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Brits reveal biggest house-share irritants in shared home study

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 6 Nov, 10:42 · Archive

Never cleaning after cooking, dirty bathrooms and unwashed dishes top the list of house-share complaints.

A poll of 2,000 adults who have lived in a shared home in the last decade found that 95 per cent thought it was important to get on well with their housemates. Despite this, 84 per cent admitted that life with housemates is not always straightforward.

The research identified never cleaning up after cooking, a dirty bathroom and leaving dishes in the sink for days as the top three complaints. Other significant issues included being noisy at night (24 per cent), not contributing to chores (22 per cent) and not paying bills on time (18 per cent).

Disagreements about money and bills topped the list of areas which people in shared homes take most seriously at 32 per cent, followed by hygiene at 25 per cent and cleaning at 20 per cent. As many as 31 per cent reported having to talk to housemates about financial disputes, with 28 per cent regularly needing to chase them to pay bills on time.

Smart meters were identified as a potential solution to billing arguments. As many as 78 per cent of respondents said having a way to track energy usage in their shared home would have helped reduce arguments over bills. Among those who had used a smart meter in a shared space, 84 per cent found it useful for monitoring energy costs.

Comedian and writer Fern Brady, drawing on her experience of over 20 rented homes, acknowledged that living in flat-shares presents challenges. She noted that arguments about money and bills can cause tension but suggested that this friction is not inevitable.

Brits reveal biggest house-share irritants in shared home study
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In this story: Fern Brady

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