No they are renting and we have no idea who owns the house.
I'll bet there's a way to find out. Any police called to the place?
It's probably Section 8. Landlords can get more money that way than by just renting to people who actually pay. I got a 30 day notice once because the landlord said he could get twice what I was paying that way.
If that's the case the landlord is not going to care what they do as long as the check clears.