Someone sent me this story about a rental dispute. A tenant moved out after two years. She had always paid rent on time and kept the place clean. When she left, the apartment was spotless — carpets cleaned, fridge emptied, not a single stain anywhere. Except for one thing. She had painted one bedroom wall blue. Just one wall, and she painted it neatly. No mess, no drips, no damage. The landlord said the lease required “no alterations without written permission.” He kept the entire $1500 deposit, claiming repainting would cost more than that. The tenant argued that paint is cosmetic, and the wall looked even better than before. She said withholding the full deposit was theft. Now the fight is in small claims court. Who’s in the wrong here? #House #Landlord #TenantRights #RentHacks