Senior Living Leasing Company Charging $500 To Clean/replace Carpet That Had Stain Upon Vacating. Unit Occupied For 7.5 Years. Connecticut.

My 90 year old mother lived in the leased apartment in CT with her dog for 7.5 years until she passed away recently. She was invalid and had a few spills due to bringing food and beverages into the living room with her walker. The leasing company is charging $500 for clean up/replacement of the carpet.

My contention is that the useful life of of a carpet in a rental is considered about 5 years from my research and my mother exceeded that. In addition, they would be obligated to at least professionally clean the carpet before leasing to someone else for sanitary reasons. Just due to normal wear and tear and the accumulation of dirt over the years, it would need deep cleaning or even replacement even without the stains (especially with a walker rolling on it and matting it down for years). It seems to me that they are using these situations as a revenue stream and don't expect people to fight it.

I'm planning to take them to small claims court. I know there is no specific law that I can use to show I am right. Do I have a case and if so, how should I go about presenting my proof that they should not withhold $500 for this purpose? (FYI I have not cashed the check they issued and don't plan to until after the hearing if I don't win)