elme-20221231

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

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FORM 10-K

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☒			ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For fiscal year ended December 31, 2022


☐			TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

COMMISSION FILE NO. 001-06622

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ELME COMMUNITIES

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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Maryland						53-0261100
(State of incorporation)						(IRS Employer Identification Number)

1775 EYE STREET, NW, SUITE 1000, WASHINGTON, DC 20006

(Address of principal executive office) (Zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (202) 774-3200

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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:


Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Shares of Beneficial Interest	ELME	NYSE

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.


Large accelerated filer	☒	Accelerated filer	☐
Non-accelerated filer	☐	Smaller reporting company	☐
		Emerging growth company	☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for

complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant's executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

As of June 30, 2022, the aggregate market value of such shares held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $1,843,764,478 (based on the closing price of the shares on June 30, 2022).

As of February 14, 2023, 87,699,948 common shares were outstanding.

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DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of our definitive Proxy Statement relating to the 2023 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, are incorporated by reference in Part III, Items 10-14 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K as indicated herein.

ELME COMMUNITIES

2022 FORM 10-K ANNUAL REPORT

INDEX


PART I			Page

	Item 1.	Business	4
	Item 1A.	Risk Factors	11
	Item 1B.	Unresolved Staff Comments	23
	Item 2.	Properties	24
	Item 3.	Legal Proceedings	25
	Item 4.	Mine Safety Disclosures	25

PART II

	Item 5.	Market for the Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities	26
	Item 6.	Reserved	27
	Item 7.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	27
	Item 7A.	Qualitative and Quantitative Disclosures about Market Risk	41
	Item 8.	Financial Statements and Supplementary Data	42
	Item 9.	Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure	42
	Item 9A.	Controls and Procedures	42
	Item 9B.	Other Information	42
	Item 9C.	Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections	71

PART III

	Item 10.	Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance	71
	Item 11.	Executive Compensation	71
	Item 12.	Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters	71
	Item 13.	Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence	71
	Item 14.	Principal Accountant Fees and Services	71

PART IV

	Item 15.	Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules	72
	Item 16.	Form 10-K Summary	74
		Signatures	75

PART I

ITEM 1: BUSINESS

Elme Communities Overview

Elme Communities, a Maryland real estate investment trust (the "Company"), is a self-administered equity real estate investment trust ("REIT") and successor to a trust organized in 1960. Our business primarily consists of the ownership of apartment communities in the greater Washington, DC metro and Sunbelt regions. In October 2022, the Company changed its name from Washington Real Estate Investment Trust to Elme Communities to reflect the Company’s transition into a focused multifamily company, and subsequent geographic expansion into Sunbelt markets. On October 20, 2022, the Company’s ticker symbol on the New York Stock Exchange changed from “WRE” to “ELME.”

Business and Investment Strategy

Our mission is to elevate the value living experience and create a place our residents are proud to call home by continuously focusing on service, efficiency, and innovation. We are focused on creating shareholder value by providing quality, affordably priced housing to a deep, solid, and growing base of mid-market demand. Our research indicates that affordability is a pressing rental issue at multiple price points across the mid-market rent spectrum. We believe that rents can be consistently grown if a portfolio’s price point does not compete directly with new product price points and wages for mid-market renters are growing. Furthermore, as the cost of homeownership continues to rise above affordable levels for median income earners, we expect to benefit from sustained demand for quality, affordably priced rental housing.

We acquire, develop, and renovate apartment communities that align with our research-led investment strategy, which is focused on the following:

•targeting markets that have economies with diverse, innovative industries that drive outsized job creation, wage growth and in-migration, which we believe will benefit from these trends in the years to come;

•targeting middle-income renters who make up the largest share of apartment demand in each of our current and target markets but for whom new apartment supply and the cost of owning a home is unaffordable;

•executing value-add renovations that are tailored to each submarket, target renter group and individual community to provide an improved yet affordable living experience while enhancing shareholder value; and

•targeting investment opportunities that have operating upside through community management strategies.

Our research-focused approach enables us to craft optimal strategies to provide the best combination of value, quality, and resident experience in our apartment communities. We categorize our apartment communities among broader asset classes, as determined by a variety of factors, including the age of our buildings, rent growth drivers and rent relative to the market:

Class A

–Class A communities are recently developed and command rental rates above market median rents.

–Class A- communities have been developed within the past twenty years and feature operational improvements and unit upgrades and command rents at or above median market rents.

Class B

–Class B Value-Add communities feature operational improvements and strong potential for unit renovations. These communities, which are generally over twenty years old, command average rental rates below median market rents for units that have not been renovated.

–Class B communities feature operational improvements and command average rental rates below median market rents. Near-term rent growth is driven by operational improvements and market rent growth without unit renovations. These communities are over twenty years old and can become Class B Value-Add depending on future market rents and renovation opportunities.

Regional Real Estate Markets (1)

While we have historically focused our investments in the greater Washington, DC metro region, we began expanding into the Sunbelt region in 2021. Currently, approximately 20% of our residential homes are located in the Sunbelt region. We target markets that have economies with diverse, innovative industries that drive outsized job creation, wage growth and in-migration. Our current targeted expansion markets include Atlanta, Georgia, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina, and Charlotte, North Carolina. As of December 31, 2022, we have acquired five apartment communities in the Atlanta metro region and expect to continue to invest in the Sunbelt region in the coming years.

Our multifamily transformation and subsequent geographic expansion were designed to provide greater opportunities for growth as opposed to the headwinds facing the commercial office and retail sectors. As expected, our portfolio experienced very strong rental rate growth during 2022. Our in-place rent growth accelerated during the second half of the year. Looking forward, we believe we are positioned with historically high embedded growth, which we expect will drive outsized revenue and net operating income growth in 2023.

Our portfolio's allocation in the Atlanta and Washington markets, and our focus on value-oriented price points, help enable our future growth, while also providing relative insulation during economic downturns. Over the past five and 10-year periods, Class B rent growth has outperformed Class A in both of our operating markets. Additionally, our mid-market price points have not directly competed with new supply, as our average monthly rent is generally several hundred dollars below the asking rent for new deliveries. Moreover, the national cost of owning a home compared to renting a single-family starter home is the highest it’s been in over 20 years. As housing remains undersupplied and the cost of homeownership remains unaffordable for many median-income households, we expect to benefit from sustained demand for quality, affordable rental options.

Washington, DC metro region (22 apartment communities)

The apartment market in the Washington, DC metro region performed well in 2022, with moderation in fundamentals during the second half of the year. In the fourth quarter of 2022, annual demand was flat, and the softening in demand the past three quarters caused overall market occupancy to decline by 190 basis points year-over-year to 95.1%.

Atlanta metro region (5 apartment communities)

The apartment market in the Atlanta metro region performed well in 2021 and 2022 due to the economic recovery, higher household formation and higher in-migration. In the second half of 2022, the Atlanta apartment market experienced a cooling in demand relative to 2021, mirroring most national markets. As a result, overall market occupancy in the fourth quarter of 2022 decreased by 320 basis points year-over-year to 93.8%.

Raleigh/Durham and Charlotte metro regions (targeted markets)

The apartment markets in the Raleigh/Durham and Charlotte metro regions were also strong in 2022, though apartment demand in both markets began to pull back in the second quarter of 2022, with continued tapering for the remainder of the year. Overall market occupancy remained strong in the Raleigh/Durham and Charlotte markets, decreasing by 280 basis points to 94.4% and by 290 basis points to 94.2%, respectively, at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to the prior year. In the fourth quarter of 2022, asking rent growth was 7.1% and 8.1% in the Raleigh/Durham and Charlotte markets, respectively.

Dallas-Fort Worth metro region (targeted market)

While annual demand cooled in the fourth quarter of 2022, the apartment market in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro region continued to lead the nation for new supply in absolute numbers. As a percentage of existing inventory, the region’s inventory growth is in line with other Sunbelt markets and is lower than many mid-sized markets. Overall market occupancy was approximately 94.1%, down 300 basis points from a year ago. In the fourth quarter of 2022, asking rent growth remained strong at 8.6% year-over-year.

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(1) The source of all numerical data in this section is RealPage Market Analytics

Our Portfolio

As of December 31, 2022, we owned approximately 8,900 residential apartment homes in the Washington, DC metro and Sunbelt regions. We also owned approximately 300,000 square feet of commercial space in the Washington, DC metro region. The percentage of total real estate rental revenue from continuing operations by property type for the three years ended December 31, 2022, and the average occupancy for the year ended December 31, 2022, were as follows:


Average Occupancy, year ended December 31, 2022		% of Total Real Estate Rental Revenue
		2022		2021		2020
95%	Residential	91	%	89	%	82	%
92%	Other	9	%	11	%	18	%
		100	%	100	%	100	%

Total real estate rental revenue from continuing operations for each of the three years ended December 31, 2022, was $209.4 million, $169.2 million and $176.0 million, respectively. During the three years ended December 31, 2022, we acquired five residential properties and placed one residential development project into service. During that same period, we sold fifteen office properties and eight retail properties. See note 14 to the consolidated financial statements for further discussion of our operating results by segment.

No single tenant accounted for more than 5% of real estate rental revenue from continuing operations in any of the three years ended December 31, 2022.

We enter into arrangements from time to time by which various service providers conduct day-to-day community management and/or leasing activities at our properties. As of December 31, 2022, Bozzuto Management Company ("Bozzuto") and Greystar Real Estate Partners ("Greystar") provide community management and leasing services at the majority of our residential communities and Stream Realty Partners ("Stream") provides property management and leasing services at our sole office property, Watergate 600. Bozzuto and Greystar provide such services under individual community management agreements for each residential community, each of which is separately terminable by us or Bozzuto/Greystar, as applicable. Although they vary by community, on average, the fees charged by Bozzuto/Greystar under each agreement are approximately 3% of revenues at each residential community. We are currently implementing a plan to perform day-to-day community management and leasing activities at our residential communities internally rather than outsource those activities. This process began in October of 2022 and is scheduled to be completed in 2023. As of December 31, 2022, 3 of our 27 residential communities were managed internally.

We make capital improvements to our properties on an ongoing basis for the purpose of maintaining and increasing their value and income. Major improvements and/or renovations to the properties during the three years ended December 31, 2022 are discussed in Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, under the heading “Capital Improvements and Development Costs.”

Further description of the properties is contained in Item 2, Properties, and note 14 to the consolidated financial statements, Segment Information, and in Schedule III. Reference is also made to Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Environmental, Social and Governance

At Elme Communities, our Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) strategy is to operate and grow in a sustainable, responsible manner that contributes to positive economic, social, and environmental outcomes for shareholders, employees, and the communities in which we serve. We intend to continue providing an annual ESG report that includes disclosures aligned with Global Reporting Initiative Standards 2016, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Sustainability

Accounting Standards Board and the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures. This report can be found online at https://www.elmecommunities.com/esg/. The reference to our website address does not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained in the website and such information should not be considered part of this document.

Environmental

In 2021, we announced our commitment to net zero carbon operation in alignment with the Urban Land Institute’s Greenprint Net Zero by 2050 Goal. Meeting this goal will require that we fully integrate a focus on carbon reductions into our strategic approach and at all levels of our organization throughout our portfolio transformation. As a first step toward this goal, we are reevaluating the appropriate interim energy and greenhouse gas emissions targets in support of this long-term objective.

We implement sustainable policies and practices at all of our properties, for purposes of ensuring occupants and residents work and live in efficient, healthy spaces. We track annual asset-level performance of energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and water consumption, utilizing ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager as well as Measurabl ESG software. Over the past several years we have demonstrated continual progress in achieving reductions. We apply industry standard rating systems such as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (“LEED”) and Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (“BREEAM”) to establish sustainable practices for building design, construction, operations, and maintenance. During unit renovations, we replace end-of-life appliances with ENERGY STAR rated equipment; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems with more efficient models; as well as update water fixtures to low-flow options. Additionally, we continue to expand our electric vehicle charging stations across our portfolio to support the transition of our residents to electric transportation.

Social

Among our social initiatives is a commitment to financial inclusion, which aims to increase the availability and equality of financial service opportunities, remove barriers to the financial sector, and enable individuals to improve their financial wellbeing. Beyond credit history, life-altering events can interrupt a resident’s ability to pay rent, including job loss, medical emergencies, domestic violence, and other hardships. This can lead to delinquencies, increased interest rate debt, potential eviction, and situational unhousing.

In 2022, we announced a partnership with a financial technology company to dismantle barriers to housing for working families. Through this partnership, on-time rent payments will be reported monthly to all three credit bureaus, providing an opportunity for residents to build their credit. This no-cost amenity is available to 100% of our community residents. This initiative follows a “do no harm” mindset. Therefore, only on-time payments—not delinquencies—will be reported.

In addition to credit reporting, our technology partner's platform offers housing stability loans for residents experiencing financial hardship. These interest-free loans provide up to three months of rent relief, enabling residents to remain housed during difficult times. Residents can then work with our technology partner to set up a 12-month repayment plan for the loan.

These programs support the short- and long-term financial well-being of our residents.

We are committed to robust corporate governance and high ethical standards. Our Board of Trustees (the “Board”) is responsible for corporate policy and management oversight to enhance long-term shareholder value. In 2020, our Board formalized the oversight, implementation, and improvement of ESG initiatives, recognizing that environmental and social matters—together with strong corporate governance—play a critical role in the execution of our ESG strategy.

We are made up of growth-oriented, hardworking individuals dedicated to transforming creative ideas into decisive action. Our flat organizational structure facilitates frequent, meaningful interactions with Company executives, and our commitment to teamwork and entrepreneurial spirit enables employees at every level to conceptualize ideas and make them happen. We create an environment designed to encourage people to do what they do best, all while learning, growing, and contributing in meaningful ways to build a better company. We trust, encourage, and support one another, driving our pursuit of excellence.

Human Capital

Employees, Training and Development

On February 14, 2023, we had 102 employees, including 43 persons engaged in community management functions who were hired in connection with the internalization of our community management functions, and 59 persons engaged in corporate, financial, asset management and other functions. We expect the number of employees engaged in community management functions to increase throughout 2023 as we continue the internalization of community management services at our apartment communities. All of our officers and substantially all of our corporate-level employees live and work in or near the greater Washington, DC metro region, and our community management employees live and work in or near their respective communities.

Our human capital resources objectives include identifying, recruiting, retaining, incentivizing and integrating our new and existing employees. At Elme Communities, we place great value on employee growth through goals, feedback and professional and leadership development offerings. Our human resources team provides ongoing training and development opportunities to all employees. We financially support employees pursuing industry-specific training and certification programs and we encourage employees to join professional organizations that offer technical, soft skill and leadership development workshops.

Additionally, our equity and cash incentive plans are designed to attract, retain and reward our workforce through the granting of share-based and cash-based compensation awards, with the goal of motivating employees to perform to the best of their abilities and achieve our objectives, including increasing shareholder value.

Health, Safety and Well-being

We support our employees with a robust and competitive employee benefits program, including a flexible vacation policy, parental leave, 401(k) matching, tuition reimbursement, an Employee Assistance Program, and other programs.

Additionally, we have a wellness program that provides fun, engaging challenges to encourage employees to continuously improve their physical, mental, and financial well-being. Some of the programs we offer throughout the year include biometric screenings, personal finance check-ups, and healthy lunch challenges. In our corporate office, we offer two wellness rooms for employees to take a break to decompress.

Our technological capabilities allow our corporate-level employees the flexibility to work from anywhere at any time. This allows us to easily meet our residents’ needs as well as those of our employees.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility

Our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Initiative ("DEIA") is a long-term commitment to promoting an environment where each individual feels comfortable being their most authentic selves. We believe diversity of backgrounds, experiences, cultures, ethnicities, and interests leads to new ways of thinking and drives engagement and organizational success. Our diverse DEIA Council is overseen by our senior leadership team and board of trustees. The DEIA Council tracks and monitors our diversity metrics and facilitates learning and training opportunities, including a diversity speaker series, targeted recruitment and relationship development with diverse industry groups for internships and employment opportunities and partnering with community-based non-profits for volunteer activities.

Community Engagement

As a real estate investment trust, investing is at the core of what we do, but the most valuable investments we make are not in our buildings but in our people and our community. We are passionate about making a difference in the regions we call home.

We are committed to improving the lives of those in need, and our employees participate in a wide variety of philanthropic activities throughout the year. Whether volunteering at a food bank, running a toy drive, walking for a cause, or participating in our company-wide community service day, we are proud to foster a culture of giving back.

Regulation

REIT Tax Status

We believe that we qualify as a REIT under Sections 856-860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), and intend to continue to qualify as such. To maintain our status as a REIT, we are, among other things required to distribute 90% of our REIT taxable income (determined before the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gains), to our shareholders on an annual basis. When selling a property, we generally have the option of (a) reinvesting the sales proceeds of property sold, in a way that allows us to defer recognition of some or all of the taxable gain realized on the sale, (b) distributing gains to the shareholders with no tax to us or (c) treating net long-term capital gains as having been distributed to our shareholders, paying the tax on the gain deemed distributed and allocating the tax paid as a credit to our shareholders.

Generally, and subject to our ongoing qualification as a REIT, no provisions for income taxes are necessary except for taxes on undistributed taxable income and taxes on the income generated by our taxable REIT subsidiary. Our taxable REIT subsidiary is subject to corporate U.S. federal, state and local income tax on its taxable income at regular statutory rates (see note 1 to the consolidated financial statements for further disclosure).

Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA")

The properties in our portfolio must comply with Title III of the ADA, to the extent that such properties are “public accommodations” as defined by the ADA. The ADA may require removal of structural barriers to access by persons with disabilities in certain public areas of our properties where such removal is readily achievable. We believe that our properties are in substantial compliance with the ADA and that we will not be required to make substantial capital expenditures to address the requirements of the ADA. However, noncompliance with the ADA could result in imposition of fines or an award of damages to private litigants. The obligation to make readily accessible accommodations is an ongoing one, and we will continue to assess our properties and make alterations as appropriate in this respect.

