NW Tucson, Arizona House Sharing Arrangement

Roommate room

Owner occupant of air-conditioned home on 3 acres in safe, quiet neighborhood in beautiful desert setting, with easy access to stores and the freeway, seeks specific type of long--term roommate, preferably female. Home is in NW Tucson near Ina Road, a few miles west of the freeway. The owner is an active working woman near retirement. Just the right roommate is wanted: for compatibility in sharing the home and enjoying each other’s company, taking care of the owner’s dogs-mules-fruit trees when owner is away for up to a week or longer at a time, and knowing what to do in the event of an accident or emergency. Note: The rent will be discounted by $50 for every day the roommate is responsible for caring for animals and plants when the owner is away. The rental agreement will start month to month and switch to year to year after 6 months.
Roommate will care for owner’s 2 mules, 3 dogs, 4 fruit trees and potted plants when owner is away in exchange for reduced rent. This pet and tree care includes watering (with hoses; there is no irrigation system), brushing, haltering, walking, feeding, cleaning up after, lifting 40 pound sacks of feed, etc. according to owner’s directions. This required care is non-negotiable; serious applicants will be asked to demonstrate their dog, horse and tree care ability before the owner selects a roommate.
A good candidate will be someone who is mature; energetic; likes to help care for plants and animals (for example: someone who has been a house or pet sitter, or cared for their own pets and yard in the past); likes to keep things clean and tidy; is easy going, kind, respectful and courteous; gets along well with other people; has a sense of humor; maintains a positive attitude; is flexible; reliable and responsible; is in good mental and physical health; engages in quiet activities inside the house (or uses earbuds); and has steady employment outside the home.
Roommate gets:
• Private small bedroom with standard size bed (with pullout drawers under bedframe) and bathroom with shower/tub (bathroom will be shared when owner has guests visiting). Roommate can bring own furniture for bedroom, as well as pictures to hang. Bi-monthly cleaning of roommate’s bedroom and bathroom by house cleaners who clean entire house is included in price of rent (owner and roommate will share other cleaning duties to maintain a clean, tidy home).
• Shared use of kitchen, family and living room. Kitchen use includes microwave oven, refrigerator and dishwasher. There is a second refrigerator for shared use in the owner’s garage.
• Use of washer and dryer
• Use of Starlink 5G home Wi-Fi
• Trash service and utilities included
• Paved parking in front of house
• Can walk or hike right from the front door of the house.
• Easy access to nearby restaurants, stores and the freeway.
Roommate needs to be animal and nature lover, who enjoys taking care of plants and animals:
• A lot of the property is natural desert with cactus, snakes (including rattlesnakes), lizards, rabbits, scorpions, etc.
• There are 3 medium sized rescue dogs that are indoor/outdoor.
• There are 2 mules the owner rides.
Roommate needs to be:
• Quiet by mid evening; owner rises early
• Employed fulltime, working away from the house
• OK with NPR radio being played on speaker in kitchen/family room in morning and some afternoons/evenings; and PBS TV some evenings.
• Respectful that certain places in the house (owner’s office, bedroom and bathroom) are always off limits to roommate.
• Someone who will coordinate well in advance with owner when planning to come home late, stay somewhere else overnight, be out of town or be at the house when the owner is hosting guests.
Roommate is expected to:
• Help keep bedroom and bathroom as well as shared areas of house clean and tidy, and help owner supplement cleaning done by house cleaners. This includes vacuuming, dusting, taking out trash, washing dishes, etc.
• Enjoy having conversations but also able to respect space and privacy of owner; owner will do same for roommate.
• Provide own linens including sheets, pillows and towels.
• Lock and unlock gates to property, doors and use alarm system every time when coming and going from home
• Agree to a background and reference check prior to renting, pay an upfront security deposit and be prompt with the full monthly rental payment
Not allowed:
• Smoking
• Illegal drug use
• Excessive alcohol use
• Guests or visitors (if roommate wants to visit family and friends, it needs to be done away from the home)
• Pets
• Eating in bedroom, unless roommate is ill
Please know that the owner’s selection of a roommate may take up to 2-3 months. Seriously interested people are required to respond to the questions below in a message to the owner. If the candidate seems like a possible match, the owner will arrange a phone interview. If the phone interview goes well, the candidate will be invited to meet the owner at the home and provide references for the owner to check. While at the home visit, the owner will assess the candidate’s comfort around the dogs and the candidate’s knowledge of plant care. If after checking references, obtaining proof of employment and meeting the applicant the owner decides to proceed in considering the candidate, the candidate will be asked to take care of the owner’s mules for a weekend. The weekend care will be to demonstrate knowledge and ability of the applicant with equines; the applicant will be paid to do this. Afterwards, if the owner and candidate want to proceed, the candidate will fill out a rental application and pay to have a comprehensive credit and background check done for the owner. If the background check is satisfactory to the owner, the owner will require a security deposit and have the candidate sign a rental agreement.
Please respond in message to these questions for initial consideration:
1. What are you looking for in a longterm house sharing arrangement?
2. What is your current job and schedule?
3. Describe your experience with horses or mules (feeding, turnout, healthcare, leading, etc.)
4. Describe your experience with dogs (feeding, walking, healthcare, etc.)
5. Is there anything else you want to share about yourself that makes you a good candidate for this arrangement?