I do this with the fat tenants as I figure them running is the only exercise they'll get all month. 

We do not know if this is true, feel free to disagree:Essentially, really fat people have a lot of difficulty passing waste when sitting on the toilet.

Talk with her in person if you can so you hear not only her words, phrasing and tone of voice, but so you can also see the non-verbal communication in her facial expression and body language.

You need to learn the landlord-tenant law, which is actually a small body of law. 

Maybe that's all it will take.You'd have to decide if reporting them to some regulatory body is worth it. 

A short time ago our local decision making body over section 8 matters decided to reduce their payments to landlords.

Do they smell of cigarettes/weed, diesel fuel, body odor?

I need a mentor if there is any body that has the time. 

Classic mistake is the owner will hoard cash and live fat for years and make good bank.

The only conclusion I have is, the apartment is a dump and they have a really hard time getting a body to live in it, which equals a lousy landlord and thus the headaches that they encounter, vacancies, calls from tenants complaining, calls from lawyers wanting to sue them etc.