LONDON, March 12 (UPI) -- More than 200,000 rental tenants in Britain faced revenge evictions in 2013 after asking landlords to solve problems, the British charity Shelter said.
One private sector tenant in 50, nationwide, claimed he or she was evicted because of a complaint to a landlord about a matter not the tenant's responsibility, said the London-based charity, which deals with homelessness and inadequate housing in England and Scotland.
The figure equates to 213,000 cases.
A survey in Britain by Internet pollster YouGov said one in 12 renters has avoided asking a landlord to repair a problem in the past year for fear of eviction.
The Daily Telegraph cited examples of the evictions Wednesday, including a family in Norfolk evicted three weeks after they informed their landlord of a mold problem in their residence, and a couple in Brighton who said they were evicted weeks after complaining of a broken thermostat, and mold and dampness affecting their health.
Survey research was commissioned by Shelter and the utility company British Gas in a partnership to improve conditions in privately rented homes.
