These are the top 10 most common housemate problems

7. Stealing food


Living with housemates can sometimes be absolutely hellish. They’re messy, loud and never respect your boundaries. But it is part of university life to be destined to spend at least three years living with people in overpriced, slightly mouldy houses. And we will all at some point experience housemates who don’t take the bins out or leave food rotting in the fridge. But of all the worst housemate habits, which is the most common?

According to a survey by Save The Student the most common bad housemate habit is leaving dirty dishes out. More than 1,200 students were asked about the bad habits they’d experienced and 51 per cent said they had lived with people who left out dirty dishes.

However dirty dishes wasn’t the only habit students have been putting up with, these are the top 10 most common bad housemate habits:

10. Taking long showers – 15 per cent

When you’re the one taking a long shower it’s delightful and a much needed form of self-care. However when it’s someone else taking that long shower, it’s selfish, rude and an infringement on your time. I have things I need to do too Beth, no need for a 15 minute shower is there!

9. Leaving windows open – 20 per cent

Um has anyone forgotten we are in a rising household bills era? Get that window closed stat.

8. Not changing the toilet roll – 20 per cent

It really isn’t difficult, you take the toilet roll off the hook, place in bin and put a new one on. Will take you all of 10 seconds.

7. Stealing food – 22 per cent

The odd drop of milk, a spoonful of sugar or a splash of soy sauce – fine. But people are really taking the piss when they start taking tins, packets or full on leftovers from your shelf in the fridge.

6. Not removing hair from plug holes – 24 per cent

Gag. Hair in the plug hole makes me feel physically ill. And when you’ve got six or more people sharing a house that drain is getting clogged fast. And yet it is always the same person who takes one for the team and pulls that clump out the hole whilst covering their mouth, trying not to vomit.

5. Leaving lights/appliances on – 33 per cent

Please refer back to point number 9 as to why this is a disgrace.

4. Leaving food to rot – 35 per cent

You know the smell. It reaches you before you’ve even opened the fridge. And when you do pluck up the courage to open the fridge it will be the worse smell you’ve ever encountered in your life, all because some idiot doesn’t understand the concept of sell by dates.

3. Being too loud – 37 per cent

Partying, sex or sometimes even the TV being on. Those uni houses have thin walls and you can hear everything, and I really do mean everything.

2. Not helping with cleaning – 44 per cent

A mop? A sponge? A hoover? Some people at university have never heard of these things.

1. Leaving dirty dishes out – 51 per cent

I really do not understand the psychology of not washing up your plate. Fairy liquid and water and you’re done in two minutes.

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