Couples who are breaking up may be forced to live together for longer as the tough economic climate continues to bite.

More than one in four couples who split up have no choice but to continue living together, says a survey by house and flatshare website EasyRoommate. Of those who continued to live together 74 per cent found the experience stressful - although two per cent said they enjoyed it.

Of those who had to share after their break-up, 65 per cent said they'd rather they or their partner had moved out sooner.

For most, financial pressures prevent a clean break. Around two-thirds of couples who end up having to living together after a break-up can't afford to live separately. Negative equity is also trapping a significant number of those forced to stay under the same roof (both divorcing and unmarried co-habiting couples splitting up).

Around one in 40 couples have to live together because of negative equity. On average, those homeowners are in negative equity to the tune of £12,000, and they might have to wait for months to recover that sum through property price rises.

Says Jonathan Moore at EasyRoommate: "Recession is preventing even more couples from making a clean break when they split up. Some couples take a lodger to generate added income during a split.

"Where one partner moves out, over a third of those remaining in the house have decided to take in a lodger."