Is the homeowner responsible in a dog bite if he knows a vicious breed is owned by renters and has failed to maintain the upkeep of the property?

The owner might very well be liable if he knew that dog or its breed was likely to bite someone who was not on the renter's premises and/or the property was in sufficient disrepair to allow the incident to occur. There may be a problem that the owner's insurance policy may exclude that type of dog from coverage [many do exclude pit bulls, etc.].

A landowner may be responsible for a dog attack caused by a tenant.