Airbnb Host Faces Manslaughter After Choking Tenant Over Unpaid Bill

Airbnb is supposed to provide comfort and quality for those who want to explore a new city, but for one man, it was a trip of horror after he wound up dead. Ramis Jonuzi was allegedly killed by Jason Colton over a rent bill after Jonuzi didn’t pay for a stay in a room at Colton’s Melbourne home.

Colton, 42, recently pleaded guilty to manslaughter. He chose to plead not guilty to murder charges in the Victoria state Supreme Court in Australia. If convicted of murder, he could face a life sentence and up to 20 years in prison if the jury agrees the death was manslaughter.

After the 2017 ordeal, Airbnb told AP that Mr. Jonuzi’s family has its full support and “our hearts go out to them and all of his friends.”

“There is no place on Airbnb for such an abhorrent act, which violates everything our global community stands for,” the company said at the time. “We have removed this listing from our platform and will fully co-operate with law enforcement on their investigation.”

Jonuzi initially rented the room for three nights on Airbnb, but chose to stay another week for $210 AU, approximately $149 USD.

However, after one week of not paying rent, prosecutor Mark Gibson claims Colton threw Jonuzi against a wall, choking him with his forearm and punching him unconscious. While Colton admitting to chocking Jonuzi, he said he did so just to subdue him enough to pass out.