[mindslight]

Everyone in California should be aware of their ability to request a pre-moveout inspection. You do a walkthrough with your landlord a few weeks before moving where they list all defects, which (in theory) gets you on the same page and gives you a chance to fix the damage. They are unable to withhold for anything not on this list (damage obscured by your items and later-occurring damage excepted).

California publishes an easy to read tenants handbook that outlines this as well as many other details of state law. It's well worth the twenty minutes it would take the average HNer to read it over. (also, depending on where you are there may be additional municipal laws covering things like causeless evictions, etc)