They rented a house with “dozens of code violations.” Those owners who rented the place out are going to have their lives upended until the end of their days. Given how irresponsible they were, I doubt they have the necessary liability insurance.
My old boss’s family rented a house at the beach here in Oregon. The parents went for a coffee walk in the morning. A small airplane got lost in the fog and crashed into the house. They watched as the kids burned to death in the upstairs windows trying to get out. The owners had painted the windows shut and they couldn’t get out. 2 teenagers and a few younger ones too. Never heard the outcome but he was never the same and retired within a year. Damn horrible thing to happen to a great guy.