This seems pretty clear that LL gets to select the area(s) to be painted and the color.  ”The areas designated for painting should be painted thoroughly to ensure that no previous color is visible.

Security Deposit: 2600Lease states no smoking/painting walls/no hanging things on wallsTenants have moved out and have left two truck loads of garbage to be removed.Damaged doorPainted walls which got on the ceiling and trim Lots of holes on the walls throughout the houseDamage from windows being left open constantly Weed was clearly smoked in the house (smell throughout the place) so we need to deep cleanWater bill wasn't paid so I had to turn back on utilityMissing keyQuoted costs:$450 junk removal (some furniture)$935 for damaged doors/windows, painting cleaning$30 for utility turn onTenants were only there for a year before moving out so a lot of this is beyond normal wear and tear. 

I provide short term rental furnishing and renovation finish list that includes paint colors, light fixtures, cabinets etc.

I dedicated three months to remodeling the interior myself, transforming the space with a vibrant Retro Tiki vibe featuring splashes of color and creative design.

Frame out the wall and use plywood for the siding. 

At yet another sale there was a brick row house/town house for sale that looked good from the street, but since it was in the middle of the row, to see the back of the house, you had to walk around the block and see the house from the alley, where the entire 3 story brick back wall of the house was laying in the back yard, and there was no back wall standing. 

Looks like a rubble type foundation wall.

It all depends on the walls you are hitting.

The best defense against rats entering your property is to seal off all entry points (holes, cracks in walls), remove food sources (dirty dishes, food left in trash cans), and water sources (like leaks). 

But if you do have a house that sits in expansive soils and are susceptible to shrinking and expanding they can put pressure on the basement walls (exacerbated by frost/thaw cycles) and cause them to crack horizontally.