Arguments over money and bills are the main cause of household disagreements among flatmates, according to new research that found eight in 10 adults admit life in a shared property is not always straightforward.
A survey of 2,000 adults who have lived in a shared property over the past decade found that 95% believe it is crucial to get along well with those they live with, but 84% confessed life with flatmates is not always plain sailing.
Most Common House-Share Grievances
The most common house-share 'icks' include failing to clean up after cooking, leaving the bathroom dirty, and abandoning dishes in the sink for days. Other irritating habits include making noise at night (24%), failing to contribute to household tasks (22%) and not settling bills promptly (18%). Frequent rows also occur about hygiene (25%) and cleaning (20%).
Disputes about money and bills (32%) are the main cause for household disagreements, according to the data by OnePoll. Over half of respondents (53%) have lived with someone who did not contribute their fair share financially, and 31% frequently had to speak to flatmates about financial disagreements. Another 28% regularly needed to push their flatmate to settle bills on time.
Smart Meters and Reducing Bill Disputes
As many as 78% said having a method to monitor how much energy they were consuming in their shared property would have helped reduce the number of rows over bills. However, 84% of those who have had a smart meter in their shared accommodation said it was beneficial for tracking their energy expenses.
Comedian and writer Fern Brady said: "I know from experience that living in flat-shares is not always simple. I've seen it all in over 20 rented homes – good, bad and ugly."
Brady added: "Arguments about money and bills can really get under people's skin, but it doesn't have to be that way." She suggested a smart meter can be a good way to keep track of spending, adding that "renters can feel more in control of their energy use."
Victoria Bacon, a director at Smart Energy GB, said: "Smart meters take the guesswork out of energy bills by giving households a clearer picture of their usage and they can help housemates stay on top of bills. If you rent privately and the bills are in your name, it's your choice to request a smart meter from your energy supplier."
Top 20 House-Share Icks
The research also compiled a list of the top 20 house-share 'icks', which includes not cleaning up after cooking, leaving the bathroom dirty, leaving dirty dishes in the sink for days, and leaving rubbish bins overflowing. Other grievances include being noisy late at night, not contributing to household chores, not washing up properly, and not paying their share of the bills on time.
Further items on the list are playing music or TV too loudly, borrowing items without asking, leaving food to go off, slamming doors, leaving lights on unnecessarily, and never replacing empty toilet rolls. Having guests over too often, turning the heating on or off without asking others, never replacing household essentials, not locking doors or windows at night or when leaving the house, leaving laundry in shared spaces, and taking excessively long showers also feature among the top 20.