Fair Housing Act ("FHA")

The FHA, its state law counterparts and the regulations promulgated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and various state agencies, prohibit discrimination in housing on the basis of race or color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18) or handicap (disability) and, in some states, financial capability or other bases. A failure to comply with these laws in our operations could result in litigation, fines, penalties or other adverse claims, or could result in limitations or restrictions on our ability to operate, any of which could materially and adversely affect us. We believe that we operate our properties in substantial compliance with the FHA.

Environmental Matters

We are subject to numerous federal, state and local environmental, health, safety and zoning laws and regulations that govern our operations, including with respect to air emissions, wastewater, and the use, storage and disposal of hazardous and toxic substances and petroleum products. If we fail to comply with such laws, including if we fail to obtain any required permits or licenses, we could face substantial fines or possible revocation of our authority to conduct some of our operations.

In addition, under various federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the environment, as a current or former owner or operator of real property, we may be liable for costs and damages resulting from the presence or discharge of hazardous or toxic substances, waste or petroleum products at, on, in, under, or migrating from such property, including costs to investigate and clean up such contamination and liability for natural resources damage. In addition, we also may be liable for the costs of remediating contamination at off-site waste disposal facilities to which we have arranged for the disposal or treatment of hazardous substances, without regard to whether we complied with environmental laws in doing so. Such laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of such contamination, and the liability may be joint and several. These liabilities could be substantial and the cost of any required remediation, removal, fines, or other costs could exceed the value of the property and/or our aggregate assets. In addition, the presence of contamination or the failure to remediate contamination at our properties may expose us to third-party liability for costs of remediation and/or bodily injury or property damage or materially adversely affect our ability to sell, lease or develop our properties or to borrow using the properties as collateral. In addition, environmental laws may create liens on contaminated sites in favor of the government for damages and costs it incurs to address such contamination. Moreover, if contamination is discovered on our properties, environmental laws may impose restrictions on the manner in which property may be used or businesses may be operated, and these restrictions may require substantial expenditures.

Availability of Reports

Copies of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to such reports are available, free of charge, on our website www.elmecommunities.com. All required reports are made available on the website as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The reference to our website address does not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained in the website and such information should not be considered part of this document.

The Securities and Exchange Commission maintains a website (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy statements, information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with Securities and Exchange Commission.

ITEM 1A: RISK FACTORS


Set forth below are the risks that we believe are material to our shareholders. We refer to the shares of beneficial interest in Elme Communities as our “common shares,” and the investors who own shares as our “shareholders.” This section includes or refers to certain forward-looking statements. You should refer to the explanation of the qualifications and limitations on such forward-looking statements beginning on page 38.

Risks Related to our Business and Operations

We may be unable to successfully expand our operations into new markets and submarkets, which could have a material adverse effect on us, the trading price of our shares and our ability to make distributions to our shareholders.

In connection with our strategic transformation, which began in 2021, we intend to further expand our residential platform through acquisitions in Sunbelt markets. Our current targeted expansion markets include Atlanta, Georgia, Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina and Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. During 2021 and 2022, we acquired five apartment communities in the Atlanta metro region and plan to continue to invest in the Sunbelt region in 2023 and beyond. However, our historic operations have been concentrated in the Washington DC, metro region, where we have expertise in acquiring and operating assets. The risks applicable to our ability to acquire, integrate and operate apartment communities in the Washington DC, metro region are also applicable to our ability to acquire, integrate and operate apartment communities in new markets. In addition to these risks, we will not possess the same level of familiarity with the dynamics and market conditions of any new markets that we have entered in connection with our strategic transformation or that we may enter, which could adversely affect our ability to expand and success in expanding into those markets. Furthermore, we may be unable to build a significant market share or achieve a desired return on our investments in new markets. The occurrence of any of the foregoing risks could have a material adverse effect on us, the trading price of our shares and our ability to make distributions to our shareholders.

Our performance and value are subject to risks associated with our apartment communities and with the real estate industry, which could adversely affect our cash flow and ability to make distributions to our shareholders. Furthermore, substantially all of our investments are concentrated in the multifamily asset class.

Our financial performance and the value of our apartment communities are subject to the risk that they do not generate revenues sufficient to meet our operating expenses, debt service and capital expenditures, which could cause our cash flow and ability to make distributions to our shareholders to be adversely affected. Any of the following factors, among others, may adversely affect the cash flow generated by our apartment communities and ability to make distributions to our shareholders:

•a decrease in demand for rental properties over home ownership resulting from, among other reasons, resident preferences, decreases in housing prices and mortgage interest rates, and government programs to promote home ownership or subsidize rental housing, slow or negative employment growth and household formation;

•competition with other housing alternatives, including owner occupied single and residential apartment homes;

•a return of the availability of low-interest mortgages or the availability of mortgages requiring little or no down payment for single family home buyers;

•declines in the financial condition of our residents;

•significant job losses in the regions in which we operate;

•economic and market conditions including: migration to areas outside of major metropolitan areas where our portfolio is concentrated, new construction and excess inventory of residential and owned housing/condominiums, increasing portions of owned housing/condominium stock being converted to rental use;

•our ability to integrate new technological innovations into our properties to attract residents; and

•political conditions, civil disturbances, earthquakes and other natural disasters, terrorist acts or acts of war and actual or anticipated geopolitical instability.

Additionally, as of December 31, 2022, substantially all of our investments are concentrated in the multifamily industry, and we are subject to risks inherent in investments in a single type of property. A downturn or slowdown in the demand for multifamily housing may have more pronounced effects on our results of operations or on the value of our assets than when we had investments in more than one asset class.

The multifamily industry is also highly competitive. We compete with many other entities engaged in real estate investment activities, including individuals, corporations, bank and insurance company investment accounts, other REITs, real estate limited partnerships, and other entities engaged in real estate investment activities. Many of these entities have significant

financial and other resources, including operating experience, allowing them to compete effectively with us. Competitors with substantially greater financial resources than us may be able to accept more risk than we can effectively manage. In addition, those competitors that are not REITs may be at an advantage to the extent they can use working capital to finance projects, while we (and our competitors that are REITs) may have to forgo and/or liquidate otherwise attractive investments as we must comply with REIT requirements. These actions could have the effect of reducing our income and amount available for distribution to shareholders. Thus, compliance with REIT requirements may hinder our ability to make, or, in certain cases, maintain ownership of, certain attractive investments.

Competition may also result in overbuilding of multifamily properties, causing an increase in the number of multifamily units available which could potentially decrease occupancy and multifamily rental rates at our properties. We may also be required to expend substantial sums to attract new residents. These factors may cause resale value of the property to be diminished because the market value of a particular property will depend principally upon the net revenues generated by the property. Further, costs associated with real estate investment generally are not reduced when circumstances, such as the ongoing pandemic, cause a reduction in income from the investment.

Each of these factors could possibly limit our ability to retain our current residents, attract new ones or increase or maintain rents, which could lower the value of our properties and adversely affect our results of operations and our financial condition.

Macroeconomic trends, including inflation and rising interest rates, may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Macroeconomic trends, including increases in inflation and rising interest rates, may adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. Recently, inflation in the United States has risen to levels not experienced in recent decades, including rising energy prices, prices for consumer goods, interest rates and wages. These increases and any interventions, fiscal or otherwise, by the U.S. government in reaction to such events could negatively impact our business by increasing our operating costs and borrowing costs as well as decreasing the cash available to our residents and tenants and prospective residents and tenants who wish to rent in our communities. Although we expect to be able to increase rent to combat the effects of inflation, the cost to operate and maintain communities could increase faster or at a rate greater than our ability to increase rents that residents and tenants would be willing to pay, which could adversely affect our results of operations. Additionally, a decline in the market value of real estate in the regions in which we operate may result in the carrying value of certain real estate assets exceeding their fair value, which may require us to recognize an impairment to those assets.

We are currently dependent upon the economic and regulatory climate of the Washington, DC metro region, which may impact our profitability and may limit our ability to meet our financial obligations when due and/or make distributions to our shareholders.

As of December 31, 2022, 80% of our residential apartment homes were located in the Washington, DC metro region and 20% of our residential apartment homes were located in the Atlanta, Georgia metro region. While we are implementing a strategy of continued expansion into the Sunbelt region, our current concentration in just two geographic markets may expose us to a greater amount of market dependent risk than if we were more geographically diverse. Our performance could be adversely affected by the economic conditions in, and other factors relating to, these two geographic areas, including zoning and other regulatory conditions, competition for residents and supply and demand for apartment in these regions, as well as unemployment and job growth. Additionally, in the Washington, DC metro region, general economic conditions and local real estate conditions are dependent upon various industries that are predominant in the area (such as government and professional/business services). A downturn in one or more of these industries may have a particularly strong effect on the economic climate of the region. Additionally, we are susceptible to adverse developments in the Washington, D.C. regulatory environment, such as increases in real estate and other taxes, the costs of complying with governmental regulations or increased regulations and actual or threatened reductions in federal government spending and/or changes to the timing of government spending, as has occurred during federal government shutdowns. To the extent that these markets become less desirable to operate in, our results of operations could be more negatively impacted than if we were more diversified within our markets. In the event of negative economic and/or regulatory changes in the regions in which we operate, we may experience a negative impact to our profitability and may be limited in our ability to meet our financial obligations when due and/or make distributions to our shareholders.

Short-term leases expose us to the effects of declining market rents sooner than long-term leases, which could adversely affect our cash flow, results of operations and financial condition.

Substantially all of our apartment leases are for a term of one year or less. Because these leases generally permit the residents to leave at the end of the lease term without penalty, our rental revenues are impacted by declines in market rents sooner than if our apartment leases were for longer terms. Additionally, if the terms of a renewal or reletting are less favorable than current terms, then our results of operations and financial condition could be negatively affected. For each the three years ended December 31, 2022, the same store residential resident retention rate was 63%, 60%, and 57%, respectively.

The risks related to our commercial operations could adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.

Although we are primarily in the residential rental business, we also own ancillary commercial space, primarily within our apartment communities, and own one office building that we lease to third parties. Gross rental revenue provided by leased commercial space in our portfolio represented 9% of our real estate rental revenue from continuing operations in 2022. The long term nature of our commercial leases and characteristics of many of our tenants (generally small, local businesses) may subject us to certain risks, such as difficulties or delays in reletting this commercial space and in achieving desired rental rates, the cost of allowances and concessions to tenants, which may be less favorable than current terms, a failure rate of small, local business that may be higher than average and competition with other commercial spaces, which may affect our ability to lease space and the level of rents we can obtain. Additionally, if our commercial tenants experience financial distress or bankruptcy, they may fail to comply with their contractual obligations, seek concessions in order to continue operations or cease their operations. Each of these factors could adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.

Real estate investments are illiquid, and we may not be able to sell our properties on a timely basis when we determine it is appropriate to do so, which could negatively impact our profitability.

Real estate investments can be difficult to sell and convert to cash quickly, especially if market conditions are not favorable. Such illiquidity could limit our ability to quickly change our portfolio of properties in response to changes in economic or other conditions. Moreover, the REIT tax laws require that we hold our properties for investment, rather than primarily for sale in the ordinary course of business, which may cause us to forego or defer property sales that otherwise would be in our best interest. Due to these factors, we may be unable to sell a property at an advantageous time or on the terms anticipated which could negatively impact our profitability.

Rent control or rent stabilization legislation and other regulatory restrictions may limit our ability to increase rents and pass through new or increased operating costs to our residents.

Jurisdictions in which we own property have adopted, or may in the future adopt, laws and regulations imposing restrictions on the timing or amount of rent increases or have imposed regulations relating to low- and moderate-income housing. Such laws and regulations limit our ability to charge market rents, increase rents or evict residents at our apartment communities and could make it more difficult for us to dispose of properties in certain circumstances. Similarly, compliance procedures associated with rent control statutes and low- and moderate-income housing regulations could have a negative impact on our operating costs, and any failure to comply with low- and moderate-income housing regulations could result in the loss of certain tax benefits and the forfeiture of rent payments. In addition, such low- and moderate-income housing regulations often require us to rent a certain number of homes at below-market rents, which has a negative impact on our ability to increase cash flows from our residential properties subject to such regulations. Furthermore, such regulations may negatively impact our ability to attract higher-paying residents to such properties. As of December 31, 2022, four of our residential properties, each located within the Washington, DC metro region, were subject to such regulations.

Our business and reputation depend on our ability to continue to provide high quality housing and consistent operation of our communities, the failure of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business and reputation depend on providing our residents with quality housing including a wide variety of amenities such as covered parking, swimming pools, fitness facilities and similar features, highly reliable services, including water and electric power and the consistent operation of our communities. The delayed delivery or any material reduction or prolonged interruption of these services may cause residents to terminate their leases or may result in a reduction of rents and/or increase in our costs or other issues. In addition, we may fail to provide quality housing and continuous access to amenities, including government mandated closures due to health concerns, mechanical failure, power outage, human error, vandalism, physical or electronic security breaches, war, terrorism and similar events. Such service interruptions, closures, mechanical failures or other events may also expose us to additional liability claims and damage our reputation and brand and could cause current residents to terminate or not renew their leases, and prospective residents to seek housing elsewhere. Any such failures could impair our ability to continue providing quality housing and consistent operation of our communities, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We face risks associated with property development/redevelopment, which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or ability to satisfy our debt service obligations.

We may, from time to time, engage in development and redevelopment activities, some of which may be significant. Developing or redeveloping properties presents a number of risks for us, including risks relating to necessary permitting, risks relating to development and construction costs and/or permanent financing, environmental remediation, timeline disruptions and demand for the completed property.

Properties developed or acquired for development may generate little or no cash flow from the date of acquisition through the date of completion of development and commencement of leasing activity. In addition, new development activities, regardless of whether or not they are ultimately successful, may require a substantial portion of management’s time and attention.

These risks could result in substantial unanticipated delays or expenses and, under certain circumstances, could prevent completion of development activities once undertaken. Some of these development/redevelopment risks may be heightened given current uncertain and potentially volatile market conditions. If market volatility causes economic conditions to remain unpredictable or to trend downwards, we may not achieve our expected returns on properties under development and we could lose some or all of our investments in those properties. In addition, the lead time required to develop, construct, and lease-up a development property may increase, which could adversely impact our projected returns or result in a termination of the development project. The materialization of any of the foregoing risks could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or ability to satisfy our debt service obligations.

Corporate social responsibility, specifically related to Environmental, Social and Governance, may constrain our business operations, impose additional costs and expose us to new risks that could adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition and the price of our securities.

Environmental, social and governance matters have become increasingly important to investors and other stakeholders. Certain organizations that provide corporate risk and corporate governance advisory services to investors have developed scores and ratings to evaluate companies based upon ESG metrics. Many investors focus on ESG-related business practices and scores when choosing where to allocate their investments and may consider a company's score as a factor in making an investment decision. The focus and activism related to ESG and related matters may constrain our business operations or increase expenses. Additionally, if our corporate responsibility procedures or standards do not meet the standards set by various constituencies, we may face reputational damage. There can be no assurance of how we will score on the ESG metrics used by such advisory organizations in the future, particularly since the criteria by which companies are rated for their ESG efforts may change. A low ESG score could result in a negative perception of the Company, exclusion of our securities from consideration by certain investors and/or cause investors to reallocate their capital away from the Company, each of which could have an adverse impact on the price of our securities.

We face risks associated with property acquisitions.

We may acquire properties and expand into new markets which would increase our size and geographic diversity and could alter our capital structure. In addition, our acquisition activities and results may be exposed to the following risks:

•we may have difficulty finding properties that are consistent with our strategies and meet our standards;

•we may be unable to finance acquisitions on favorable terms or at all;

•the occupancy levels, lease-up timing and rental rates of acquired properties may not meet our expectations;

•even if we enter into an acquisition agreement for a property, we may be unable to complete that acquisition after making a non-refundable deposit and incurring certain other acquisition-related costs;

•we may be unable to acquire a desired property at all or at the desired purchase price because of competition from other real estate investors, including publicly traded real estate investment trusts, institutional investment funds and private investors;

•the timing of property acquisitions may lag the timing of property dispositions, leading to periods of time where projects’ proceeds are not invested as profitably as we desire;

•we may be unable to quickly and efficiently integrate new acquisitions, particularly acquisitions of portfolios of properties, into our existing operations;

•we may assume liabilities for undisclosed environmental contamination;

•our estimates of capital expenditures required for an acquired property, including the costs of repositioning or redeveloping, may be inaccurate and the acquired properties may fail to perform as we expected in analyzing our investments; and

•we could experience a decline in value of the acquired assets after acquisition.

We may also acquire properties subject to liabilities and without recourse, or with limited recourse with respect to unknown liabilities. As a result, if liability were asserted against us based upon the acquisition of a property, we may have to pay substantial sums to settle it, which could adversely affect our cash flow.

We face risks associated with third-party service providers, which could negatively impact our profitability.

We enter into arrangements from time to time with various service providers which conduct day-to-day community management and/or leasing activities at many of our apartment communities. As of December 31, 2022, our office property and 95% of our apartment homes are managed by third-party service providers. Failure of such service providers to adequately perform their contracted services could negatively impact our ability to retain residents or lease vacant space. As a result, any such failure could negatively impact our profitability.

Our strategic transformation could place a significant strain on our management team and personnel and requires us to increase the size of our workforce. Furthermore, we depend on our key personnel, and we can provide no assurances that we will be successful in attracting and retaining such personnel.

We expect the total number of our employees to increase as we internalize our community management operations, which could place significant strain on our management, personnel, operations, systems, technical performance, financial resources, and internal financial control and reporting functions. Properly managing this internalization will also require us to increase the size of our workforce as we hire, train, and manage qualified employees and staff. If our new hires perform poorly, if we are unsuccessful in hiring, training, managing, and integrating new employees and staff, or if we are not successful in retaining our existing employees and staff, our business may be harmed. Additionally, if any of our key personnel were to terminate their employment with us, our operating results could suffer, and since competition for such personnel is intense, we cannot assure you that we will be successful in attracting and retaining such personnel or that we will not need to incur additional expense to attract and retain such personnel.

Moreover, if we must implement any reductions in workforce or restructurings, we may be subject to unintended consequences and costs, such as attrition beyond the intended reduction in workforce, the distraction of employees, or reduced employee morale which could adversely affect our reputation as an employer, make it more difficult for us to hire new employees in the future or increase the risk that we may not achieve the anticipated benefits from the reduction in workforce. A failure to properly manage the size of our workforce could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

We may suffer economic harm as a result of the actions of our partners in real estate joint ventures and other investments which may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and ability to make distributions to our shareholders.

