Landlord and lessees entered a three-year lease beginning on March 1, 1998. Lessees were to pay $600 in monthly rental for the premises they required to operate an Indian restaurant. Although the *476restaurant closed after six months’ operation, the lessees continued to make the monthly rent payments through August, 1999. While doing so, however, the lessees contacted the landlord regarding an inspection of the premises by the city’s building commissioner. The landlord consented to the inspection, believing that the lessees were taking in a partner. An inspection of the premises was completed in July, 1999, and a proposed sublessee was named the occupant on the occupancy permit. In August, 1999, the lessees tendered a sublease agreement to the landlord, requesting his consent. The landlord refused to sign the sublease agreement because the proposed sublessee was a corporation, which violated the landlord’s policy against leasing his premises to corporate entities. The lessees then stopped making monthly rental payments in September, 1999, which prompted this lawsuit.