We have the same problem of extortion (is that the word?) in the US. When I was little, I lived in HUD (government, low income housing) housing, up until I was 17. When I was 5, the apartments were remodeled. Fortunately for my case, all the corner cutting dealt with cosmetics and stuff... like no shower heads or doorbells. All the wiring was legal for the most part, tho. They only pocketed $250 per building (there are 61 buildings with 10 apartments each).