While we currently have no interests in joint ventures, we may from time to time invest in joint ventures in which we are not the exclusive investor or the only decision maker. Investments in such entities may involve risks not present when a third party is not involved, including the possibility that the other parties to these investments might become bankrupt or fail to fund their share of required capital contributions, and we may be forced to make contributions to maintain the value of the property. Our partners in these entities may have economic, tax or other business interests or goals that are inconsistent with our business interests or goals and may be in a position to take actions contrary to our policies or objectives. Such investments may also lead to impasses, for example, as to whether to sell a property, because neither we nor the other parties to these investments may have full control over the entity. In addition, we may in certain circumstances be liable for the actions of the other parties to these investments. Each of these factors could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and ability to make distributions to our shareholders. In some instances, joint venture partners may have competing interests that could create conflicts of interest. These conflicts may include compliance with the REIT requirements, and our REIT status could be jeopardized if any of our joint ventures do not operate in compliance with the REIT requirements. To the extent our joint venture partners do not meet their obligations to us or they act inconsistent with our interests in the joint venture, we may be adversely affected.

Climate change and regulation regarding climate change in the regions in which we operate may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, per share market price of our common shares and our ability to satisfy our principal and interest obligations and to make distributions to our shareholders.

Climate change (including rising sea levels, flooding, extreme weather, and changes in precipitation and temperature), may result in physical damage to, a decrease in demand for and/or a decrease in rent from and value of our properties located in the areas affected by these conditions (particularly in areas closer to coasts). Additionally, our insurance premiums may increase as a result of the threat of climate change or the effects of climate change may not be covered by our insurance policies.

Changes in U.S. federal and state legislation and regulations on climate change could result in utility expenses and/or capital expenditures to improve the energy efficiency of our existing properties or other related aspects of our properties in order to comply with such regulations or otherwise adapt to climate change. The U.S. government and various state agencies have introduced or are contemplating regulatory changes in response to the potential impact of climate change, including legislation regarding green-house gas emissions and renewable energy targets. Any such regulation regarding climate change may require unplanned capital improvements and increased engagement by our employees. Any adopted future climate change regulations could negatively impact our ability to compete with companies not subject to such regulations. From a medium and long-term perspective, as a result of these regulatory initiatives, we may see an increase in costs relating to any owned or future properties and failure to meet certain performance standards could result in fines for non-compliance, a decrease in demand and a decline in the value of our properties. As a result of these and other regulations, our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, per share market price of our common shares and our ability to satisfy our principal and interest obligations and to make distributions to our shareholders could be adversely affected.

Actual or threatened acts of violence, including terrorist attacks, may adversely affect our ability to generate revenues and the value of our properties.

Actual or threatened acts of violence, including terrorist attacks, could occur in the localities in which we conduct business. As a result, some residents in our markets may choose to relocate to other markets. This could result in an overall decrease in the demand for such markets generally, which could increase vacancies or impact rental rates in our properties. In addition, future acts of violence or terrorist attacks could directly or indirectly damage our properties, both physically and financially, or cause losses that materially exceed our insurance coverage. As a result of the foregoing, our ability to generate revenues and the value of our properties could decline materially which would negatively affect our results of operations.

Some potential losses are not covered by insurance, which could adversely affect our financial condition or cash flow.

The property insurance that we maintain for our properties has historically been on an “all risk” basis, which is in full force and effect until renewal in March 2023 or August 2023, depending on the property. There are other types of losses, such as from wars or catastrophic events, for which we cannot obtain insurance at all or at a reasonable cost.

Our insurance does not cover terrorist related activities except certain non-certified nuclear, chemical and biological acts of terrorism. Our financial condition and results of operations are subject to the risks associated with acts of terrorism and the potential for uninsured losses as the result of any such acts.

Property ownership also involves potential liability to third parties for such matters as personal injuries occurring on the property. Such losses may not be fully insured. In addition to uninsured losses, various government authorities may condemn all or parts of operating properties. Such condemnations could adversely affect the viability of such projects. Any such uninsured loss could adversely affect our financial condition or cash flow.

In the event of an uninsured loss or a loss in excess of our insurance limits, we could lose both the revenues generated from the affected property and the capital we have invested in the affected property. Depending on the specific circumstances of the affected property, it is possible that we could be liable for any mortgage indebtedness or other obligations related to the property. Any such loss could adversely affect our business and financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, any material increase in insurance rates or decrease in available coverage in the future could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Certain federal, state and local laws and regulations may cause us to incur substantial costs or subject us to potential liabilities.

We are subject to certain compliance costs and potential liabilities under various U.S. federal, state and local environmental, health, safety and zoning laws and regulations. These laws and regulations govern our and our tenants’ operations including with respect to air emissions, wastewater disposal, and the use, storage and disposal of hazardous and toxic substances and petroleum products, including in storage tanks that power emergency generators. If we fail to comply with such laws, including if we fail to obtain any required permits or licenses, we could face substantial fines or possible revocation of our authority to conduct some of our operations.

In addition, various environmental laws impose liability on a current or former owner or operator of real property for investigation, removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic substances or petroleum products at our currently or formerly owned or leased real property, regardless of whether or not we knew of, or caused, the presence or release of such substances. Liability under these laws may be joint and several, meaning that we could be required to bear 100% of the liability even if other parties are also liable. From time to time, we may be required to remediate such substances or remove, abate or manage asbestos, mold, radon gas, lead or other hazardous conditions at our properties. The presence or release of such toxic or

hazardous substances or petroleum products at our currently owned or leased properties could result in limitations on or interruptions to our operations, and releases at our currently or formerly owned or leased properties could result in in third-party claims for bodily injury, property or natural resource damages, or other losses, including liens in favor of the government for costs the government incurs in cleaning up contamination. In addition, we may be liable for the costs of investigating or remediating contamination at off-site waste disposal facilities to which we have arranged for the disposal, or treatment of hazardous substances without regard to whether we complied with environmental laws in doing so. It is our policy to retain independent environmental consultants to conduct Phase I environmental site assessments and asbestos surveys prior to our acquisition of properties. However, there is a risk that these assessments will not identify all potential environmental issues at a given property. Moreover, environmental, health and safety requirements have become increasingly stringent, and our costs may increase as a result. New or revised laws and regulations or new interpretations of existing laws and regulations, such as those related to climate change, could affect the operation of our properties or result in significant additional expense and operating restrictions on our properties or adversely affect our ability to sell properties or to use properties as collateral.

We may also incur significant costs complying with other regulations. In addition, failure of our properties to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) could result in injunctive relief, fines, an award of damages to private litigants or mandated capital expenditures to remedy such noncompliance. Any imposition of injunctive relief, fines, damage awards or capital expenditures could adversely impact our business or results of operations. Our properties are subject to various other federal, state and local regulatory requirements, such as state and local fair housing, rent control and fire and life safety requirements. If we fail to comply with the requirements of the ADA or other federal, state and local regulations, we could be subject to fines, penalties, injunctive action, reputational harm and other business effects which could materially and negatively affect our performance and results of operations.

We face cybersecurity risks which have the potential to disrupt our operations, cause material harm to our financial condition, result in misappropriation of assets, compromise confidential information and/or damage our business relationships and can provide no assurance that the steps we and our service providers take in response to these risks will be effective.

Despite system redundancy, the implementation of security measures, required employee awareness training and the existence of a disaster recovery plan, we face cybersecurity risks, such as cyber-attacks, ransomware and other malware, social engineering, phishing schemes or bad actors inside our organization. The risk of a security breach, disruption, or cyber-attack, including by computer hackers, nation-state affiliated actors and cyber terrorists, has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks around the world have increased. Any such incident may result in disruption of our operations, material harm to our financial condition, cash flows and the market price of our common shares, misappropriation of assets, compromise or corruption of confidential information collected in the course of conducting our business, liability for stolen information or assets, increased cybersecurity protection and insurance costs, regulatory enforcement, litigation and damage to our stakeholder relationships. These risks require increasing resources from us to analyze and mitigate, and there is no assurance that our efforts will be effective. Additionally, as a result of the internalization of community management services for our properties, which began in late 2022, we collect and retain greater amounts of personal information, both from employees and current and potential residents, which increases the risks and potential effects of such an incident. We also rely on third-party service providers in our conduct of our business, and we can provide no assurance that the security measures of those providers will be effective.

In the normal course of business, we and our service providers collect and retain certain personal information provided by our residents, employees and vendors. Although we make efforts to maintain the security and integrity of our information, we can provide no assurance that our data security measures will be able to prevent unauthorized access to this personal information. In addition to the risks discussed above related to a breach of confidential information, a breach of personal information may result in regulatory fines and orders, obligations to notify individuals or litigation risks.

A pandemic, including the outbreak of COVID-19, and measures intended to prevent its spread, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

A pandemic and emergence of new variants could (as the current outbreak of COVID-19 has) negatively impact the global economy, disrupt financial markets and international trade, and result in varying unemployment levels, all of which could negatively impact the multifamily industry and our business. Pandemic outbreaks could lead (and the current outbreak of COVID-19 has led) governments and other authorities around the world, including federal, state and local authorities in the United States, to impose measures intended to mitigate its spread, including restrictions on freedom of movement and business operations such as issuing guidelines, travel bans, border closings, business closures, quarantine orders, and orders not allowing the collection of rents, rent increases, or eviction of non-paying residents and tenants.

The impact of an ongoing pandemic and measures to prevent its spread could (and the current outbreak of COVID-19 has)

negatively impact and could continue to negatively impact our businesses in a number of ways, including shifts in consumer housing demand, our residents’ ability or willingness to pay rents and the demand for multifamily communities within the markets we operate. In the event of a decline in business activity and demand for real estate transactions, our ability or desire to grow or diversify our residential portfolio could (and has been) be affected. Additionally, local and national authorities could continue to expand and extend certain measures imposing restrictions on our ability to enforce contractual rental obligations upon our residents and tenants. Unanticipated costs and operating expenses and decreased anticipated and actual revenue related to compliance with regulations, could negatively impact our future compliance with financial covenants of debt agreements and our ability to satisfy certain REIT-related requirements.

The full extent of the impact of a pandemic on our business is largely uncertain and dependent on a number of factors beyond our control, and we are not able to estimate with any degree of certainty the effect a pandemic or measures intended to curb its spread could have on our business, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows. Moreover, many of the other risk factors described herein could be more likely to impact us as a result of a pandemic or measures intended to curb its spread.

Risks Related to Financing

We face risks associated with the use of debt, including refinancing risk.

We rely on borrowings under our credit facility, mortgage notes, and debt securities to finance acquisitions and development activities and for general corporate purposes. In the past, the commercial real estate debt markets have experienced significant volatility due to a number of factors, including the tightening of underwriting standards by lenders and credit rating agencies and the reported significant inventory of unsold mortgage-backed securities in the market. This volatility resulted in investors decreasing the availability of debt financing as well as increasing the cost of debt financing. These conditions, which increase the cost and reduce availability of debt, may continue to worsen in the future. Circumstances could again arise in which we may not be able to obtain debt financing in the future on favorable terms, or at all. If we were unable to borrow under our credit facility or to refinance existing debt financing, our financial condition and results of operations would likely be adversely affected. Similarly, global equity markets have experienced significant price volatility and liquidity disruptions in recent years, and similar circumstances could significantly and negatively impact liquidity in the financial market in the future. Any disruption could negatively impact our ability to access additional financing at reasonable terms or at all.

We anticipate that only a small portion of the principal of our currently outstanding debt will be repaid prior to maturity. Therefore, we are likely to need to refinance a significant portion of our outstanding debt as it matures. There is a risk that we may not be able to refinance existing debt or that the terms of any refinancing will not be as favorable as the terms of the existing debt. If principal payments due at maturity cannot be refinanced, extended or repaid with proceeds from other sources, such as new equity capital, our cash flow may not be sufficient to repay all maturing debt in years when significant “balloon” payments come due. In addition, we may rely on debt to fund a portion of our new investments such as our acquisition and development activity. There is a risk that we may be unable to finance these activities on favorable terms or at all. The materialization of any of the foregoing risks would adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Our degree of leverage could limit our ability to obtain additional financing, affect the market price of our common shares or debt securities or otherwise adversely affect our financial condition.

On February 14, 2023, our total consolidated debt was approximately $0.6 billion. Using the closing share price of $19.04 per share of our common shares on February 14, 2023, multiplied by the number of our common shares, our consolidated debt to total consolidated market capitalization ratio was approximately 25% as of February 14, 2023.

Our degree of leverage could affect our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, development or other general corporate purposes. Our senior unsecured debt is currently rated investment grade by two major rating agencies. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain this rating, and in the event our senior debt is downgraded from its current rating, we would likely incur higher borrowing costs and/or difficulty in obtaining additional financing. Our degree of leverage could also make us more vulnerable to a downturn in business or the economy generally. There is a risk that changes in our debt to market capitalization ratio, which is in part a function of our share price, or our ratio of indebtedness to other measures of asset value used by financial analysts, may have an adverse effect on the market price of our equity or debt securities.

Additionally, payments of principal and interest on borrowings may leave us with insufficient cash resources to operate our properties, fully implement our capital expenditure, acquisition and redevelopment activities, or meet the REIT distribution requirements imposed by the Code.

Failure to effectively hedge against interest rate changes may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow, per share market price of our common shares and ability to make distributions to our shareholders and agreements we enter into to protect us from rising interest rates expose us to counterparty risk.

We have entered into, and may in the future enter into, hedging transactions to protect ourselves from the effects of interest rate fluctuations on variable rate debt. Our hedging transactions have included, and may in the future include, entering into agreements such as interest rate swaps, caps, floors and other interest rate exchange contracts. These agreements involve risks, such as the risk that such arrangements would not be effective in reducing our exposure to interest rate changes or that a court could rule that such an agreement is not legally enforceable. In addition, interest rate hedging can be expensive, particularly during periods of rising and volatile interest rates. Failure to hedge effectively against interest rate changes could materially adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow, per share trading price of our common shares and ability to make distributions to our shareholders. While such agreements are intended to lessen the impact of rising interest rates on us, they could also expose us to the risk that the other parties to the agreements would not perform, and that the hedging arrangements may not be effective in reducing our exposure to interest rate changes. In addition, the REIT provisions of the Code may limit use of certain hedging techniques that might otherwise be advantageous or push us to implement those hedges through a taxable REIT subsidiary, which would increase the cost of our hedging activities. Moreover, there can be no assurance that our hedging arrangements will qualify as highly effective cash flow hedges under Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”), Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, or that our hedging activities will have the desired beneficial impact on our results of operations. Should we desire to terminate a hedging agreement, there could be significant costs and cash requirements involved to fulfill our obligation under the hedging agreement.

Loans under our credit facility may bear interest based on SOFR, but experience with SOFR based loans is limited.

Our credit facility requires the applicable interest rate or payment amount by reference to SOFR ("Secured Overnight Financing Rate"). The use of SOFR based rates may result in interest rates and/or payments that are higher or lower than the rates and payments that we previously experienced under USD-LIBOR. In addition, confusion related to the transition from USD-LIBOR to SOFR could have an uncertain economic effect on these instruments, hinder our ability to establish effective hedges and result in a different economic value over time for these instruments than they otherwise would have had under USD-LIBOR. Furthermore, the use of SOFR based rates is relatively new, and there could be unanticipated difficulties or disruptions with the calculation and publication of SOFR based rates. In particular, if the agent under our credit facility determines that SOFR based rates cannot be determined or the agent or the lenders determine that SOFR based rates do not adequately reflect the cost of funding, outstanding SOFR based loans may be converted into base rate loans, which could result in increased borrowing costs.

Covenants in our debt agreements could adversely affect our financial condition.

Our credit facility and other debt instruments contain customary restrictions, requirements and other limitations on our ability to incur indebtedness. We must maintain certain ratios, including a maximum of total indebtedness to total asset value, a maximum of secured indebtedness to total asset value, a minimum of quarterly adjusted EBITDA to fixed charges and a maximum of unsecured indebtedness to unencumbered pool value. Our ability to borrow under our credit facility is subject to compliance with our financial and other covenants.

Failure to comply with any of the covenants under our unsecured credit facility or other debt instruments (including our indenture and our notes purchase agreement) could result in a default under one or more of our debt instruments. If we fail to comply with the covenants in our unsecured credit facility or other debt instruments, other sources of capital may not be available to us or be available only on unattractive terms. In addition, if we breach covenants in our debt agreements, the lenders can declare a default and, if the debt is secured, take possession of the property securing the defaulted loan.

Any default or cross-default events could cause our lenders to accelerate the timing of payments and/or prohibit future borrowings, either of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, financial condition and liquidity.

Risks Related to Our Organizational Structure

Our charter and Maryland law contain provisions that may delay, defer or prevent a change in control of Elme Communities, even if such a change in control may be in the best interest of our shareholders, and as a result may depress the market price of our common shares.

Provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law ("MGCL") may limit a change in control which could prevent holders of our common shares from profiting as a result of such change in control. These provisions include:

•a provision where a corporation is not permitted to engage in any business combination with any “interested stockholder,” defined as any holder or affiliate of any holder of 10% or more of the corporation’s stock, for a period of five years after that holder becomes an “interested stockholder,” and

•a provision where the voting rights of “control shares” acquired in a “control share acquisition,” as defined in the MGCL, may be restricted, such that the “control shares” have no voting rights, except to the extent approved by a vote of holders of two-thirds of the common shares entitled to vote on the matter.

Our bylaws currently provide that the foregoing provision regarding "control share acquisitions" will not apply to any acquisition by any person of shares of beneficial interest of Elme Communities. There can be no assurance that this provision will not be amended or eliminated at any time in the future by our board of trustees and may be amended or eliminated with retroactive effect.

Additionally, Title 8, Subtitle 3 of the MGCL permits our board of trustees, without shareholder approval and regardless of what is currently provided in our declaration of trust or bylaws, to implement certain takeover defenses. These provisions may have the effect of inhibiting a third party from making an acquisition proposal for us or of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of us under the circumstances that otherwise could provide our common shareholders with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then current market price.

