(c) If the landlord fails to pay the tenant the difference between the sum
deposited, including any unpaid interest thereon, and the actual damages to the leasehold
premises caused by the tenant within thirty days after termination of the lease or surrender and
acceptance of the leasehold premises, the landlord shall be liable in assumpsit to double the
amount by which the sum deposited in escrow, including any unpaid interest thereon, exceeds
the actual damages to the leasehold premises caused by the tenant as determined by any
court of record or court not of record having jurisdiction in civil actions at law. The burden of
proof of actual damages caused by the tenant to the leasehold premises shall be on the
landlord.
Just a heads up, but the above clause from the Landlord Tenant Act appears to state that you as a tenant could potentially recover twice your security deposit, however that amount could be decreased by any damages the landlord could prove you caused. In other words, if your deposit was $575, but the landlord can prove the rugs were destroyed by you at a replacement cost of say $2100, you would not recover anything, which is obviously still better for you than having to pay $1500+ for the carpet in the first place. As was mentioned previously in this thread, pet odor (especially cat urine/spray) can be damn near impossible to completely remove. Chances are the professional cleaning masked lingering odor for a while. A few pictures (of stains) and some signed statements from a few prospective tenants or from a subsequent professional cleaning crew could most likely serve as proof of pet odor necessitating removal of the carpet.