alt Hacker News> whether to turn away the subcontractors
This was a mentioned, but subtly key point: He wasn't able to turn away the movers due to a rigid move date. (Details unspecified; it begs the question of what would have happened if the movers cancelled, or were unable to get it done in a day)
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"wasn't able" is dubious. Of course, there are repercussions for not moving out on the date, but it's not an imperative. If the landlord had to move his stuff to the curb, or it delayed closing on a house, that causes a cascade into another transaction. The world doesn't stop, of course. If the landlord is forced to pay movers to put your stuff in storage and send the bill to the tenant, those costs can, in theory, be passed on to the moving company. The details depend on the contract, obviously.
Yeah, something important to file away in your book of life lessons is that you should _never_ schedule a move on the day you have to be out. Not unless you're backed into a corner with no alternative. Sometimes life throws you curveballs - for example in 2020 I had purchased a house and was scheduled to move, but my mom passed away around 6 PM the day before the move. Thankfully it was just an across-town move, and I had about 10 days to play with before the lease on my condo ended, and the moving company was able to reschedule for a week later.