The share ownership limits imposed by the Code for REITs and imposed by our charter may restrict our business combination opportunities that might involve a premium price for our common shares or otherwise be in the best interest of our shareholders.

The ownership of our shares must be restricted in several ways in order for us to maintain our qualification as a REIT under the Code. Our charter provides that no person (other than an excepted holder, as defined in our charter) may actually or constructively own more than 9.8% of the aggregate of our outstanding common shares by value or by number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, or 9.8% of the aggregate of the equity shares by value.

Our board of trustees has the authority under our charter to reduce these share ownership limits. Our board of trustees may, in its sole discretion, grant exemptions to the share ownership limits, subject to such conditions and the receipt by our board of trustees of certain representations and undertakings to ensure that our REIT qualification is not adversely affected. In addition to 9.8% (or any lower future percentage) share ownership limits, our charter also prohibits any person from (a) beneficially or constructively owning, as determined by applying certain attribution rules of the Code, our equity shares that would result in us being “closely held” under Section 856(h) of the Code (regardless of whether the interest is held during the last half of a taxable year) or that would otherwise cause us to fail to qualify as a REIT, or (b) transferring equity shares if such transfer would result in our equity shares being owned by fewer than 100 persons.

The share ownership limits contained in our charter are based on the ownership at any time by any “person,” which term includes entities and certain groups. The share ownership limitations in our charter are common in REIT charters and are intended to provide added assurance of compliance with the tax law requirements. However, the share ownership limits on our shares and our enforcement of them might delay, defer, prevent, or otherwise inhibit a transaction or a change in control of Elme Communities, including a transaction that might involve a premium price for our common shares or that might otherwise be in the best interest of our shareholders.

Our rights and the rights of our shareholders to take action against our trustees and officers are limited, which could limit your recourse in the event of actions that you do not believe are in your best interests.

Maryland law provides that a trustee has no liability in that capacity if he or she satisfies his or her duties to us and our shareholders. Under current Maryland law, our trustees and officers will not have any liability to us or our shareholders for money damages, except for liability resulting from:

•actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services; or

•a final judgment based upon a finding of active and deliberate dishonesty by the trustee or officer that was material to the cause of action adjudicated.

In addition, our charter authorizes and our bylaws require us to indemnify our trustees for actions taken by them in those capacities to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law. Our bylaws also require us to indemnify our officers for actions taken by them in those capacities to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law. As a result, we and our shareholders may have more limited rights against our trustees and officers than might otherwise exist. Accordingly, in the event that actions taken in good faith by any of our trustees or officers impede the performance of Elme Communities, your ability to recover

damages from such trustees or officers will be limited with respect to trustees and may be limited with respect to officers. In addition, we will be obligated to advance the defense costs incurred by our trustees and our executive officers, and may, in the discretion of our board of trustees, advance the defense costs incurred by our officers, our employees and other agents, in connection with legal proceedings.

Risks Related to Our Common Shares

We cannot assure you we will continue to pay dividends at current rates and the failure to do so could have an adverse effect on the market price of our common shares.

Cash flows from operations are an important factor in our ability to sustain our dividend at its current rate. If our cash flows from operations were to decline significantly, we may have to borrow on our lines of credit to sustain the dividend rate or reduce our dividend. Our ability to continue to pay dividends on our common shares at their current rate or to increase our common share dividend rate will depend on a number of factors, including, among others, our future financial condition and results of operations and the terms of our debt covenants.

Our board of trustees considers, among other factors, trends in our levels of funds from operations, together with associated recurring capital improvements, tenant improvements, leasing commissions and incentives, and adjustments to straight-line rents to reflect cash rents received to achieve a targeted payout ratio. If some or all of these factors were to trend downward for a sustained period of time, our board of trustees could determine to reduce our dividend rate. If we do not maintain or increase the dividend rate on our common shares in the future, it could have an adverse effect on the market price of our common shares.

Additionally, the market value of our securities can be adversely affected by many factors, including certain factors related to our REIT status.

The market value of our securities can be adversely affected by many factors.

As with any public company, a number of factors may adversely influence the public market price of our common shares. These factors include:

•level of institutional interest in us;

•perceived attractiveness of investment in us, in comparison to other REITs;

•perceived attractiveness of the Washington, DC metro and Sunbelt regions;

•attractiveness of securities of REITs in comparison to other asset classes taking into account, among other things, that a substantial portion of REITs’ dividends may be taxed as ordinary income;

•our financial condition and performance;

•the market’s perception of our growth potential and potential future cash dividends;

•investor confidence in the stock and bond markets generally;

•national economic conditions and general stock and bond market conditions;

•government uncertainty, action or regulation;

•increases in market interest rates, which may lead investors to expect a higher annual yield from our distributions in relation to the price of our shares;

•uncertainty around and changes in U.S. federal tax laws;

•changes in our credit ratings; and

•any negative change in the level of our dividend or the partial payment thereof in common shares.

Risks Related to Taxes and our Status as a REIT

The loss of our tax status as a REIT would have significant adverse consequences to us and the value of our common shares.

We believe that we qualify as a REIT, and we intend to continue to operate in a manner that will allow us to continue to qualify as a REIT. However, our charter provides that our board of trustees may revoke or otherwise terminate our REIT election, without the approval of our shareholders, if it determines that it is no longer in our best interest to continue to qualify as a REIT. Furthermore, we cannot assure you that we are qualified as a REIT, or that we will remain qualified as a REIT in the future. This is because qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex provisions of the Code which include maintaining ownership of specified minimum levels of real estate-related assets, generating specified minimum levels of real estate-related income, maintaining certain diversity of ownership requirements with respect to our shares and distributing at least 90% of our "REIT taxable income" (determined before the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gains) on an annual basis. Moreover, the complexity of these provisions and of applicable treasury regulations is greater in the case of a REIT that, like us, holds some of its assets through entities treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Only limited judicial and administrative interpretations of the REIT rules exist. In addition, qualification as a REIT involves the determination of various factual matters and circumstances not entirely within our control.

If we fail to qualify as a REIT, we could face serious tax consequences that could substantially reduce our funds available for payment of dividends for each of the years involved because:

(i)we would be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the regular corporate rate, without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders in computing our taxable income, and possibly increased state and local taxes; and

(ii)unless we are entitled to relief under statutory provisions, we would be disqualified from taxation as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification was lost.

This treatment would reduce net earnings available for investment or distribution to shareholders because of the additional tax liability for the year (or years) involved. To the extent that distributions to shareholders had been made based on the assumption of our qualification as a REIT, we might be required to borrow funds or to liquidate certain of our investments to pay the applicable tax. As a result of these factors, our failure to qualify as a REIT could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity. If we fail to qualify as a REIT but are eligible for certain relief provisions, then we may retain our status as a REIT but may be required to pay a penalty tax, which could be substantial.

Dividends payable by REITs do not qualify for the reduced tax rates available for some dividends.

The maximum tax rate applicable to income from "qualified dividends" payable by non-REIT C corporations to U.S. shareholders that are individuals, trusts or estates generally is 20% (excluding the 3.8% net investment income tax). Dividends payable by REITs, however, generally are not eligible for the maximum 20% reduced rate and are taxed at applicable ordinary income tax rates, except to the extent that certain holding requirements have been met and a REIT's dividends are attributable to dividends received by a REIT from taxable corporations (such as a taxable REIT subsidiary), to income that was subject to tax at the REIT/corporate level, or to dividends properly designated by the REIT as “capital gain dividends.” For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2026, U.S. shareholders that are individuals, trusts or estates may deduct 20% of their dividends from REITs (excluding qualified dividend income and capital gains dividends). For those U.S. shareholders in the top marginal tax bracket of 37%, the deduction for REIT dividends yields an effective income tax rate of 29.6% (excluding the net investment income tax) on REIT dividends, which is higher than the 20% tax rate on qualified dividend income paid by non-REIT C corporations (although the maximum effective rate applicable to such dividends, after taking into account the 21% U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to non-REIT C corporations is 36.8% (excluding the 3.8% net investment income tax)). Although the reduced rates applicable to dividend income from non-REIT C corporations do not adversely affect the taxation of REITs or dividends payable by REITs, these reduced rates could cause investors who are non-corporate taxpayers to perceive investments in REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in the shares of non-REIT C corporations that pay dividends, which could adversely affect the value of the stock of REITs, including our common shares.

The REIT distribution requirements could require us to borrow funds during unfavorable market conditions or subject us to tax, which would reduce the cash available for distribution to our shareholders.

In order to qualify as a REIT, we generally must distribute to our shareholders, on an annual basis, at least 90% of our "REIT taxable income," determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gains. In addition, we will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the regular corporate rate (currently 21%) to the extent that we distribute less than 100% of our net taxable income (including net capital gains) and will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the

amount by which our distributions in any calendar year are less than a minimum amount specified under U.S. federal income tax laws. We intend to continue to distribute our net income to our shareholders in a manner intended to satisfy the REIT 90% distribution requirement and to avoid U.S. federal income tax and the 4% nondeductible excise tax.

In addition, from time to time our taxable income may exceed our net income as determined by GAAP. This may occur, for instance, because realized capital losses are deducted in determining our GAAP net income but may not be deductible in computing our taxable income. In addition, we may incur nondeductible capital expenditures or be required to make debt or amortization payments. As a result of the foregoing, we may generate less cash flow than taxable income in a particular year and we may incur U.S. federal income tax and the 4% nondeductible excise tax on that income if we do not distribute such income to shareholders in that year. In that event, we may be required to (i) use cash reserves, (ii) incur debt at rates or times that we regard as unfavorable, (iii) sell assets in adverse market conditions, (iv) distribute amounts that would otherwise be invested in future acquisitions, capital expenditures or repayment of debt, or (v) make a taxable distribution of our shares as part of a distribution in which shareholders may elect to receive our shares or (subject to a limit measured as a percentage of the total distribution) cash in order to satisfy the REIT 90% distribution requirement and to avoid U.S. federal income tax and the 4% nondeductible excise tax in that year. These alternatives could increase our costs or reduce our equity. Thus, compliance with the REIT requirements may hinder our ability to grow, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Even if we qualify as a REIT, we may face other tax liabilities that reduce our cash flow.

Even if we qualify for taxation as a REIT, we may be subject to certain U.S. federal, state and local taxes on our income, property or net worth, including taxes on any undistributed income, tax on income from some activities conducted as a result of a foreclosure, and state or local income, property and transfer taxes. Moreover, if we have net income from "prohibited transactions," that income will be subject to a 100% tax. The need to avoid prohibited transactions could cause us to forego or defer sales of properties that might otherwise be in our best interest to sell. In addition, we could, in certain circumstances, be required to pay an excise or penalty tax (which could be significant in amount) in order to utilize one or more relief provisions under the Code to maintain our qualification as a REIT. Any of these taxes would decrease cash available for the payment of our debt obligations and distributions to shareholders. Our taxable REIT subsidiary (and any taxable REIT subsidiary formed in the future) generally will be subject to U.S. federal, state and local corporate income tax on their taxable income. Moreover, while we will attempt to ensure that our dealings with our taxable REIT subsidiary (and any taxable REIT subsidiary formed in the future) do not adversely affect our REIT qualification, we cannot provide assurances that we will successfully achieve that result.

Partnership tax audit rules could have a material adverse effect on us.

Under current federal partnership tax audit rules, subject to certain exceptions, any audit adjustment to items of income, gain, loss, deduction, or credit of a partnership (and a partner’s allocable share thereof) is determined, and taxes, interest, and penalties attributable thereto are assessed and collected, at the partnership level. With respect to any partnership in which we invest, unless such partnership makes an election or takes certain steps to require the partners to pay their tax on their allocable shares of the adjustment, it is possible that such partnership would be required to pay additional taxes, interest, and penalties as a result of an audit adjustment. We could be required to bear the economic burden of those taxes, interest, and penalties even though we, as a REIT, may not otherwise have been required to pay additional corporate‑level taxes had we owned the assets of the partnership directly.

There is a risk of changes in the tax laws which may adversely affect our taxation as a REIT and taxation of our shareholders.

The IRS, the United States Treasury Department and Congress frequently review U.S. federal income tax legislation, regulations and other guidance. Most recently, numerous legislative, judicial and administrative changes have been made to the U.S. federal income tax laws in connection with the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. We cannot predict whether, when or to what extent new U.S. federal tax laws, regulations, interpretations or rulings will be adopted. Further, from time to time, changes in state and local tax laws or regulations are enacted, which may result in an increase in our tax liability. Any legislative action may prospectively or retroactively modify our tax treatment and, therefore, may adversely affect our taxation or taxation of our shareholders. We urge you to consult with your tax advisor with respect to the status of legislative, regulatory or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on an investment in our common shares.

ITEM 1B: UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 2: PROPERTIES

The schedule on the following pages lists our real estate investment portfolio as of December 31, 2022, which consisted of 27 residential communities, one office building and land held for development. Cost information is included in Schedule III to our financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Schedule of Properties


Properties	Location	Year Acquired	Year Constructed/Renovated	# of Homes	Average Occupancy, year ended December 31, 2022		Ending Occupancy, as of December 31, 2022
Residential Communities
Assembly Alexandria	Alexandria, VA	2019	1990	532	95.2	%	95.3	%
Cascade at Landmark	Alexandria, VA	2019	1988	277	95.2	%	92.8	%
Clayborne	Alexandria, VA	N/A	2008	74	95.9	%	94.6	%
Riverside Apartments	Alexandria, VA	2016	1971	1,222	95.0	%	96.1	%
Bennett Park	Arlington, VA	N/A	2007	224	96.4	%	94.6	%
Park Adams	Arlington, VA	1969	1959	200	96.2	%	96.5	%
The Maxwell	Arlington, VA	N/A	2014	163	95.9	%	96.3	%
The Paramount	Arlington, VA	2013	1984	135	95.4	%	96.3	%
The Wellington	Arlington, VA	2015	1960	711	95.4	%	94.9	%
Trove	Arlington, VA	N/A	2020	401	95.0	%	96.8	%
Roosevelt Towers	Falls Church, VA	1965	1964	191	94.9	%	91.6	%
Assembly Dulles	Herndon, VA	2019	2000	328	95.1	%	96.3	%
Assembly Herndon	Herndon, VA	2019	1991	283	96.0	%	95.4	%
Assembly Leesburg	Leesburg, VA	2019	1986	134	96.4	%	97.0	%
Assembly Manassas	Manassas, VA	2019	1986	408	95.5	%	95.1	%
The Ashby at McLean	McLean, VA	1996	1982	256	95.5	%	94.9	%
3801 Connecticut Avenue	Washington, D.C.	1963	1951	307	96.2	%	94.5	%
Kenmore Apartments	Washington, D.C.	2008	1948	374	96.0	%	94.1	%
Yale West	Washington, D.C.	2014	2011	216	95.9	%	95.4	%
Bethesda Hill Apartments	Bethesda, MD	1997	1986	195	95.3	%	93.8	%
Assembly Germantown	Germantown, MD	2019	1990	218	96.6	%	95.9	%
Assembly Watkins Mill	Gaithersburg, MD	2019	1975	210	96.3	%	96.2	%
The Oxford	Conyers, GA	2021	1999	240	94.9	%	94.6	%
Marietta Crossing	Marietta, GA	2022	1975	420	93.4	%	95.5	%
Carlyle of Sandy Springs	Sandy Springs, GA	2022	1972	389	94.6	%	95.1	%
Alder Park	Smyrna, GA	2022	1982	270	93.9	%	93.7	%
Assembly Eagles Landing	Stockbridge, GA	2021	2000	490	94.6	%	94.3	%
Subtotal Residential Communities				8,868	95.3	%	95.2	%

Property

Location

Year Acquired

Year Constructed/Renovated

Net Rentable Square Feet

Percent Leased, as of

December 31, 2022 (1)

Ending Occupancy, as of December 31, 2022 (1)

Office Building

Watergate 600

Washington, D.C.

2017

1972/1997

300,000

92.6

______________________________

(1) Percent leased and ending occupancy calculations are based on square feet and includes temporary lease agreements for Watergate 600. Percent leased is the percentage of net rentable area for which fully executed leases exist and may include signed leases for space not yet occupied by the tenant.

ITEM 3: LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

None.

ITEM 4: MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

None.

PART II

ITEM 5: MARKET FOR THE REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Market and Shareholder Information: Our shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ELME. As of February 14, 2023, there were 2,843 shareholders of record.

Issuer Repurchases; Unregistered Sales of Securities: A summary of our repurchases of our common shares of beneficial interest for the three months ended December 31, 2022 was as follows:

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Period

Total Number of Shares Purchased (1)

Average Price Paid per Share

Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs

Maximum Number (or Approximate Dollar Value) of Shares that May Yet be Purchased

October 1 - October 31, 2022

—

N/A

November 1 - November 30, 2022

—

N/A

December 1 - December 31, 2022

40,328

18.33

N/A

Total

40,328

18.33

N/A

______________________________

(1) Represents restricted shares surrendered by employees to Elme Communities to satisfy such employees' applicable statutory minimum tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting of restricted shares.

Performance Graph:

The following line graph sets forth, for the period from December 31, 2017, through December 31, 2022, a comparison of the percentage change in the cumulative total shareholder return on our common shares compared to the cumulative total return of the Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Index and the MSCI US REIT Index. The graph assumes that $100 was invested on December 31, 2017, in shares of our common shares and each of the aforementioned indices and that all dividends were reinvested without the payment of any commissions. There can be no assurance that the performance of our shares will continue in line with the same or similar trends depicted in the graph below.

This performance graph shall not be deemed "filed" for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or incorporated by reference into any filing by us under the Securities Act of 1933, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

ITEM 6: RESERVED

ITEM 7: MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

We provide Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) in addition to the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes to assist readers in understanding our results of operations and financial condition. We organize the MD&A as follows:

•Overview. Discussion of our business outlook, operating results, investment activity, financing activity and capital requirements to provide context for the remainder of MD&A.

•Results of Operations. Discussion of our financial results comparing 2022 to 2021.

•Liquidity and Capital Resources. Discussion of our financial condition and analysis of changes in our capital structure and cash flows.

