From overwhelmed to prepared — in minutes
Page last updated: August 29, 2026 · How we source & update
No legal background required. Renter Shield walks you through it one calm step at a time, then keeps everything in one place. Here's the whole flow, and exactly what's free.
Four calm steps, start to finish
Each step builds on the last — so by the end you know your rights, have your record, and have the right words to use them.
Tell us your situation
Your state, city, housing type, and what's going on: repairs, rent, a notice, a deposit, or just exploring.
See what applies
Get the rights and deadlines for your area in plain language, with the source shown for every figure (and unverified figures clearly flagged).
Capture & draft
Save evidence to your device, then — when you're ready — have Guardian help draft a calm, professional written response that states the facts and your request.
Stay on track
Set deadline reminders, find local legal aid, and keep a clean, organized record — all in one place.
Your record, built as you go
The Evidence Vault turns scattered photos and texts into a clean, dated timeline — the thing that decides most disputes. It stays on your device.
- Dated the moment you add it. Every photo, note, and message is timestamped, so the order of events is never in question.
- Deadlines tracked alongside it. Add a notice and Renter Shield shows the dates that matter, with the source for the rule.
- Ready to hand over. Export a clean summary for a lawyer, legal aid, or a court self-help clinic (vault export is a Pro feature; viewing your own record is always free).
- Private by default. Your evidence is stored on your device, not on our servers.
Renter Shield shows the rule for your state with its source — and says so when a local rule isn’t confirmed.
Illustration of the Evidence Vault. Dates and items are an example, not legal advice — your own rules and deadlines depend on where you live.
Designed to lower the stress, not add to it
Clear information, an organized record, and the right words — together they let you act with confidence instead of fear, calmly and on the record.
Get Renter Shield freeSimple pricing. The essentials stay free.
Renter Shield is free for the things that matter most when something goes wrong. Paid plans add professional form letters and AI chat for when you want help putting your situation in writing.
Renter Shield Home is free to use right now, in the app and on the web. Paid plans are purchased on the web — nothing is purchased inside the iPhone app.
Free
Core protection for every renter.
- ✓ Core rights information — all 50 states + DC
- ✓ Emergency resources & legal-aid links
- ✓ The core eviction-response letter
- ✓ Core tools & calculators
- ✓ View your saved data
Essential
For when you need it in writing.
- ✓ Everything in Free
- ✓ Professional form letters — one per section
- ✓ Limited AI chat
- ✓ Email and save your letters
Pro
Full support for an ongoing situation.
- ✓ Everything in Essential
- ✓ Unlimited professional form letters
- ✓ Full AI chat
- ✓ Advanced Evidence Vault, with export
- ✓ Lease analyzer
- ✓ Sub-tenant tools
Used up this month’s chat?
Essential and Pro subscribers can add more — charged once, never auto-renews.
About 10 more questions for an active Essential or Pro subscription, added to your account and yours until you use them. Requires a subscription — it tops up your plan’s chat, it doesn’t replace one.
Add a chat top-upPrices in USD. Pay month to month, or choose annual and save 33% — annual is billed once a year, and you can cancel renewal at any time. The chat top-up is a one-time purchase for active Essential and Pro subscribers: charged once, never auto-renews. Emergency resources, legal-aid links, and the core eviction-response letter are always free, on every plan.
Frequently asked
Is Renter Shield really free?
Yes — the Free plan is free forever, with no card required. It includes core rights information for all 50 states + DC, emergency resources and legal-aid links, the core eviction-response letter, core tools, and viewing your own saved data. Essential ($39.96/year, or $4.99/month) adds professional form letters and limited AI chat; Pro ($79.80/year, or $9.99/month) adds unlimited letters, full AI chat, an advanced Evidence Vault and sub-tenant tools.
Do I have to subscribe?
No. The Free plan stays free. If you subscribe and use up the month’s chat, you can buy a $4.99 top-up — charged once, no auto-renewal. The top-up adds to an Essential or Pro subscription and needs one.
Can I pay monthly instead of yearly?
Yes. Essential is $4.99 per month or $39.96 per year, and Pro is $9.99 per month or $79.80 per year. The yearly price works out lower per month; paying monthly lets you stop at any time. You can also skip subscriptions entirely and make a one-time purchase instead.
Is this legal advice?
No. Renter Shield provides legal information and organizational tools, not legal advice, and is not a law firm. For anything serious or time-sensitive, talk to a licensed attorney or legal aid.
Does it work in my state?
Renter Shield covers all 50 states + DC. Rules are tuned to your state, city, and housing type, and every figure shows its source; unverified figures are clearly flagged.
Is my data private?
Yes. Renter Shield is local-first: your evidence, letters, and notes are stored on your device. See the Privacy page.
What do the paid plans include?
Essential adds professional form letters — one per section — and limited AI chat. Pro adds unlimited professional form letters, full AI chat, an advanced Evidence Vault, and sub-tenant tools. Everything in the Free plan stays included in both.
What if I'm facing an emergency right now?
You can always reach help for free without accepting anything: call 211 for local resources, find legal aid at lawhelp.org, or call 911 in an emergency.
Your home is worth protecting.
Get Renter Shield free and put your rights, your evidence, and your words on your side — starting today.