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JG1 says

Another lease violation - unless you provided LL with a copy of the new keys. Some LLs may view you as one of the best, but if one of the best is a repeat lease violator, then pity the LLs. Considering most LLs don’t call to ask to raise the rent, perhaps your situation is a little different from the avg renters. Many LLs would have said yes, sure, to all you have done, or much of it, so not sure why you don’t ask. The photos may document you have improved things, but they may also document lease violations, depending on your lease. The textbook answer for what you want to do is get permission from landlord, move to a better place that is better maintained and upgraded, or buy a house.

I think what I forgot to say was I'm from the school of it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. Plus in So Cal LL's just try and keep your deposit as a rule. so what do you have to lose? really Sue me Hahahaha! get in line,.. hahaha!

I mean do ya just put in a cat door or do you give the LL $800 bucks after asking to put in a Cat door. this really happened to a girlfriend of mine back in 2004 in Oakland.

LL's aren't all cool IMO.

Update: We are on our way into fixing things up. I just couldn't take the looks of the place.

Packing and painting: We did this in a weekend. It looks awesome. I ended up paying the lady who helps me clean to help me pack and paint. The whole thing cost about 600.

Floors: I had an estimate from HomeDepot of 2600 to put laminate in the front half of the house. I consulted a contractor who works in our community. He gave me a better price on both materials and labor to put hardwood in the entire house. No carpet anywhere. We are about half done with that. It looks awesome. 3600 gets all of it - the kitchen and2 bedrooms, hall, front room and dining area with engineered hardwoods. If I had it to do again, I would go to lumber liquidators. I could have shaved some off by buying from them.They have some hardwoods as low as 1 dollar a square foot. THe stuff I got from the contractor is nicer than that. I am happy with it.

Blinds - just did these in the front room. It was a pain to install them. 200 dollars. Totally worth it. Light when I want it. Privacy when I want it. No filthy 1970s broken mess in my windows.

What is left?
Shelving - I am installing some IKEA shelving to make better use of the space. It is stuff that I could take with me if we leave. I think the cost will be lower than what I originally put in the budget. I got the layout and materials list last week. 900 for materials, 400 for installation. Maybe some extras with lighting and inserts 100-200. I think we will end up around 1500.

Lights and fan. I am going to see what everything looks like after the installations are done. I was going to do the fan as a father's day present for my husband. THat man really loves to sleep with the fan on. That may still come to pass.

Landlord likes the work. Isn't complaining about a lease violation. Isn't going up on the rent.

Katy Perry says

I think what I forgot to say was I’m from the school of it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. Plus in So Cal LL’s just try and keep your deposit as a rule. so what do you have to lose? really Sue me Hahahaha! get in line,.. hahaha!
I mean do ya just put in a cat door or do you give the LL $800 bucks after asking to put in a Cat door. this really happened to a girlfriend of mine back in 2004 in Oakland.
LL’s aren’t all cool IMO.

Depends who your LL is IMO.

FWIW, in the own vs rent thingy....I just had two recent experiences in my place that would have cost quite a bit as owner. But my LL took care of the problems same day. Both were newish items FWIW(building gutted and rebuilt in 2006-2007). First was the electric thermostat went out. Not a reset...completely failed. Replaced same day. I have no idea of cost, but I'm guessing its pricey. Second was a cabinet hinge failed. The cabinet door is REALLY heavy, and the whole door came crashing down after the weight tore it off the bottom hinge(ie, the door is now unusable). Replaced same day.

Nice to have so many not my problems.

Landlord is required to maintain the place, that is the law in CA. Otherwise you can take him to court. Simply ask him to do proper maintenance. If he doesnt maintain it, court might and often does force landlord to fix it and allow you not to pay rent until he does depending on severity of the situation.

CA law is on your side as a renter, not on a side of an ahole slumlord.

BG1, we faced the same decision renting. I wanted to replace our carpeting with new berber, spending $5-$6K (we rent a big place). The property manager is a real pain and she insisted on a particular type of carpeting. I said no way, Im paying and left the carpeting as is. It wasnt that bad.

We thought we would be here only two years. Four years have passed. Am I glad I didnt make the purchase?...Im split. I still hate the carpeting, but I saved $5-$6k to put into the place we are buying next week. My LL is nice, but a cheap a$$. He didnt replaced the original oven which is twenty plus years old, and Ive been shelling out $3,800/month for 4 years which means he made $145K in rent. Still needs to put in about $20-$25K to make the place worth the price in money, but because it is big and in a good neighborhood, all he is doing for the new tenant is putting in..a new oven.

I would try to get a concession from the landlord. Ask for a three year lease, with the option from you alone to terminate the lease annually (not him), in case you want to leave or buy. It costs money for the landlord to lease your place, and you are giving him a double gift by remodeling the place, for which he should be grateful.