•Funds From Operations. Calculation of NAREIT Funds From Operations (“NAREIT FFO”), a non-GAAP supplemental measure to net income.

•Critical Accounting Estimates. Descriptions of accounting policies that reflect significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

When evaluating our financial condition and operating performance, we focus on the following financial and non-financial indicators:

•Net operating income (“NOI”), calculated as set forth below under the caption "Results of Operations - Net Operating Income." NOI is a non-GAAP supplemental measure to net income.

•Funds From Operations (“NAREIT FFO”), calculated as set forth below under the caption “Funds from Operations.” NAREIT FFO is a non-GAAP supplemental measure to net income.

•Average occupancy, calculated as average daily occupied apartment homes as a percentage of total apartment homes.

For purposes of evaluating comparative operating performance, we categorize our properties as “same-store” or “non-same-store”. Same-store portfolio properties include properties that were owned for the entirety of the years being compared and exclude properties under redevelopment or development and properties acquired, sold or classified as held for sale during the years being compared. We define development properties as those for which we have planned or ongoing major construction activities on existing or acquired land pursuant to an authorized development plan. Development properties are categorized as same-store when they have reached stabilized occupancy (90%) before the start of the prior year. We define redevelopment properties as those for which we have planned or ongoing significant development and construction activities on existing or acquired buildings pursuant to an authorized plan, which has an impact on current operating results, occupancy and the ability to lease space with the intended result of a higher economic return on the property. We categorize a redevelopment property as same-store when redevelopment activities have been complete for the majority of each year being compared.

Overview

During the third quarter of 2021, we sold twelve office properties (the “Office Portfolio”) and eight retail properties (the “Retail Portfolio”) (see note 3 to the consolidated financial statements) for contract sale prices of $766.0 million and $168.3 million, respectively. Both the Office Portfolio and Retail Portfolio meet the criteria for classification as discontinued operations in our consolidated financial statements. Our remaining office property, Watergate 600, does not meet the qualitative or quantitative criteria for a reportable segment (see note 14 to the consolidated financial statements).

The dispositions of our office and retail properties are part of a strategic shift away from the commercial sector to the residential sector, which simplifies our portfolio to one reportable segment (residential) (the “strategic transformation”). We used the net proceeds from the sales to fund the expansion of our residential platform through acquisitions in Sunbelt markets and to reduce our leverage by repaying outstanding debt. During the third and fourth quarters of 2021, we completed the acquisitions of two apartment communities in Georgia with a combined total of 730 apartment homes for a total contract purchase prices of $154.0 million. During 2022, we completed acquisitions of three apartment communities in Georgia with a combined total of 1,079 apartment homes for a total contract purchase price of $283.2 million. We believe the successful execution of this research-driven strategic shift will lead to greater, more sustainable growth.

In connection with this strategic transformation, we are redesigning our operating model for purposes of more efficiently and effectively supporting residential operations. This operating model redesign includes the internalization of community management

services currently performed by third-party management companies. Costs related to the strategic transformation, including the allocation of internal costs, consulting, advisory and termination benefits, are included in Transformation costs on our consolidated statements of operations. We recognized $9.7 million and $6.6 million of transformation costs, net of amounts capitalized, on the consolidated statements of operations during 2022 and 2021, respectively, and anticipate incurring approximately $3.0 - $4.0 million of additional transformation costs during 2023. Community onboarding commenced in October 2022 and is expected to be completed in phases in 2023. We expect to realize significant operational benefits from this operating model redesign and complete its implementation in 2023.

In October 2022, the Company changed its name from Washington Real Estate Investment Trust to Elme Communities reflecting the Company’s continued transition into a focused multifamily company, and subsequent geographic expansion into Sunbelt markets. On October 20, 2022, the Company’s ticker symbol on the New York Stock Exchange changed from “WRE” to “ELME.”

Operating Results

The discussion that follows is based on our Operating Results. The ability to compare one period to another is significantly affected

by the strategic transformation in 2021 and other acquisitions completed and dispositions made during 2021 and 2022 (see note 3 to the consolidated financial statements).

Net (loss) income, NOI and NAREIT FFO for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were as follows (in thousands, except percentage amounts):


	Year Ended December 31,
	2022		2021		Change		% Change
Net (loss) income	$	(30,868)	$	16,384	$	(47,252)	(288.4)	%
NOI (1)	$	135,379	$	108,369	$	27,010	24.9	%
NAREIT FFO (2)	$	60,854	$	65,503	$	(4,649)	(7.1)	%
______________________________
(1) See page 29 of the MD&A for reconciliations of NOI to net (loss) income.
(2) See page 39 of the MD&A for reconciliations of NAREIT FFO to net (loss) income.

The increase in net loss is primarily due to gains on sale of real estate ($46.4 million) in 2021 and lower income from discontinued operations in 2022 ($23.1 million) due to the sales of the Office Portfolio and Retail Portfolio during 2021, higher depreciation and amortization expenses ($19.1 million), lower other income ($3.4 million), higher transformation costs, net of amounts capitalized, ($3.1 million), higher property management expenses ($1.3 million) and higher general and administrative expenses ($0.7 million). These were partially offset by higher NOI ($27.0 million), lower interest expense ($9.1 million), lower loss on extinguishment of debt ($7.8 million) and lower loss on interest rate derivatives ($5.9 million).

The higher NOI is primarily due to the acquisitions of Assembly Eagles Landing ($4.2 million) and The Oxford ($1.1 million) in 2021 and Carlyle of Sandy Spring ($4.0 million), Marietta Crossing ($3.2 million) and Alder Park ($2.2 million) in 2022, higher NOI from same-store properties ($7.9 million), higher NOI from Trove ($3.7 million), which achieved stabilization in the fourth quarter of 2021, and higher NOI at Watergate 600 ($0.7 million). The higher same-store NOI was primarily due to higher rental rates. Residential same-store average occupancy for our portfolio increased to 95.6% as of December 31, 2022 from 95.3% as of December 31, 2021.

The lower NAREIT FFO is primarily due to lower income from discontinued operations, net of depreciation and amortization ($46.0 million), lower other income ($3.4 million), higher transformation costs, net of amounts capitalized, ($3.1 million), higher property management expenses ($1.3 million) and higher general and administrative expenses ($0.7 million). These were partially offset by higher NOI ($27.0 million), lower interest expense ($9.1 million), lower loss on extinguishment of debt ($7.8 million) and lower loss on interest rate derivatives ($5.9 million).

Investment Activity

Significant investment transactions during 2022 included the following:

•Acquisition of Carlyle of Sandy Springs, a 389-unit apartment community in Sandy Springs, Georgia for a contract purchase price of $105.6 million during the first quarter of 2022.

•Acquisition of Marietta Crossing, a 420-unit apartment community in Marietta, Georgia for a contract purchase price of $107.9 million during the second quarter of 2022. We assumed a $42.8 million mortgage with this acquisition.

•Acquisition of Alder Park, a 270-unit apartment community in Smyrna, Georgia for a contract purchase price of $69.8 million during the second quarter of 2022. We assumed a $33.7 million mortgage with this acquisition.

Financing Activity

Significant financing transactions during 2022 included the following:

•We issued 1.0 million common shares at a weighted average price per share of $26.27 for net proceeds of $26.8 million through our at-the-market program.

•In September 2022, we extinguished the aggregate $76.5 million of mortgages secured by Marietta Crossing and Alder Park through defeasance arrangements, recognizing an aggregate loss on extinguishment of debt of $4.9 million. We partially funded the defeasances with a $65.0 million draw on our unsecured revolving credit facility.

Subsequent to the end of 2022, we entered into a $125.0 million unsecured term loan ("2023 Term Loan") with an interest rate of SOFR (subject to a credit spread adjustment of 10 basis points) plus a margin of 95 basis points. The 2023 Term Loan has a two-year term ending in January 2025, with two one-year extension options. We used the proceeds to prepay the $100.0 million 2018 Term Loan in full and a portion of our borrowings under our unsecured credit facility.

As of December 31, 2022, the interest rate on the $700.0 million unsecured revolving credit facility was one month LIBOR plus 0.85% and the facility fee was 0.20%. The LIBOR was 4.39% as of that date. Subsequent to the end of 2022, we executed an amendment to our revolving credit facility to convert the benchmark interest rate from LIBOR to an adjusted SOFR, with no change in the applicable interest rate margins. As of February 14, 2023, our Revolving Credit Facility has a borrowing capacity of $657.0 million.

Capital Requirements

We do not currently have any debt maturities scheduled for 2023. We expect to have additional capital requirements as set forth on page 37 (Liquidity and Capital Resources - Capital Requirements).

Results of Operations

The discussion that follows is based on our consolidated results of operations for the two years ended December 31, 2022. The ability to compare one period to another is significantly affected by the strategic transformation in 2021, including the resulting classification of certain assets as discontinued operations, and other acquisitions completed and dispositions made during those years (see note 3 to the consolidated financial statements).

Net Operating Income

NOI, defined as real estate rental revenue less direct real estate operating expenses, is a non-GAAP measure. NOI is calculated as net income, less non-real estate revenue and the results of discontinued operations (including the gain or loss on sale, if any), plus interest expense, depreciation and amortization, lease origination expenses, general and administrative expenses, acquisition costs, real estate impairment, casualty gain and losses and gain or loss on extinguishment of debt. NOI does not include management expenses, which consist of corporate property management costs and property management fees paid to third parties. NOI is the primary performance measure we use to assess the results of our operations at the property level. We believe that NOI is a useful performance measure because, when compared across periods, it reflects the impact on operations of trends in occupancy rates, rental rates and operating costs on an unleveraged basis, providing perspective not immediately apparent from net income. NOI excludes certain components from net income in order to provide results more closely related to a property’s results of operations. For example, interest expense is not necessarily linked to the operating performance of a real estate asset. In addition, depreciation and amortization, because of historical cost accounting and useful life estimates, may distort operating performance at the property level. As a result of the foregoing, we provide NOI as a supplement to net income, calculated in accordance with GAAP. NOI does not represent net income or income from continuing operations calculated in accordance with GAAP. As such, NOI should not be considered an alternative to these measures as an indication of our operating performance. A reconciliation of NOI to net income follows.

2022 Compared to 2021

The following tables reconcile net income to NOI and provide the basis for our discussion of our consolidated results of operations and NOI in 2022 compared to 2021. All amounts are in thousands except percentage amounts.


	Year Ended December 31,
	2022		2021		$ Change		% Change
Net (loss) income	$	(30,868)	$	16,384	$	(47,252)	(288.4)	%
Adjustments:
Property management expense	7,436		6,133		1,303		21.2	%
General and administrative expense	28,258		27,538		720		2.6	%
Transformation costs	9,686		6,635		3,051		46.0	%
Real estate depreciation and amortization	91,722		72,656		19,066		26.2	%


Interest expense	24,940		34,063		(9,123)		(26.8)	%
Loss on interest rate derivatives	—		5,866		(5,866)		(100.0)	%
Loss on extinguishment of debt, net	4,917		12,727		(7,810)		(61.4)	%
Other income	(712)		(4,109)		3,397		(82.7)	%
Discontinued operations:
Income from operations of properties sold or held for sale	—		(23,083)		23,083		(100.0)	%
Gain on sale of real estate, net	—		(46,441)		46,441		(100.0)	%
Total net operating income (NOI)	$	135,379	$	108,369	$	27,010	24.9	%

Residential revenue:
Same-store portfolio	$	151,547	$	141,301	$	10,246	7.3	%
Acquisitions (1)	27,370		2,262		25,108		1,110.0	%
Development (2)	10,510		6,375		4,135		64.9	%
Non-residential (3)	1,073		1,027		46		4.5	%
Total	190,500		150,965		39,535		26.2	%
Residential expenses:
Same-store portfolio	53,449		51,112		2,337		4.6	%
Acquisitions	11,308		865		10,443		1,207.3	%
Development	3,697		3,258		439		13.5	%
Non-residential	281		292		(11)		(3.8)	%
Total	68,735		55,527		13,208		23.8	%
Residential NOI:
Same-store portfolio	98,098		90,189		7,909		8.8	%
Acquisitions	16,062		1,397		14,665		1,049.7	%
Development	6,813		3,117		3,696		118.6	%
Non-residential	792		735		57		7.8	%
Total	121,765		95,438		26,327		27.6	%
Other NOI (4)	13,614		12,931		683		5.3	%
Total NOI	$	135,379	$	108,369	$	27,010	24.9	%

______________________________

(1)Acquisitions:

2021: The Oxford and Assembly Eagles Landing

2022: Carlyle of Sandy Springs, Alder Park, Marietta Crossing

(2)Development/redevelopment: Trove, Riverside Development (multifamily development adjacent to Riverside Apartments)

(3)Non-residential: Includes revenues and expenses from retail operations at residential properties.

(4)Other (classified as continuing operations): Watergate 600

(5)Discontinued operations:

2021 Office - 1901 Pennsylvania Avenue, 515 King Street, 1220 19th Street, 1600 Wilson Boulevard, Silverline Center, Courthouse Square, 2000 M Street, 1140 Connecticut Avenue, Army Navy Club, 1775 Eye Street, Fairgate at Ballston and Arlington Tower

2021 Retail - Takoma Park, Westminster, Concord Centre, Chevy Chase Metro Plaza, 800 S. Washington Street, Randolph Shopping Center, Montrose Shopping Center and Spring Valley Village

Real Estate Rental Revenue

Real estate rental revenue from our apartment communities is comprised of (a) rent from operating leases of residential apartments with terms of approximately one year or less, recognized on a straight-line basis, (b) revenue from the recovery of operating expenses from our residents, (c) credit losses on lease related receivables, (d) revenue from leases of retail space at our apartment communities and (e) parking and other tenant charges.

Real estate rental revenue from same-store residential properties increased $10.2 million, or 7.3%, to $151.5 million for 2022, compared to $141.3 million for 2021, primarily due to higher rental income ($8.2 million), lower rent abatements ($1.6 million) and higher fee income ($0.4 million).

Real estate rental revenue from acquisitions increased $25.1 million due to the acquisition of Carlyle of Sandy Springs ($6.6 million) during the first quarter of 2022, Marietta Crossing ($4.9 million) and Alder Park ($3.4 million) during the second quarter of 2022, Assembly Eagles Landing ($7.6 million) during the fourth quarter of 2021 and The Oxford ($2.6 million) during the third quarter of 2021.

Real estate rental revenue from development properties increased due to the continued lease-up of the Trove development ($4.1 million). We placed the remainder of the Trove development costs into service during the first quarter of 2021 and achieved stabilization during the fourth quarter of 2021.

Average occupancy for residential properties for 2022 and 2021 was as follows:


December 31, 2022						December 31, 2021						Increase
Same-Store		Non-Same-Store		Total		Same-Store		Non-Same-Store		Total		Same-Store		Non-Same-Store		Total
95.6	%	94.5	%	95.3	%	95.3	%	71.0	%	93.4	%	0.3	%	23.5	%	1.9	%

The increase in same-store average occupancy was primarily due to higher average occupancy at The Kenmore, 3801 Connecticut Avenue, Assembly Germantown and Assembly Herndon, partially offset by lower average occupancy at Roosevelt Towers and Clayborne Apartments.

Real Estate Expenses

Residential real estate expenses as a percentage of residential revenue for 2022 and 2021 were 36.1% and 36.8%, respectively.

Real estate expenses from same-store residential properties increased $2.3 million, or 4.6%, to $53.4 million for 2022, compared to $51.1 million for 2021, primarily due to higher administrative ($0.7 million), real estate tax ($0.6 million), utilities ($0.5 million), insurance ($0.3 million) and contract maintenance and supplies ($0.2 million) expenses.

Real estate expenses from acquisitions increased $10.4 million due to the acquisitions of Carlyle of Sandy Springs ($2.6 million) during the first quarter of 2022, Marietta Crossing ($1.7 million) and Alder Park ($1.2 million) during the second quarter of 2022, Assembly Eagles Landing ($3.4 million) during the fourth quarter of 2021, and The Oxford ($1.5 million) during the third quarter of 2021.

Other NOI

Other NOI classified as continuing operations increased due to higher NOI at Watergate 600 ($0.7 million).

Other Income and Expenses

Property management expenses: Increase of $1.3 million primarily due to the acquisitions of The Oxford and Assembly Eagles Landing during the third and fourth quarters of 2021, the acquisitions of Carlyle of Sandy Springs, Marietta Crossing and Alder Park in 2022 and Trove reaching stabilization during the fourth quarter of 2021.

General and administrative expenses: Increase of $0.7 million primarily due to corporate overhead no longer being allocated to

office management due to the sales of the Office and Retail Portfolios in 2021 ($1.9 million), higher legal fees ($0.9 million), higher office rent ($0.6 million) from the commencement of the corporate office lease during the third quarter of 2021 and higher shareholder expenses ($0.3 million) in 2022. These increases were partially offset by lower short-term incentive compensation expense ($1.8 million), lower leasing expenses ($0.7 million) and lower deferred tax expense ($0.5 million) in 2022.

Transformation costs: Increase of $3.1 million primarily due to higher employee time allocations ($1.5 million) related to the strategic transformation, higher consulting costs ($1.1 million), higher software depreciation ($0.9 million) and higher software costs ($0.8 million), partially offset by lower severance expenses ($1.6 million).

Depreciation and amortization: Increase of $19.1 million primarily due to the acquisitions of Assembly Eagles Landing ($5.3 million), Carlyle of Sandy Springs ($5.8 million), Marietta Crossing ($5.2 million), Alder Park ($3.1 million) and The Oxford ($0.3 million) and higher depreciation and amortization at Watergate 600 ($0.9 million). These increases were partially offset by lower depreciation and amortization at same-store residential properties ($1.4 million) and Trove ($0.1 million).

Interest Expense: Interest expense by debt type for the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 was as follows (in thousands):


	Year Ended December 31,
Debt Type	2022		2021		$ Change		% Change
Notes payable	$	20,458	$	31,652	$	(11,194)	(35.4)	%
Mortgage notes payable	1,014		—		1,014		100.0	%
Line of credit	3,751		3,161		590		18.7	%
Capitalized interest	(283)		(750)		467		62.3	%
Total	$	24,940	$	34,063	$	(9,123)	(26.8)	%

•Notes payable: Decrease primarily due to the prepayment of $300.0 million of unsecured notes during the third quarter of 2021 that had been scheduled to mature in October 2022 and the prepayment of a $150.0 million portion of the 2018 Term Loan during the third quarter of 2021.

