Freshers’ Week 2016: Most common lies young people tell their flatmates

This academic year look set to be an eventful one in many a student household

(Rex)

Freshers moving into new accommodation at university this year can look forward to a life of lies and secrets as new research reveals the top fibs young people are most likely to tell each other.

Whilst almost half of young Brits, 45 per cent, trust that those they live with would not lie to them, over three quarters, 78 per cent, have themselves lied or kept a secret from someone they share a home with.

Two-thirds of 18 to 24-year-olds believe lying to those closest to us is a part of human nature, but a third of young people have experienced a friendship or relationship ending as a result of secrets and lies.

Top secrets kept and lies told between flatmates:

• Making up an excuse not to attend a party - 51%
• Call in sick to work when perfectly healthy - 33%
• Damaging something, denying all knowledge - 33%
• Secretly fancying a housemate - 28%
• Pretending to like a housemate - 27%
• Lying about being a smoker/having quit - 20%
• Lying about shopping/spending habits - 20%
• Embellishing CV or lying in a job interview - 17%
• Taking housemates’ clothes without asking - 16%
• Embellishing social life on social media - 15%

Young people clearly care about their flatmates and don’t want to argue with them, but the findings reinforce the importance of flatmate compatibility when it comes to preventing conflict and secret-keeping, leading to a harmonious household; when asked about why young Brits lie or keep secrets from those they live with, almost three quarters do so to avoid conflict and keep the peace within the household. Just over half lie to avoid upsetting others, and a further 37 per cent keep secrets and lie to maintain their privacy within a household.

Despite the prevalence of lying, when asked how young Britons would feel after finding out someone they lived with had kept a secret from them, or told them a lie, 42 per cent said it would take them at least a week to get over it. A further six per cent claim they would never stop being upset about being lied to.

Thomas Villeneuve, CEO of Weroom - the flatsharing site which commissioned the survey - described how getting the right balance between keeping your personal life private and being open and honest with your flatmates “is key” when it comes to working out what to share with those that students and young people live with.

He continued: “Our research shows that, while Brits do not take kindly to being kept in the dark by their nearest and dearest, most keep secrets or tell lies with a view to keeping the peace or protecting other people’s feelings. Though some student accommodation specialists tend to match renters that can share interests and experiences with a view to making harmonious and fun homes - with as few secrets as possible.”

*Weroom commissioned One Poll to survey 1,000 British adults aged 18 to 24