Rental Safety

Fire codes for rentals is usually a bit more structed than it is for regular residencial properties. The codes vary per county and sometimes even on a city by city level. I would contact the county to see what the current codes are. You could also contact a local fire department and ask them. Most likely the codes will require a functioning smoke detector in each room and hallway. The tenant is usually responsible for testing and placing new batteries in smoke detectors.
Only certain cities mandate rent pricing. You would know if you are in a rent control distict. Rent control is typically found in extremely desirable hot spots such as San Francisco or some parts of New York where realestate is a premium. Rent control boards will usally set a ceiling as to how much rent can be charged based upon # of rooms and not square footage.
Hope that helps!