•Mortgage notes payable: Increase due to the mortgages of $42.8 million and $33.7 million assumed in the acquisitions of Marietta Crossing and Alder Park, respectively, in the second quarter of 2022. In September 2022, we extinguished the liabilities associated with these mortgages though defeasance arrangements.

•Line of credit: Increase primarily due to a weighted average interest rate of 4.2% and weighted average borrowings of $21.6 million in 2022, as compared to a weighted average interest rate of 1.1% and weighted average borrowings of $34.8 million in 2021.

•Capitalized interest: Decrease primarily due to ceasing capitalization of interest on spending related to the multifamily development adjacent to Riverside Apartments due to a pause in development activities.

Loss on interest rate derivatives: We terminated five interest rate swap arrangements with an aggregate notional value of $150.0 million and recognized a $5.8 million loss on interest rate derivatives during 2021 (see note 8 to the consolidated financial statements).

Loss on extinguishment of debt: During 2022, we extinguished the liabilities associated with mortgage notes payable for Marietta Crossing and Alder Park through defeasance arrangements, recognizing aggregate losses on extinguishment of debt of $4.9 million. During the third quarter of 2021 we recognized a $12.3 million loss on extinguishment of debt related to the prepayment of the $300.0 million of unsecured notes that were originally scheduled to mature in October 2022, a $0.2 million loss on extinguishment of debt related to the prepayment of a $150.0 million portion of the $250.0 million 2018 Term Loan and a $0.2 million loss on extinguishment of debt related to the renewal of our Revolving Credit Facility, all of which were repaid in connection with our strategic transformation, using the proceeds from the sales of the Office Portfolio and Retail Portfolio.

Other income: Income during 2022 relates to real estate tax refunds ($0.7 million) received on previously sold commercial properties. Other income in 2021 primarily consists of a legal settlement ($1.3 million), a real estate tax refund for an office property sold in 2018 ($1.3 million), a gain on life insurance ($1.0 million) and a construction easement at a retail property ($0.4 million).

Discontinued operations

Income from properties sold or held for sale: Decrease due to the sale of the Office Portfolio and the Retail Portfolio during 2021.

Gain on sale of real estate, net: The net gain during 2021 is due to the gain on sale of the Retail Portfolio ($57.7 million), partially offset by the loss on sale of the Office Portfolio ($11.2 million).

Liquidity and Capital Resources

We believe we will have adequate liquidity over the next twelve months to operate our business and to meet our cash requirements, which include meeting our debt obligations, capital commitments and contractual obligations, as well as the payment of dividends, and funding possible growth opportunities. Through our Office Portfolio and Retail Portfolio sales, which had a combined sale price of approximately $934.3 million, we executed strategic transactions that allowed us to expand into the Sunbelt regions. In connection with our strategic transformation, we are redesigning our operating model for purposes of more efficiently and effectively supporting residential operations. We recognized $9.7 million and $6.6 million of transformation costs, net of amounts capitalized, on the consolidated statements of operations during 2022 and 2021, respectively. Upon completion of the implementation in 2023, we expect to realize significant operational benefits from this operating model redesign. We also believe we have adequate liquidity beyond 2023, with only $155.0 million of scheduled debt maturities prior to 2027.

We will continue to assess the payment of our dividends on a quarterly basis. Future determinations regarding the declaration and payment of dividends, if any, will be at the discretion of our board of trustees which considers, among other factors, trends in our levels of funds from operations and ongoing capital requirements to achieve a targeted payout ratio.

Capital Structure

We manage our capital structure to reflect a long-term investment approach, generally seeking to match the cash flow of our assets with a mix of equity and various debt instruments. We expect that our capital structure will allow us to obtain additional capital from diverse sources that could include additional equity offerings of common shares, public and private secured and unsecured debt financings, asset dispositions, operating units and joint venture equity. Our ability to raise funds through the incurrence of debt and issuance of equity securities is dependent on, among other things, general economic conditions including general market conditions for REITs, our operating performance, our debt rating, the current trading price of our common shares and other capital market conditions. We analyze which source of capital we believe to be most advantageous to us at any particular point in time.

As of February 14, 2023, we had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $15.8 million and availability under our Revolving Credit Facility of $657.0 million. We currently expect that our potential sources of liquidity for acquisitions, development, redevelopment, expansion and renovation of properties, and operating and administrative expenses, may include:

•Cash flow from operations;

•Borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility or other new short-term facilities;

•Issuances of our equity securities and/or common units in operating partnerships;

•Issuances of preferred shares;

•Proceeds from long-term secured or unsecured debt financings, including construction loans and term loans, or the issuance of debt securities;

•Investment from joint venture partners; and

•Net proceeds from the sale of assets.

During 2023, we expect that we will have significant capital requirements, including the following:

•Funding dividends and distributions to our shareholders (which we intend to continue to pay at or about current levels);

•Approximately $15.0 - $20.0 million to invest in our existing portfolio of operating assets;

•Less than $1.0 million to invest in our development and redevelopment projects; and

•Funding for potential property acquisitions throughout 2023, offset by proceeds from potential property dispositions.

There can be no assurance that our capital requirements will not be materially higher or lower than the above expectations. We currently believe that we will have enough cash on hand and/or will generate sufficient cash flow from operations and potential property sales and have access to the capital resources necessary to fund our requirements in 2023. However, as a result of general market conditions in the greater Washington, DC metro and Sunbelt regions, economic conditions affecting the ability to attract and retain residents and tenants or achieve anticipated rental rates, declines in our share price, unfavorable changes in the supply of competing properties, or our properties not performing as expected, we may not generate sufficient cash flow from operations and property sales or otherwise have access to capital on favorable terms, or at all. If we are unable to obtain capital from other sources, we may need to alter capital spending to be materially different than what is stated in the prior paragraph. If capital were not available, we may be unable to satisfy the distribution requirement applicable to REITs, make required principal and interest payments, make strategic acquisitions or make necessary and/or routine capital improvements or

undertake improvement/redevelopment opportunities with respect to our existing portfolio of operating assets.

Debt Financing

We generally use unsecured or secured, corporate-level debt, including unsecured notes, our Revolving Credit Facility, bank term loans and mortgages, to meet our borrowing needs. Long-term, we generally use fixed rate debt instruments in order to match the returns from our real estate assets. If we issue unsecured debt in the future, we will seek to ladder the maturities of our debt to mitigate exposure to interest rate risk in any particular future year. We also utilize variable rate debt for short-term financing purposes. At times, our mix of variable and fixed rate debt may not suit our needs. At those times, we may use derivative financial instruments including interest rate swaps and caps, forward interest rate options or interest rate options in order to assist us in managing our debt mix. We may either hedge our variable rate debt to give it an effective fixed interest rate or hedge fixed rate debt to give it an effective variable interest rate.

As of December 31, 2022, our future debt principal payments are scheduled as follows (in thousands):


Year	Unsecured Notes Payable/Term Loans			Revolving Credit Facility		Total Debt		Average Interest Rate
2023	$	100,000	(1)	$	—	$	100,000	2.3	%
2024	—			—		—		—	%
2025	—			55,000		55,000		5.2	%
2026	—			—		—		—	%
2027	—			—		—		—	%
Thereafter	400,000			—		400,000		4.5	%
Scheduled principal payments	500,000			55,000		555,000		4.2	%

Premiums and discounts, net	(116)			—		(116)
Debt issuance costs, net	(2,525)			—		(2,525)
Total	$	497,359		$	55,000	$	552,359	4.2	%

______________________________

(1)Elme Communities entered into an interest rate swap to effectively fix a LIBOR plus 110 basis points floating interest rate to a 2.31% all-in fixed rate for the remaining $100.0 million portion of the 2018 Term Loan. The interest rates were fixed through the term loan maturity of July 2023. Subsequent to the end of 2022, we prepaid the 2018 Term Loan with proceeds from a $125.0 million unsecured term loan which matures in 2025 ("2023 Term Loan"). The 2023 Term Loan has an interest rate of SOFR (subject to a credit spread adjustment of 10 basis points) plus a margin of 95 basis points. The interest rate swap effectively fixes a $100.0 million potion of the 2023 Term Loan at 2.16% through the interest rate swap's expiration date of July 21, 2023.

The weighted average maturity for our debt was 5.9 years as of December 31, 2022. If principal amounts due at maturity cannot

be refinanced, extended or paid with proceeds of other capital transactions, such as new equity capital, our cash flow may be insufficient to repay all maturing debt. Prevailing interest rates or other factors at the time of a refinancing, such as possible reluctance of lenders to make commercial real estate loans, may result in higher interest rates and increased interest expense or inhibit our ability to finance our obligations.

From time to time, we may seek to repurchase and cancel our outstanding unsecured notes and term loans through open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. Such repurchases, if any, will depend on prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors. The amounts involved may be material.

Debt Covenants

Pursuant to the terms of our Revolving Credit Facility, our term loans and unsecured notes, we are subject to customary operating covenants and maintenance of various financial ratios.

Failure to comply with any of the covenants under our Revolving Credit Facility, our term loans, unsecured notes or other debt instruments could result in a default under one or more of our debt instruments. This could cause our lenders to accelerate the timing of payments and could therefore have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, financial condition and liquidity. In addition, our ability to draw on our Revolving Credit Facility or incur other unsecured debt in the future could be restricted by the debt covenants.

As of December 31, 2022, we were in compliance with the covenants related to our Revolving Credit Facility, 2018 Term Loan and unsecured notes.

Common Equity

We have authorized for issuance 150.0 million common shares, of which approximately 87.5 million shares were outstanding at December 31, 2022.

On February 17, 2021, we entered into separate amendments to each of our existing equity distribution agreements (“Original Equity Distribution Agreements”) with each of Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, BNY Mellon Capital Markets, LLC, Capital One Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. and Truist Securities, Inc. (f/k/a SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc.), each dated May 4, 2018 (collectively, as amended, the “Equity Distribution Agreements”) for our at-the-market program. Also on February 17, 2021, we entered into a separate equity distribution agreement with BTIG, LLC on the same terms as the Amended Equity Distribution Agreements (the “BTIG Equity Distribution Agreement”). On September 22, 2021, BTIG, LLC notified us that it was terminating the BTIG Equity Distribution Agreement, effective as of September 27, 2021. Pursuant to the Equity Distribution Agreements, we may sell, from time to time, up to an aggregate price of $550.0 million of our common shares of beneficial interest, $0.01 par value per share. Issuances of our common shares are made at market prices prevailing at the time of issuance. We may use net proceeds from the issuance of common shares under this program for general business purposes, including, without limitation, working capital, the acquisition, renovation, expansion, improvement, development or redevelopment of income producing properties or the repayment of debt.

Our issuances and net proceeds on the Equity Distribution Agreements in 2022 and 2021 and the Original Equity Distribution Agreements in 2020, respectively, were as follows (in thousands, except per share data):


	Year Ended December 31,
	2022		2021		2020
Issuance of common shares	1,032		1,636		2,046
Weighted average price per share	$	26.27	$	25.44	$	23.86
Net proceeds	$	26,849	40,462		$	48,355

We have a dividend reinvestment program, whereby shareholders may use their dividends and optional cash payments to purchase common shares. The common shares sold under this program may either be common shares issued by us or common shares purchased in the open market.

Our issuances and net proceeds on the dividend reinvestment program for the three years ended December 31, 2022 were as follows (in thousands; except per share data):


	Year Ended December 31,
	2022		2021		2020
Issuance of common shares	47		75		90
Weighted average price per share	$	22.40	$	23.37	$	24.12
Net proceeds	$	1,030	$	1,744	$	2,121

Preferred Equity

Our board of trustees can, at its discretion, authorize the issuance of up to 10.0 million preferred shares. The ability to issue preferred equity provides Elme Communities an additional financing tool that may be used to raise capital for future acquisitions or other business purposes. As of December 31, 2022, no preferred shares are issued and outstanding.

Capital Commitments

We will require capital for development and redevelopment projects currently underway and in the future. We are currently engaged in predevelopment activities for the ground-up development of a residential property on land adjacent to Riverside Apartments. As of December 31, 2022, we had no outstanding contractual commitments related to our development and redevelopment projects and expect to fund less than $1.0 million of total development and redevelopment spending during 2023.

In addition to our development and redevelopment projects, we anticipate funding approximately $30.0 - $35.0 million on several major renovation projects at our residential communities during 2023.

These projects include unit renovations, property technology initiatives, common area and mechanical upgrades, pool deck renovations, facade and retaining wall restorations and fire system and roof replacements. Not all of the anticipated spending had been committed via executed construction contracts at December 31, 2022. We expect to fund these projects using cash generated by our real estate operations, through borrowings on our Revolving Credit Facility, or raising additional debt or equity capital in the public market.

Contractual Obligations

As of December 31, 2022, certain contractual obligations will require significant capital as follows (in thousands):


	Payments due by Period
	Total		Less than 1 year		1-3 years		4-5 years		After 5 years
Long-term debt(1)	$	694,269	$	120,740	$	111,318	$	84,150	$	378,061

______________________________

(1)See notes 6 and 7 of the consolidated financial statements. Amounts include principal, interest and facility fees.

In addition to our long-term debt, we have committed building capital expenditures of $4.9 million in 2023 based on contracts in place as of December 31, 2022, along with other various standing or renewable contracts with vendors. The majority of these contracts can be canceled with immaterial or no cancellation penalties, with the exception of our elevator maintenance agreements and our electricity and gas purchase agreements. Contract terms on leases that can be canceled are generally one year or less.

Historical Cash Flows


	Year ended December 31,						Variance
	2022		2021		2020		2022 vs. 2021		2021 vs. 2020
Cash provided by operating activities	$	73,211	$	89,156	$	112,978	$	(15,945)	$	(23,822)
Cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(241,163)		702,170		65,760		(943,333)		636,410
Cash used in financing activities	(56,416)		(565,396)		(185,199)		508,980		(380,197)

Net cash provided by operating activities decreased in 2022 as compared to 2021 and in 2021 as compared to 2020 primarily due to the sales of the Office Portfolio and the Retail Portfolio during 2021 (see note 3 to the consolidated financial statements) and costs associated with our strategic transformation.

Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities decreased in 2022 as compared to 2021 and increased in 2021 as compared to 2020 primarily due to the sales of the Office Portfolio and the Retail Portfolio during 2021. These were partially offset by the acquisitions of The Oxford and Assembly Eagles Landing during 2021 and acquisitions of Marietta Crossing, Alder Park and Carlyle of Sandy Springs during 2022.

Net cash used in financing activities decreased in 2022 as compared to 2021 primarily due to a higher volume of debt repayments during 2021 and higher net proceeds from equity issuances and lower dividends paid in 2022. Net cash used in financing activities increased in 2021 as compared to 2020 primarily due to the repayment of $300.0 million of unsecured notes and higher net repayments on the Revolving Credit Facility during 2021.

Capital Improvements and Development Costs

Our capital improvement, development and redevelopment costs for the three years ended December 31, 2022 were as follows (in thousands):


	Year Ended December 31,
	2022		2021		2020
Accretive capital improvements and development costs:
Acquisition related improvements	$	5,236	$	7,218	$	10,487
Expansions and major renovations	21,476		17,096		16,561
Development/redevelopment	698		8,406		28,812
Tenant improvements (including first generation leases)	1,337		2,427		21,785
Total accretive capital improvements (1)	28,747		35,147		77,645
Other capital improvements:	8,464		5,669		9,262
Total	$	37,211	$	40,816	$	86,907

______________________________

(1) We consider these capital improvements to be accretive to revenue and not necessarily to net income.

Included in the capital improvement and development costs listed above are capitalized interest in the amount of $0.3 million, $0.8 million and $2.2 million for the three years ended December 31, 2022, respectively, and capitalized employee compensation in the amount of $1.1 million, $1.6 million and $2.0 million for the three years ended December 31, 2022, respectively.

Accretive Capital Improvements

Acquisition Related Improvements: Acquisition related improvements are capital improvements to properties acquired during the preceding three years which were anticipated at the time we acquired the properties. These types of improvements were made in 2022 to the Carlyle of Sandy Springs, Assembly Eagles Landing and The Oxford.

Expansions and Major Renovations: Expansion projects increase the rentable area of a property, while major renovation projects are improvements sufficient to increase the income otherwise achievable at a property. Expansions and major renovations during 2022 included unit, hallway, retaining walls renovations and SmartRent and wifi installations at Assembly Alexandria; retail space conversion into additional units and plaza restoration at The Ashby; unit renovations, roof and heating system replacement at Assembly Dulles; unit and facade renovations and fire alarm system replacement at Riverside Apartments; unit renovations and SmartRent installations at Assembly Manassas and unit renovations, roof awnings and

heating system replacement at The Wellington.

Development/Redevelopment: Development costs represent expenditures for ground up development of new operating properties. Redevelopment costs represent expenditures for improvements intended to reposition properties in their markets and generate more income than would be otherwise achievable. Development/redevelopment costs in 2022 include predevelopment costs for a future residential development adjacent to Riverside Apartments.

Other Capital Improvements

Other capital improvements, also referred to as recurring capital improvements, are those not included in the above categories. Over time these costs will be recurring in nature to maintain a property's income and value. This category includes improvements made as needed upon vacancy of an apartment. Such improvements totaled $6.7 million in 2022, averaging approximately $1,860 per unit for the 41% of units which turned over relative to our total portfolio of apartment homes. Aside from improvements related to apartment turnover, these improvements include facade repairs, installation of new heating and air conditioning equipment, asphalt replacement, permanent landscaping, new lighting and new finishes. In addition, we incurred repair and maintenance expense of $5.0 million during 2022 to maintain the quality of our buildings.

