I would have talked to them BEFORE cancelling the painter and given them the option of which way to go, but since you already cancelled the painter I would simply charge them prorated rent for the 5 days until the painting is complete and deduct that from their deposit.

Painting, plastering, refitting out fixtures and fittings, windows and doors.

For example if you asked him to only paint a wall but the wall does not look good because the drywall itself is bad - that is not his problem because you did not want the drywall fixed.Specify what it is you want done and if complete you will release the payment. if he disagrees then he may sue and then let the court decide. 

We saw a large influx of section 8 re-inspections (and even new inspections) coming back and saying that the properties needed fresh paint, new countertops, etc.

Quote from @Daniel Araque: Thank you Georgy, that paints a much clearer picture for me.Essentially it behooves me to pay off my line of credit as fast as possible because the longer it takes, the more interest I'm paying which in turn eats up my total profit for that single investment.I did the math based off the following numbers. $10k line of credit at 8% , 10 year payback, $121/month payment. $1k personal cash flow after all bills/expenses paid.

We painted the outside, cleaned up the backyard, changed the fireplace, changed kitchen countertops and backsplash, added accent wallks.

We have minimal resources as far as money goes, but we have a relatively long list of upgrades (window treatments, hardware, light fixtures, paint, etc).

What color are you painting your stock cabinets?

He received quotes to remove the texture ceiling, paint the interior, purchase and install new kitchen cabinets and counters (including completing the design), picked out 2 floorings to get quotes which will be provided this week, and determined furnace is beyond saving (I will likely get HVAC quote for him).  

You can use Zillow or rent cast along with others to paint a picture of the area where you want to invest.