Landlord charges longtime tenants a $10,000 renovation bill for a 1989 California apartment after they move out, using minor damage to make them pay for a full unit upgrade he was planning anyway – FAIL Blog

The Maintenance-request minimalist, Clause-quoting crusader landlord then looks at this and decides it is time for a full theater production. The invoice is not a modest list of patches it is a full‑scale rebuild. Repair the wall completely paint every interior surface plus door frames and jambs sand and oil all the cabinets replace every single carpet replace every light fixture every door every faucet every miscellaneous hardware element the stove hood and then haul away the very washer and dryer the tenants themselves bought. All of this under the label of “excessive cleaning costs beyond normal wear and tear.” The unit is clearly due for an update the other three units already got theirs but instead of budgeting that into the building he treats the last holdout as a personal ATM.