Fortunately, I have a natural tendency to do the right thing and in a timely manner so his complaints to have "safety" issues addressed are not too much of an inconvenience for me (although the renter himself is an annoyance). 

I've got my day job to roll the dice, im in REI for the "safety".

The kind I do not like are passed on from their parents who never learned to work so they expect you take care of them.There are some restrictions and annual inspection most have to do with safety(railing), smoke alarms, and sanitation....

Even the lowest priced house still needs to offer any future resident safety and this area can lead to various very undesirable legal liabilities for the owner/seller.

Ensure you have enough to buy an investment property and also enough for a safety net in case something goes wrong shortly after purchase.

You'll need to change the use from residential to hotel, which will require a lengthy process that includes physical upgrades and changes to the building.Basically the City wants the property to conform to safety standards for that particular commercial use.

@Alyssa SteinruckYou may have some contractors come and see how long it would take to repair the damages, or how long to repair the safety issues and get a better idea of what it will take to fix.If its something they can do in a week or two, you may just offer to put them up in a hotel until the major safety issues are addressed.  

Please make sure you are safe (as can be - alert and aware) and not taking away energy to maintain your safety!

And after I went to the building and safety office twice and some plan alterations, I got the building permit. 

(Toilets are a big one)- Deteriorating paint (lead is extremely common in cities like Rochester)- Breakers, furnace filter(s), water heater(s)- Damaged/broken stepsI think it is a little ridiculous to go around and nitpick with a checklist, but we do check for issues that would cost us money down the road, or are safety issues for our tenants (and properties).