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Kozak said he was at the house around suppertime Thursday, chatting with the property manager who operates the Airbnb as the man did laundry and cleaned up to get ready for the next renter. Neither of them noticed the bullet hole at the time, said Kozak. The property manager discovered it later that evening, he said.

Kozak said he did not have information about the renters or how long they were at the house.

In a statement, Airbnb said the reported violence at the house “is abhorrent and has no place in the Airbnb community. We have removed the booking guest, are working to fully support the host through our $1 million Host Guarantee and have proactively reached out to Ottawa Police Services to offer our support in their investigation.”

The Kozaks don’t operate the Airbnb. They have rented the house for the past year to a tenant who acts as a property manager, renting the house through Airbnb.

Kozak said he was not aware of any problems caused by Airbnb guests at the house. The property manager is selective, imposing a minimum stay of two nights and typically only renting to guests who have used Airbnb before so they could have been rated by the service, he said. “He’s very careful who he rents to. He doesn’t rent to just anyone.”

Kozak said he and his family live a few blocks away. “We care very much about the neighbourhood. This is our neighbourhood, too.”

His wife bought the house in 2011 and it was rented to long-term tenants until a year ago, said Kozak.