Leaving washing-up in the sink, pinching food and not paying their share of the bills have been named as the most common rows between housemates, research has revealed. A study of 2,000 people who share a home with friends or housemates revealed the top 20 biggest complaints spurred by living with friends and strangers - and cleaning-themed rows are at the top of the list.
Other complaints include playing music too loud, having noisy sex and using all of the hot water.
It also emerged that a quarter have moved out, or asked someone else to leave, following a series of heated rows.
A spokesman for New Girl, which commissioned the poll to mark the launch of New Girl: Season 1 on DVD, said:
''Living with other people is never going to be perfect, but it's interesting to see the most common cause of rows is something as trivial as leaving the washing-up in the sink.
''When you share with friends or you've moved into a house with people you didn't know beforehand, it can be tricky to make sure everyone does their fair share.
''If there is one person who doesn't pull their weight, refuses to pay their share of the bills on time or is even just a little anti-social, it can really affect others in the house.
''And no-one wants to live in a house where their food gets taken by others or where they can't sleep because others are being noisy.
''Housemates need to sit down together and work out some ground rules to make sure they can avoid the kind of rows many seem to be having.''
Leaving washing-up in the sink came top of the poll, followed by people not chipping in to do their fair share of the housework and chores.
Making too much noise was voted the third biggest annoyance, with eating someone else's food and paying their share of the bills late coming close behind.
The sixth most common cause of housemate rows is having a boyfriend or girlfriend over to stay too often, while loud music was at seven.
Not taking the bins or recycling out, not paying their share of the bills at all and hogging the bathroom completed the top ten.
Other causes of rows included bringing unwanted guests back, leaving lights on and even using the last of the toilet roll and not replacing it.
Hogging the TV and being too noisy in the mornings also leave those sharing a house at loggerheads.
The study also revealed that girls make the best housemates, according to 25% of the people polled, with just 17% saying boys.
But despite this, a staggering 42% said girls were the most argumentative, compared with just 6% who said guys.
While 48% believe it is best to move in with people who are already close friends, 16% think you will be happier if you move in with strangers.
Researchers also revealed that more than one in twenty admitted they never got on with their housemates, while another one in ten said they were only friendly some of the time.
Almost half of those polled also admitted that sharing a house has put them off living with other people in the future, with 16% even saying they look back on their house-sharing years as 'being awful.'
But more than a quarter said it was the best time of their lives and, if they could, they would do it all again in an instant.
TOP 20 HOUSEMATE ARGUMENTS
1. Leaving washing up in the sink
2. Not doing their share of the cleaning
3. Someone making too much noise
4. Eating someone else's food
5. Paying their share of the bills late
6. Someone's boyfriend/girlfriend staying over too often
7. Playing music too loud
8. Not taking the bins or recycling out
9. Not paying their share of the bills
10. Hogging the bathroom
11. Bringing unwanted guests back
12. Leaving lights on
13. Using the last of the toilet roll and not replacing it
14. Using personal items without asking
15. Smoking in their rooms/in their house
16. Having loud sex
17. Hogging the TV
18. Being too noisy in the mornings
19. Using all of the hot water
20. Leaving the TV on
