Get a lawyer and seek legal advice, since its the landlords responsibility to keep properties up to code. Also depending on the cost of the items damaged you could go through your renters insurance if you have it to see what they might cover. I would also contact the HOA as a measure but that could get you evicted if the home you are renting landlord is a shady person. Which the situation sounds shady when they said don't contact the HOA to make me out as unreasonable.

The landlord trying a back handed thing on you . Get all conversations in writing,or in email form for now on to have a paper trail of what the land lord says, take pictures of the property nif you can plus the conditions of the building, read your lease contract, and once you have a paper trail collected I say see a lawyer to consult with what options you can do.

I don't know where your from so I can say a definite way to go.
My thoughts come from the reddit hoa, and crummy land lord stories from what others faced.

Maybe a lawyer fur here can give better advice but the stuff I said is what I know others would do. But it also comes down to financial situation as well .

I hope things work themselves out for you.