Gov lives in rent-stabilized flat for $1,250

Gov. David Paterson lives in a rent-stabilized apartment in Harlem, where he pays less than half of the market rate of $2,600 per month, the Sun reports. Paterson lives at Lenox Terrace, which features 24-hour doorman service. Paterson and his wife, Michelle, made about $270,000 last year and own a home upstate in Guilderland. Frank Ricci, director of government affairs for the Rent Stabilization Association, which represents building owners, said that upper-income New Yorkers shouldn’t benefit from rent protections. Paterson defended his $1,250 monthly rent, saying it “is within the spirit of the law.” Tenants who earn more than an average of $175,000 for two years lose rent protections, but only if their rent tops $2,000 a month.