Do we have to pay?

So we moved in here on June 1st 2013 then were told the owner was selling the property. The new owners bought the place on 9/30/2013 but didn't get a renters license until 12/4/2013. My cousin lives with us and is responsible for 1/4 of the rent. (Rent is $1,200 a month) She was applying for emergency assistance or something to pay her portion. Well they wouldn't pay until the landlord got a rental license (we gave them the number to call to get it when we first found out they didn't have one). Finally on 12/24/13 they came to discuss everything (with an interpreter because they don't speak much English) and we made a verbal agreement to pay $300 every week (we get paid on Thursdays), they came back Friday to collect the 1st payment like agreed, gave us a receipt then gave us a 30 day notice to move out! Saying we needed to pay for October and November and acting like we were trying to screw them over! Do we owe them rent for the time they didn't have a rental license? And if so, why?