The shenanigans the commenter is outlining is probably an attempt to make sure that the landlord can ensure that there will be enough minor charges at move-out to enable them to keep the entire security deposit. It's shady and probably wouldn't hold up in court, but most renters wouldn't fight it and would just forfeit their deposit.
I had a landlord in Wisconsin which kept the deposit and charged an extra $200 (for weathering a high traffic area of the carpet). My current landlord is in Texas. My landlords from Mississippi were much shadier and would shame your reputation just for moving out if anyone called.
