House prices are going up, decent rental properties are hard to come by, and even living in a van can cost you thousands - but how creative would you get to save some cash? The story of Michael Townsend, who created a secret flat in a shopping centre - completely with sofas and a PlayStation - has proved a huge hit with readers.
He managed to stay in the flat for four whole years before he was eventually caught by security and banned from reentering the shopping centre, and later said that he wished he could go back. But he's not the first to live where he shouldn't be, so here's a list of some of the more remarkable stories about alternative accommodation.
