Only the owner of a property can obtain a permit - which legally prevents tenants from placing a fire-pit on the property without your consent.  

They do this to try and prevent lender hopping to close on the property.

Three story apartment complex, Built: 1970Number of Units: 29Gross SF: 23,184 SFAverage SF: 653 SFNet Leasable SF: 18,989 SFRoof: Slight pitch asphalt shingleHVAC: Forced hot air, gas furnace/central ACNeighborhood Class B Properties Class B-Rental Unit Income $212,911Vacancy $17,609Effective Gross Income $195,302Laundry $2,199Garage $960Other Income $4,192RUBS Bill Back $2,379 Total Other Income $9,730Gross Operating Income $205,031OPERATING EXPENSESAdvertising/Concessions $6,115Cable $8,344Management $10,252 (should be $21,291 for 10%)Office Supplies $239Employee Benefits $0 Legal/Credit Reports $1,078Landscaping/Snow Removal $3,730Cleaning/Maintenance $1,956Repairs/Supplies/Maintenance $19,073 (should be $21,291 for 10%)RUBS Utilities (Water,Trash, Pest) $18,451House Gas/Electric $1,944Real Estate Taxes $21,276 (should be $36,000)Insurance $4,400 (should be $8,400)TOTAL EXPENSES $92,192 (should be $125,109)NOI $205,031 - $125,109 = $79,922$79,922/0.08 (cap rate) = $999025I did change some number for management, insurance, repair and maintenance.

. , it is better to prevent than the chance of a lawsuit.

It is worse if there is a structure that can not be fixed since it either needs to be demolished or prevented from being a worse liability.I think the exceptions to the rule in these properties is a case where someone is putting in effort to generate returns aka "a job". 

The remedy we see a lot is they excavate around the outside and pull the wall back straight and tie it back into solid ground to prevent it from happening again. 

I want to be on the board to prevent or block the knuckleheads that try to ruin it for everyone else.

In most cases, there will be a deed restriction preventing the buyer from selling or using the property as an investment.  

It caused our fearless leaders to enact laws designed to prevent all of that from happening again, most of which won't and a lot of which hurts more than it helps (like the FHA 90 day anti-flip rule--seriously?!).  

If you're planning to do any flipping/rehabbing, those things are what will break you... preventing them (or budgeting accordingly) is big.