Off Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have no off-balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 2022 that are reasonably likely to have a current or future material effect on our financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements contained in this Form 10-K constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” or “potential” or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases which are predictions of or indicate future events or trends and which do not relate solely to historical matters. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of Elme Communities to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Additional factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Elme Communities to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

(a)the risks associated with ownership of real estate in general and our real estate assets in particular;

(b)the economic health of the areas in which our properties are located, particularly with respect to greater Washington, DC metro and Sunbelt region;

(c)risks associated with our ability to execute on our strategies, including new strategies with respect to our operations and our portfolio, including our ability to realize any anticipated operational benefits from our internalization of community management functions;

(d)the risk of failure to enter into and/or complete contemplated acquisitions and dispositions, or at all, within the price ranges anticipated and on the terms and timing anticipated;

(e)changes in the composition of our portfolio, including the acquisition of apartment homes in the Sunbelt markets;

(f)risks related to changes in interest rates, including the future of the reference rate used in our existing floating rate debt instruments;

(g)reductions in or actual or threatened changes to the timing of federal government spending;

(h)the risks related to use of third-party providers;

(i)the economic health of our residents;

(j)the ultimate duration of the COVID-19 global pandemic, including any mutations thereof, the actions taken to contain the pandemic or mitigate its impact, and the direct and indirect economic effects of the pandemic and containment measures, the effectiveness and willingness of people to take COVID-19 vaccines, and the duration of associated immunity and efficacy of the vaccines against emerging variants of COVID-19;

(k)the impact from macroeconomic factors (including inflation, increases in interest rates, potential economic slowdown or a recession and geopolitical conflicts);

(l)compliance with applicable laws and corporate social responsibility goals, including those concerning the environment

and access by persons with disabilities;

(m)the risks related to not having adequate insurance to cover potential losses;

(n)changes in the market value of securities;

(o)terrorist attacks or actions and/or cyber-attacks;

(p)whether we will succeed in the day-to-day property management and leasing activities that we have previously outsourced;

(q)the availability and terms of financing and capital and the general volatility of securities markets;

(r)the risks related to our organizational structure and limitations of share ownership;

(s)failure to qualify and maintain our qualification as a REIT and the risks of changes in laws affecting REITs; and

(t)other factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors.”

While forward-looking statements reflect our good faith beliefs, they are not guarantees of future performance. For a further discussion of these and other factors that could cause our future results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements, see the section entitled “Risk Factors.” We undertake no obligation to update our forward-looking statements or risk factors to reflect new information, future events, or otherwise.

Funds From Operations

NAREIT FFO is a widely used measure of operating performance for real estate companies. In its 2018 NAREIT FFO White Paper Restatement, the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, Inc. (“NAREIT”) defines NAREIT FFO as net income (computed in accordance with GAAP) excluding gains (or losses) associated with sales of properties; impairments of depreciable real estate, and real estate depreciation and amortization. We consider NAREIT FFO to be a standard supplemental measure for REITs, and believe it is a useful metric because it facilitates an understanding of the operating performance of our properties without giving effect to real estate depreciation and amortization, which historically assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. Since real estate values have instead historically risen or fallen with market conditions, we believe that NAREIT FFO more accurately provides investors an indication of our ability to incur and service debt, make capital expenditures and fund other needs. Our NAREIT FFO may not be comparable to FFO reported by other REITs. These other REITs may not define the term in accordance with the current NAREIT definition or may interpret the current NAREIT definition differently.

The following table provides the calculation of our NAREIT FFO and a reconciliation of NAREIT FFO to net income for the three years ended December 31, 2022 (in thousands):


	Year Ended December 31,
	2022		2021		2020
Net (loss) income	$	(30,868)	$	16,384	$	(15,680)
Adjustments:
Depreciation and amortization	91,722		72,656		70,336

Loss on sale of depreciable real estate, net	—		—		15,009

Discontinued operations:
Depreciation and amortization	—		22,904		49,694
Gain on sale of depreciable real estate, net	—		(46,441)		—
NAREIT FFO	$	60,854	$	65,503	$	119,359

Critical Accounting Estimates

We base the discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. We evaluate these estimates on an on-going basis, including those related to estimated useful lives of real estate assets, estimated fair value of acquired leases, cost reimbursement income, bad debts, contingencies and litigation. We base the estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. We cannot assure you that actual results will not differ from those estimates.

We believe the following accounting estimates are the most critical to aid in fully understanding our reported financial results,

and they require our most difficult, subjective or complex judgments, resulting from the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain.

Accounting for Asset Acquisitions

We allocate the purchase price, including transaction costs, of acquired assets, including physical assets and in-place leases, and assumed liabilities, based on their fair values. We determine the estimated fair values of the assets and liabilities in accordance with current GAAP fair value provisions. We determine the fair values of acquired buildings on an “as-if-vacant” basis considering a variety of factors, including the replacement cost of the property, estimated rental and absorption rates, estimated future cash flows and valuation assumptions consistent with current market conditions. We determine the fair value of land acquired based on comparisons to similar properties that have been recently marketed for sale or sold.

The fair value of in-place leases is based upon our evaluation of the specific characteristics of the leases. Factors considered in the fair value analysis include the estimated cost to replace the leases, including foregone rents and expense reimbursements during hypothetical expected lease-up periods (referred to as “absorption cost”), consideration of current market conditions and costs to execute similar leases. We classify absorption costs as other assets and amortize absorption costs as amortization expense on a straight-line basis over the remaining life of the underlying leases.

Real Estate Impairment

We recognize impairment losses on long-lived assets used in operations, development assets or land held for future development, if indicators of impairment are present and the net undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the assets' carrying amount. Estimates of undiscounted cash flows are based on forward-looking assumptions, including annual and residual cash flows and our estimated holding period for each property. Such assumptions involve a high degree of judgment and could be affected by future economic and market conditions. When determining if a property has indicators of impairment, we evaluate the property's occupancy, our expected holding period for the property, strategic decisions regarding the property's future operations or development and other market factors. If such carrying amount is in excess of the estimated undiscounted cash flows from the operation and disposal of the property, we would recognize an impairment loss equivalent to an amount required to adjust the carrying amount to its estimated fair value, calculated in accordance with current GAAP fair value provisions. Assets held for sale are recorded at the lower of cost or fair value less costs to sell.

ITEM 7A: QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

The principal material financial market risk to which we are exposed is interest rate risk. Our exposure to interest rate risk relates primarily to refinancing long-term fixed rate obligations, the opportunity cost of fixed rate obligations in a falling interest rate environment and our variable rate line of credit. We primarily enter into debt obligations to support general corporate purposes, including acquisition of real estate properties, capital improvements and working capital needs. We use interest rate swap arrangements to reduce our exposure to the variability in future cash flows attributable to changes in interest rates.

The table below presents principal, interest and related weighted average interest rates by year of maturity, with respect to debt outstanding on December 31, 2022 (dollars in thousands).


	2023			2024			2025			2026			2027			Thereafter			Total			Fair Value
Unsecured fixed rate debt (1)
Principal (2)	$	100,000		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	400,000		$	500,000		$	454,564
Interest payments	$	19,340		$	17,995		$	17,995		$	17,995		$	17,995		$	44,216		$	135,536
Interest rate on debt maturities	2.3		%	—		%	—		%	—		%	—		%	4.5		%	4.2		%
Unsecured variable rate debt
Principal	$	—		$	—		$	55,000		$	—		—			$	—		$	55,000		$	55,000
Variable interest rate on debt maturities							5.2		%										5.2		%

______________________________

(1) Includes a $100.0 million term loan with a floating interest rate. The interest rate on the $100.0 million term loan is effectively fixed by interest rate swap arrangements at 2.31%. Subsequent to the end of 2022, we prepaid the 2018 Term Loan with proceeds from the $125.0 million 2023 Term Loan which matures in 2025.

(2) Subsequent to the end of 2022, we executed an amendment to our revolving credit facility to convert the benchmark interest rate from LIBOR to an adjusted SOFR, with no change in the applicable interest rate margins.

We entered into the interest rate swap arrangements designated and qualifying as cash flow hedges to reduce our exposure to the variability in future cash flows attributable to changes in interest rates. Derivative instruments expose us to credit risk in the event of non-performance by the counterparty under the terms of the interest rate hedge agreement. We believe that we minimize our credit risk on these transactions by dealing with major, creditworthy financial institutions. As part of our ongoing control procedures, we monitor the credit ratings of counterparties and our exposure to any single entity, thus minimizing our credit risk concentration.

The following table sets forth information pertaining to interest rate swap contract in place as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 and its respective fair value (dollars in thousands):

Notional Amount

Floating Index Rate

Termination/

Fair Value as of:

Fixed Rate

Effective Date

Expiration Date

December 31, 2022

December 31, 2021

100,000

1.205%

One Month USD-LIBOR

3/31/2017

7/21/2023

1,998

(821)

We enter into debt obligations primarily to support general corporate purposes including acquisition of real estate properties, capital improvements and working capital needs.

ITEM 8: FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA


The financial statements and supplementary data appearing on pages 80 to 114 are incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 9: CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

None.

ITEM 9A: CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our Securities Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures.

We carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2022. Based on the foregoing, our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at a reasonable assurance level.

Internal Control over Financial Reporting

See the Report of Management in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

See the Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

During the three months ended December 31, 2022, there was no change in our internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

ITEM 9B: OTHER INFORMATION

Retirement of Chief Financial Officer

As previously reported, on November 8, 2022, Stephen E. Riffee, the Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, provided notice to Elme of his intention to retire at the end of February 2023. Mr. Riffee’s retirement will be effective as of February 28, 2023. In recognition of Mr. Riffee’s service to the Company, the Company has agreed to subsidize Mr. Riffee’s COBRA premium for seven months, subject to Mr. Riffee’s execution of a general release of claims against Elme (the “Release Agreement”), which was executed on February 15, 2023. The Release Agreement also contains confidentiality and other customary provisions. Additionally, pursuant to the Release Agreement, Mr. Riffee has agreed to reasonably cooperate with and provide information to Elme upon request, and he will receive reasonable and necessary expenses in connection therewith.

The foregoing description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Release Agreement, which is filed as Exhibit 10.27 hereto and is incorporated by reference.

Appointment of Chief Financial Officer

On February 14, 2023, further to the Company’s previously announced transition arrangement, as disclosed on its Current Report on Form 8-K filed on November 9, 2022, the Board appointed Steven M. Freishtat as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company effective as of March 1, 2023 (following Mr. Riffee’s retirement). In connection with such appointment, Mr. Freishtat will participate in Elme Communities’ executive compensation program, including the Officer STIP (with threshold, target and high award opportunities of 41%, 75% and 133%, respectively, of his base salary) and Officer

LTIP (with threshold, target and high award opportunities of 95%, 125% and 196%, respectively, of his base salary), effective as of the performance period beginning January 1, 2023. Additionally, Mr. Freishtat’s base annual salary will be $325,000, effective March 1, 2023. Mr. Frieshtat is also eligible to participate in the Company’s Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan and has executed a change in control agreement, substantively in the form as the Form of Change in Control Agreement (as defined below), providing for among other benefits, a lump sum payment equal to two times his base salary in effect at the time termination, a lump sum payment equal to two times his average bonus for the three years preceding the termination and up to 18 months of continued health care coverage.

A description of the material terms of the executive compensation program can be found in the sections entitled “Short-Term Incentive Plan (STIP),” “Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP),” and “Other Executive Compensation Components” in the Company’s definitive proxy statement, dated April 15, 2022, which was filed on April 15, 2022, which descriptions are incorporated herein by reference, and in “Amendment to Executive Officer Short-Term Incentive Plan and Long-Term Incentive Plan” below.

In connection Mr. Freishtat’s appointment, the Company entered into an indemnification agreement with Mr. Freishtat, effective as of March 1, 2023. Subject to certain terms and conditions, the indemnification agreement generally requires the Company to indemnify Mr. Freishtat against any and all judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by or on behalf of Mr. Freishtat in connection with any threatened, pending or completed legal proceeding arising by reason of his status as an officer of Elme. The description is not complete and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the Form of Indemnification Agreement filed as Exhibit 10(nn) to Washington REIT’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on July 27, 2009 and is incorporated herein by reference.

Amendment to Executive Officer Short-Term Incentive Plan and Long-Term Incentive Plan

On February 14, 2023, the Board approved amendments to both the Amended and Restated Executive Officer Short-Term Incentive Plan (the “Officer STIP”) and the Amended and Restated Executive Officer Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “Officer LTIP”). Upon adoption by the Board, both amendments became effective for performance periods beginning on or after January 1, 2023. The amendment to the Officer STIP, revises the Officer STIP to, among other things, reflect the Company’s name change, remove the hardwired award percentages, and add a provision for calculating an award if a participant’s employment is terminated under certain circumstances prior to the establishment of such participant’s award percentages for the then-current performance period. The amendment to the Officer LTIP, among other things, makes corresponding changes as described above for the Officer STIP, establishes that, upon a qualifying termination, achievement of any strategic goal equity grant shall be determined based on actual levels of achievement on the date of such termination, and that upon a change in control, any strategic goal equity grant will vest at the greater of target level and actual level of attainment of the strategic goals as of the change of control.

A description of the material terms of the executive compensation program prior to these amendments can be found in the sections entitled “Short-Term Incentive Plan (STIP)” and “Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP)” in the Company’s definitive proxy statement, dated April 15, 2022, which was filed on April 15, 2022, which descriptions are incorporated herein by reference.

The foregoing descriptions are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of Amendment Number One to the Amended and Restated Executive Officer Short-Term Incentive Plan and Amendment Number One to the Amended and Restated Executive Officer Long-Term Incentive Plan, which are filed as Exhibits 10.30 and 10.29 hereto, respectively, and are incorporated by reference.

Updates to Form of Change in Control Agreement

The Company previously adopted a form of change in control agreement (the “CIC Form Agreement”) for certain key officers. On February 14, 2023, the Board approved several updates to the form as reflected in a new form of CIC Form Agreement (the “Form of Change in Control Agreement”) to, among other changes, reflect the Company’s name change, provide for payment of certain termination benefits in a lump sum, require execution of a release in connection with receipt of payment of termination benefits, and eliminate the partial reduction of the termination benefit in circumstances when such employee continues to be employed by the Company for some period of time following a change in control. The Form of Change in Control Agreement is expected to be used for new key officers, including the new Chief Financial Officer, as described above.

In connection with the approval of the Form of Change in Control Agreement, the Board entered into amendments to the existing change in control agreement (each, a “CIC Agreement”) of Paul T. McDermott and Susan L. Gerock (each, an “Executive”). As amended, each CIC Agreement will require the Executive to execute a release in connection with receipt of payment of termination benefits and will eliminate the partial reduction of the termination benefit in circumstances when the Executive continues to be employed by the Company for some period of time following a change in control.

The foregoing descriptions are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of the Form of Change in Control

Agreement, Amendment No. 1 To Change in Control Agreement with Paul T. McDermott and Amendment No. 1 To the Change in Control Agreement with Susan L. Gerock, which are filed as Exhibits 10.28, 10.18 and 10.23 hereto, respectively, and are incorporated by reference.

A description of the material terms of the Mr. McDermott and Ms. Gerock’s change in control agreements prior to these amendments can be found in the section entitled “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control” in the Company’s definitive proxy statement, dated April 15, 2022, which was filed on April 15, 2022, which description is incorporated herein by reference.

Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations

The following is a summary of certain material U.S. federal income tax considerations relating to our qualification and taxation as a real estate investment trust, a “REIT,” and the acquisition, holding, and disposition of (i) our common shares, preferred shares and depositary shares (together with common shares and preferred shares, the “shares”) as well as our warrants and rights, and (ii) certain debt securities that we may offer (together with the shares, the “securities”). For purposes of this discussion, references to “our Company,” “we” and “us” mean only Elme Communities and not its subsidiaries or affiliates. This summary is based upon the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (the “Code”), the Treasury Regulations, rulings and other administrative interpretations and practices of the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) (including administrative interpretations and practices expressed in private letter rulings, which are binding on the IRS only with respect to the particular taxpayers who requested and received those rulings), and judicial decisions, all as currently in effect, and all of which are subject to differing interpretations or to change, possibly with retroactive effect. No assurance can be given that the IRS would not assert, or that a court would not sustain, a position contrary to any of the tax consequences described below. We have not sought and will not seek an advance ruling from the IRS regarding any matter discussed in this section. The summary is also based upon the assumption that we will operate the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliated entities in accordance with their applicable organizational documents. This summary is for general information only, and does not purport to discuss all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be important to a particular investor in light of its investment or tax circumstances, or to investors subject to special tax rules, including:

•tax-exempt organizations, except to the extent discussed below in “—Taxation of U.S. Shareholders—Taxation of Tax-Exempt Shareholders” and “Taxation of Holders of Debt Securities-Tax-Exempt Holders of Debt Securities,”

•broker-dealers,

•non-U.S. corporations, non-U.S. partnerships, non-U.S. trusts, non-U.S. estates, or individuals who are not taxed as citizens or residents of the United States, all of which may be referred to collectively as “non-U.S. persons,” except to the extent discussed below in “—Taxation of Non-U.S. Shareholders” and “—Taxation of Holders of Debt Securities—Non-U.S. Holders of Debt Securities,”

•trusts and estates,

•regulated investment companies (“RICs”)

•REITs, financial institutions,

•insurance companies,

•subchapter S corporations,

•foreign (non-U.S.) governments,

•persons subject to the alternative minimum tax provisions of the Code,

•persons holding the shares as part of a “hedge,” “straddle,” “conversion,” “synthetic security” or other integrated investment,

•persons holding the shares through a partnership or similar pass-through entity,

•persons with a “functional currency” other than the U.S. dollar,

•persons holding 10% or more (by vote or value) of the beneficial interest in us, except to the extent discussed below,

•persons who do not hold the shares as a “capital asset,” within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code,

•corporations subject to the provisions of Section 7874 of the Code,

•U.S. expatriates

•persons required for U.S. federal income tax purposes to accelerate the recognition of any item of gross income as a result of such income being recognized on an applicable financial statement, or

•persons otherwise subject to special tax treatment under the Code.

This summary does not address state, local or non-U.S. tax considerations. This summary also does not consider tax considerations that may be relevant with respect to securities we may issue, or selling security holders may sell, other than our shares and certain debt instruments described below. Each time we or selling security holders sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that sale and may add to, modify or update the discussion below, as appropriate.

