services for help with a serious landlord-tenant dispute involving major habitability issues in my apartment (bed bugs, roaches, mice, mold, and unsafe structural conditions that were later documented in city inspection reports). Unfortunately, the assistance I received was minimal.

The attorney I was assigned joined our scheduled meeting late and spent a significant portion of the short appointment reviewing materials I had already emailed beforehand. Once the discussion began, he quickly stated that he believed the case was likely unwinnable and said he was unsure how he could help, though he mentioned he would check with other attorneys in the office.

Communication after the meeting was extremely slow. It took nearly two weeks to receive a response to a follow-up email, and after I sent documentation from city inspectors confirming multiple ordinance violations at the property, I never received any further response.

As a result, I had to handle the entire situation on my own without legal guidance and ultimately navigate the dispute directly with my landlord.

Many students can't afford private lawyers and rely on Student Legal Services for support. Students dealing with serious housing disputes should not have to chase their legal clinic for basic follow-up.

SLS was extremely helpful in dealing with a nightmare landlord. My attorney, Gayle, always answered my emails quickly, and saved my roommate and I a few thousand dollars. I genuinely don’t know what we would have done if I didn’t have access to SLS.

I agreed- “the receptionist was very impolite and rude for someone asking for help. Don't call if you are looking for support.” 😅I just asked a question where is the event. She replied with very very bad attitude: “how would I know!”