The 10 most annoying things about living in a house share 

Not everyone can afford their own place to live these days. You don’t have to be a student to be a house- or flat-sharer.

Sharing may be great for splitting bills and cutting your housing costs but it definitely has its downside.

According to Smart Energy, 84% of people living in shared accommodation in the north west lose their cool several times a month because of their housemates’ bad habits.

The Top 10 biggest gripes are as follows:

Leaving dirty dishes lying around (62%)

You wake up, ready to seize the day and want to make yourself a dapper brew but all the cups are sitting in dirty dishwater.

Leaving the lights/ electrical appliances on when not in use (48%)

Spending your food allowance on bills is not funny. Especially when the lights are left on whilst you’re all away partying it up at Glasto.

Not changing the bins when they’re full (48%)

Waking up, hungover, and heading into the kitchen to find a bin full to the brim with last night’s takeaway and an empty carton of your milk is not a sight any of us wants to experience.

Not changing the toilet roll (38%)

When you’ve had a curry and you’re busting for the loo only to find there’s not a scrap of loo roll left.

Out of date food left in the fridge (31%)

Nobody wants to see your mouldy leftovers. Bin please. And make sure you take it out this time.

Not removing hair from the plughole (30%)

Seriously? Gross

Leaving the toilet seat up after use (24%)

One for the lads. Seriously. Just don’t do it.

Leaving the window open when the heating is on (23%)

Didn’t you go to science class? And do you have money to burn?

Taking excessively long showers (22%)

Just no. Unless you want to cover the entire bill for that scorcher.

Moving their boyfriend/girlfriend in and not asking them to contribute to bills (21%)

Yes we know you’re in love but can you take that love elsewhere, like, maybe somewhere we don’t have to pay for your loved-up showers together. Thanks.

Inventor and designer Dominic Wilcox has come up with a collection of humorous solutions to to tackle these common problems.

These include a mechanical hand designed to switch off lights when rooms are left empty; a toothpaste wiper to get rid of unwanted splashes on bathroom mirrors; the Sound Proof Disco Bed Box, a magic box to give housemates a bit of peace and quiet; a mechanical pulley to make sure the loo seat is never left up again; and a clothes drying wind tunnel, a pedal-powered device which quickly dries garments and prevents wet clothes draining heat from radiators

More information here.