Spent the first 12 years of my career as a commercial litigator, so I've taken, defended, and sat through dozens of depositions.  

Here's a link that may prove helpful:http://www.mass.gov/ago/consumer-resources/your-rights/civil-rights/housing/discrimination-against-tenants-receiving.html

Yikes on living in Litigation Central :-)

I just decided to move back to civilization.

I litigate over leases found online all the time, and these cases are expensive.

My neighbor owns a large civil engineering firm , projects in the design stage have been shelved for a bit .

It’ll vary by state, but in our state California Civil Code Section 1950.5 specifies for what purposes a landlord can make deductions from a tenant’s security deposit, including:“The cleaning of the premises upon termination of the tenancy necessary to return the unit to the same level of cleanliness it was in at the inception of the tenancy.”So ultimately it depends on how clean the unit was at the beginning of the tenancy, and how clean (or dirty) the tenant left it at the end of the tenancy. 

The Service Member's Civil Relief Act language only refers to terminating the lease.

Even then, I would have an attorney draw up a comprehensive partnership agreement so that issues like those described above are dealt with quickly without protracted and expensive litigation. 

Seek out Civil Engineers with landscape architects on their staff or develop a relationship with an L.A. well versed in local codes.