Each prospective investor is advised to consult his or her tax advisor to determine the impact of his or her personal tax situation on the anticipated tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and sale of our shares, warrants, rights and/or debt securities. This includes the U.S. federal, state, local, foreign and other tax considerations of the ownership and sale of our shares, warrants, rights and/or debt securities, and the potential changes in applicable tax laws.

Taxation of the Company as a REIT

We elected to be taxed as a REIT, commencing with our first taxable year ended December 31, 1960. A REIT generally is not subject to U.S. federal income tax on the “REIT taxable income” (generally, taxable income of the REIT subject to specified adjustments, including a deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gain) that it distributes to shareholders, provided that the REIT meets the annual REIT distribution requirement and the other requirements for qualification as a REIT under the Code. We believe that we are organized and have operated, and we intend to continue to operate, in a manner so as to qualify for taxation as a REIT under the Code. However, qualification and taxation as a REIT depend upon our ability to meet the various qualification tests imposed under the Code, including (through our actual annual (or in some cases quarterly) operating results) requirements relating to income, asset ownership, distribution levels and diversity of share ownership. Given the complex nature of the REIT qualification requirements, the ongoing importance of factual determinations and the possibility of future changes in our circumstances, we cannot provide any assurances that we will be organized or operated in a manner so as to satisfy the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code, or that we will meet such requirements in the future. See “—Failure to Qualify as a REIT.”

The sections of the Code that relate to our qualification and taxation as a REIT are highly technical and complex. This discussion sets forth the material aspects of the Code sections that govern the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a REIT and its shareholders. This summary is qualified in its entirety by the applicable Code provisions, relevant rules and Treasury Regulations, and related administrative and judicial interpretations.

Taxation of REITs in General

For each taxable year in which we qualify for taxation as a REIT, we generally will not be subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax on our “REIT taxable income” (generally, taxable income subject to specified adjustments, including a deduction for dividends paid and excluding our net capital gain) that is distributed currently to our shareholders. This treatment substantially eliminates the “double taxation” at the corporate and shareholder levels that generally results from an investment in a non-REIT C corporation. A non-REIT C corporation is a corporation that generally is required to pay tax at the corporate level. Double taxation means taxation once at the corporate level when income is earned and once again at the shareholder level when the income is distributed. In general, the income that we generate is taxed only at the shareholder level upon a distribution of dividends to our shareholders.

U.S. shareholders generally will be subject to taxation on dividends distributed by us (other than designated capital gain dividends and “qualified dividend income”) at rates applicable to ordinary income, instead of at lower capital gain rates. For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2026, generally, U.S. shareholders that are individuals, trusts or estates may deduct 20% of the aggregate amount of ordinary dividends distributed by us, subject to certain limitations. Capital gain dividends and qualified dividend income will continue to be subject to a maximum 20% rate (excluding the 3.8% tax on “net investment

income”).

Any net operating losses, foreign tax credits and other tax attributes of a REIT generally do not pass through to our shareholders, subject to special rules for certain items such as the net capital gain that we recognize.

Even if we qualify for taxation as a REIT, we will be subject to U.S. federal income tax in the following circumstances:

1.We will be taxed at regular corporate rates on any undistributed “REIT taxable income,” including any undistributed net capital gain. REIT taxable income is the taxable income of the REIT subject to specified adjustments, including a deduction for dividends paid.

2.If we have (1) net income from the sale or other disposition of “foreclosure property” that is held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business, or (2) other non-qualifying income from foreclosure property, such income will be subject to tax at the highest corporate rate.

3.Our net income from “prohibited transactions” will be subject to a 100% penalty tax. In general, prohibited transactions are sales or other dispositions of property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business, other than foreclosure property.

4.If we fail to satisfy either the 75% gross income test or the 95% gross income test, as discussed below, but our failure is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect and we nonetheless maintain our qualification as a REIT because we satisfy specified cure provisions, we will be subject to a 100% tax on an amount equal to (a) the greater of (1) the amount by which we fail the 75% gross income test or (2) the amount by which we fail the 95% gross income test, as the case may be, multiplied by (b) a fraction intended to reflect our profitability.

5.We will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the excess of the required calendar year distribution over the sum of the amounts actually distributed, excess distributions from the preceding tax year and amounts retained for which U.S. federal income tax was paid. The required distribution for each calendar year is equal to the sum of:

•85% of our REIT ordinary income for the year;

•95% of our REIT capital gain net income for the year, other than capital gains we elect to retain and pay tax on as described below; and

•any undistributed taxable income from prior taxable years.

6.We will be subject to a 100% penalty tax on certain rental income we receive when a taxable REIT subsidiary provides services to our tenants, on certain expenses deducted by a taxable REIT subsidiary on payments made to us and on income for services rendered to us by a taxable REIT subsidiary, if the arrangements among us, our tenants, and our taxable REIT subsidiary do not reflect arm’s-length terms.

7.If we acquire any assets from a non-REIT C corporation in a carry-over basis transaction, we would be liable for corporate income tax, at the highest applicable corporate rate, on the “built-in gain” inherent in those assets if we disposed of those assets within five years after they were acquired. To the extent that assets are transferred to us in a carry-over basis transaction by a partnership in which a non-REIT C corporation owns an interest, we will be subject to this tax in proportion to the non-REIT C corporation’s interest in the partnership. Built-in gain is the amount by which an asset’s fair market value exceeds its adjusted tax basis at the time we acquire the asset. The results described in this paragraph assume that the non-REIT C corporation or partnership transferor will not elect, in lieu of this treatment, to be subject to an immediate tax when the asset is acquired by us.

8.We may elect to retain and pay U.S. federal income tax on our net long-term capital gain. In that case, a U.S. shareholder would include its proportionate share of our undistributed long-term capital gain (to the extent that we make a timely designation of such gain to the shareholder) in its income, would be deemed to have paid the tax we paid on such gain, and would be allowed a credit for its proportionate share of the tax deemed to have been paid, and an adjustment would be made to increase the basis of the U.S. shareholder in our common shares.

9.If we violate an asset test (other than certain de minimis violations) or other requirements applicable to REITs, as described below, but our failure is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect and we nevertheless maintain our REIT qualification because we satisfy specified cure provisions, we will be subject to a tax equal to the greater of $50,000 or the amount determined by multiplying the net income generated by such non-qualifying assets by the highest rate of tax applicable to non-REIT C corporations during periods when owning such assets would have caused

us to fail the relevant asset test.

10.If we fail to satisfy a requirement under the Code and the failure would result in the loss of our REIT qualification, other than a failure to satisfy a gross income test or an asset test, as described above, but nonetheless maintain our qualification as a REIT because the requirements of certain relief provisions are satisfied, we will be subject to a penalty of $50,000 for each such failure.

11.If we fail to comply with the requirement to send annual letters to our shareholders requesting information regarding the actual ownership of our shares and the failure was not due to reasonable cause or was due to willful neglect, we will be subject to a $25,000 penalty or, if the failure is intentional, a $50,000 penalty.

12.The earnings of any subsidiaries that are non-REIT C corporations, including any taxable REIT subsidiaries, are subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax.

Notwithstanding our qualification as a REIT, we and our subsidiaries may be subject to a variety of taxes, including payroll taxes and state, local, and foreign income, property and other taxes on our assets, operations and/or net worth. We could also be subject to tax in situations and on transactions not presently contemplated.

Requirements for Qualification as a REIT

The Code defines a “REIT” as a corporation, trust or association:

(1)that is managed by one or more trustees or directors;

(2)that issues transferable shares or transferable certificates to evidence its beneficial ownership;

(3)that would be taxable as a domestic corporation, but for Sections 856 through 859 of the Code;

(4)that is neither a financial institution nor an insurance company within the meaning of certain provisions of the Code;

(5)that is beneficially owned by 100 or more persons;

(6)not more than 50% in value of the outstanding shares or other beneficial interest of which is owned, actually or constructively, by five or fewer individuals (as defined in the Code to include certain entities and as determined by applying certain attribution rules) during the last half of each taxable year;

(7)that makes an election to be a REIT for the current taxable year, or has made such an election for a previous taxable year that has not been revoked or terminated, and that satisfies all relevant filing and other administrative requirements established by the IRS that must be met to elect and maintain REIT status;

(8)that uses a calendar year for U.S. federal income tax purposes;

(9)that meets other applicable tests, described below, regarding the nature of its income and assets and the amount of its distributions; and

(10)that has no earnings and profits from any non-REIT taxable year at the close of any taxable year.

The Code provides that conditions (1), (2), (3) and (4) above must be met during the entire taxable year and condition (5) above must be met during at least 335 days of a taxable year of 12 months, or during a proportionate part of a taxable year of less than 12 months. Conditions (5) and (6) do not apply until after the first taxable year for which an election is made to be taxed as a REIT. Condition (6) must be met during the last half of each taxable year. For purposes of determining share ownership under condition (6) above, a supplemental unemployment compensation benefits plan, a private foundation or a portion of a trust permanently set aside or used exclusively for charitable purposes generally is considered an individual. However, a trust that is a qualified trust under Code Section 401(a) generally is not considered an individual, and beneficiaries of a qualified trust are treated as holding shares of a REIT in proportion to their actuarial interests in the trust for purposes of condition (6) above.

We believe that we have been organized, have operated and have issued sufficient shares of beneficial interest with sufficient diversity of ownership to allow us to satisfy the above conditions. In addition, our declaration of trust contains restrictions regarding the transfer of shares of beneficial interest that are intended to assist us in continuing to satisfy the share ownership

requirements described in conditions (5) and (6) above. If we fail to satisfy these share ownership requirements, we will fail to qualify as a REIT unless we qualify for certain relief provisions described below under “—Requirements for Qualification as a REIT-Relief from Violations; Reasonable Cause.”

To monitor our compliance with condition (6) above, we are generally required to maintain records regarding the actual ownership of our shares. To do so, we must demand written statements each year from the record holders of specified percentages of our shares pursuant to which the record holders must disclose the actual owners of the shares (i.e., the persons required to include in gross income the dividends paid by us). We must maintain a list of those persons failing or refusing to comply with this demand as part of our records. We could be subject to monetary penalties if we fail to comply with these record-keeping requirements. A shareholder that fails or refuses to comply with the demand is required by Treasury Regulations to submit a statement with its tax return disclosing the actual ownership of our shares and other information. If we comply with the record-keeping requirement and we do not know or, exercising reasonable diligence, would not have known of our failure to meet condition (6) above, then we will be treated as having met condition (6) above.

To qualify as a REIT, we cannot have at the end of any taxable year any undistributed earnings and profits that are attributable to a non-REIT taxable year. We elected to be taxed as a REIT beginning with our first taxable year in 1960 and we have not succeeded to any earnings and profits of a regular corporation. Therefore, we do not believe we have had any undistributed non-REIT earnings and profits.

Relief from Violations; Reasonable Cause

The Code provides relief from violations of the REIT gross income requirements, as described below under “—Requirements for Qualification as a REIT—Gross Income Tests,” in cases where a violation is due to reasonable cause and not to willful neglect, and other requirements are met, including the payment of a penalty tax that is based upon the magnitude of the violation. In addition, certain provisions of the Code extend similar relief in the case of certain violations of the REIT asset requirements (see “—Requirements for Qualification as a REIT—Asset Tests” below) and other REIT requirements, again provided that the violation is due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, and other conditions are met, including the payment of a penalty tax. If we did not have reasonable cause for a failure, we would fail to qualify as a REIT. Whether we would have reasonable cause for any such failure cannot be known with certainty, because the determination of whether reasonable cause exists depends on the facts and circumstances at the time and we cannot provide any assurance that we in fact would have reasonable cause for a particular failure or that the IRS would not successfully challenge our view that a failure was due to reasonable cause. Moreover, we may be unable to actually rectify a failure and restore asset test compliance within the required timeframe due to the inability to transfer or otherwise dispose of assets, including as a result of restrictions on transfer imposed by our lenders or undertakings with our co-investors and/or the inability to acquire additional qualifying assets due to transaction risks, access to additional capital or other considerations. If we fail to satisfy any of the various REIT requirements, there can be no assurance that these relief provisions would be available to enable us to maintain our qualification as a REIT, and, if such relief provisions are available, the amount of any resultant penalty tax could be substantial.

Effect of Subsidiary Entities

Ownership of Partnership Interests. In the case of a REIT that is a partner in an entity that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, Treasury Regulations provide that the REIT is deemed to own its proportionate share of the partnership’s assets, and to earn its proportionate share of the partnership’s income, for purposes of the asset and gross income tests applicable to REITs, as described below. A REIT’s proportionate share of a partnership’s assets and income is based on the REIT’s pro rata share of the capital interests in the partnership. The Company’s capital interest in a partnership is calculated based on either the Company’s percentage ownership of the capital of the partnership or based on the allocations provided in the applicable partnership or limited liability company operating agreement, using the more conservative calculation. However, solely for purposes of the 10% value test, described below, the determination of a REIT’s interest in the partnership’s assets is based on the REIT’s proportionate interest in the equity and certain debt securities issued by the partnership. In addition, the assets and gross income of the partnership are deemed to retain the same character in the hands of the REIT. Thus, our proportionate share of the assets and items of income of any of our subsidiary partnerships, which include the assets, liabilities, and items of income of any partnership in which our subsidiary partnership holds an interest, are treated as our assets and items of income for purposes of applying the REIT requirements.

Any investment in partnerships involves special tax considerations, including the possibility of a challenge by the IRS of the status of any subsidiary partnership as a partnership, as opposed to an association taxable as a corporation, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If any of these entities were treated as an association for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it would be taxable as a corporation and therefore could be subject to an entity-level tax on its income. In such a situation, the character of our assets and items of gross income would change and could preclude us from satisfying the REIT asset tests or the gross

income tests as discussed in “—Requirements for Qualification as a REIT—Asset Tests” and “—Requirements for Qualification as a REIT—Gross Income Tests,” and in turn could prevent us from qualifying as a REIT, unless we are eligible for relief from the violation pursuant to relief provisions. See “—Requirements for Qualification as a REIT—Relief from Violations; Reasonable Cause” above, and “—Requirements for Qualification as a REIT—Gross Income Tests,” “—Requirements for Qualification as a REIT—Asset Tests” and “—Requirements for Qualification as a REIT— Failure to Qualify as a REIT,” below, for discussion of the effect of failure to satisfy the REIT tests for a taxable year, and of the relief provisions. In addition, any change in the status of any subsidiary partnership for tax purposes might be treated as a taxable event, in which case we could have taxable income that is subject to the REIT distribution requirements without receiving any cash.

Under the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, liability is imposed on the partnership (rather than its partners) for adjustments to reported partnership taxable income resulting from audits or other tax proceedings. The liability can include an imputed underpayment of tax, calculated by using the highest marginal U.S. federal income tax rate, as well as interest and penalties on such imputed underpayment of tax. Using certain rules, partnerships may be able to transfer these liabilities to their partners. In

the event any adjustments are imposed by the IRS on the taxable income reported by any subsidiary partnerships, we intend to utilize certain rules to the extent possible to allow us to transfer any liability with respect to such adjustments to the partners of the subsidiary partnerships who should properly bear such liability. However, there is no assurance that we will qualify under those rules or that we will have the authority to use those rules under the operating agreements for certain of our subsidiary partnerships.

We may from time to time be a limited partner or non-managing member in some of our partnerships and limited liability companies. If a partnership or limited liability company in which we own an interest takes or expects to take actions that could jeopardize our status as a REIT or requires us to pay tax, we may be forced to dispose of our interest in such entity. In addition, it is possible that a partnership or limited liability company could take an action which could cause us to fail a gross income or asset test, and that we would not become aware of such action in time to dispose of our interest in the partnership or limited liability company or take other corrective action on a timely basis. In that case, we could fail to qualify as a REIT unless we were entitled to relief, as described below.

Ownership of Disregarded Subsidiaries. If a REIT owns a corporate subsidiary that is a “qualified REIT subsidiary,” or QRS, that subsidiary is generally disregarded for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and all assets, liabilities and items of income, deduction and credit of the subsidiary are treated as assets, liabilities and items of income, deduction and credit of the REIT itself, including for purposes of the gross income and asset tests applicable to REITs, as described below. A QRS is any corporation, other than a taxable REIT subsidiary, that is directly or indirectly wholly owned by a REIT. Other entities that are wholly owned by us, including single member limited liability companies that have not elected to be taxed as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes, are also generally disregarded as separate entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes, including for purposes of the REIT income and asset tests. Disregarded subsidiaries, along with any partnerships in which we hold an equity interest, are sometimes referred to herein as “pass-through subsidiaries.”

In the event that a disregarded subsidiary ceases to be wholly owned by us (for example, if any equity interest in the subsidiary is acquired by a person other than us or another disregarded subsidiary of ours) the subsidiary’s separate existence would no longer be disregarded for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Instead, the subsidiary would have multiple owners and would be treated as either a partnership or a taxable corporation. Such an event could, depending on the circumstances, adversely affect our ability to satisfy the various asset and gross income requirements applicable to REITs, including the requirement that REITs generally may not own, directly or indirectly, more than 10% of the securities of another corporation unless it is a taxable REIT subsidiary or a QRS. See “—Requirements for Qualification as a REIT—Gross Income Tests” and “—Requirements for Qualification as a REIT—Asset Tests.”

Ownership of Interests in Taxable REIT Subsidiaries. Our taxable REIT subsidiary (and any taxable REIT subsidiary we may form in the future) is a corporation other than a REIT in which we directly or indirectly hold stock, and that has made a joint election with us to be treated as a taxable REIT subsidiary under Section 856(l) of the Code. A taxable REIT subsidiary also includes any corporation other than a REIT in which a taxable REIT subsidiary of ours owns, directly or indirectly, securities (other than certain “straight debt” securities), which represent more than 35% of the total voting power or value of the outstanding securities of such corporation. Other than some activities relating to lodging and health care facilities, a taxable REIT subsidiary may generally engage in any business, including the provision of customary or non-customary services to our tenants without causing us to receive impermissible tenant service income under the REIT gross income tests. A taxable REIT subsidiary is required to pay regular U.S. federal income tax, and state and local income tax where applicable, as a regular corporation. In addition, a taxable REIT subsidiary may be prevented from deducting interest on debt, including debt funded directly or indirectly by us, if certain tests are not satisfied. If dividends are paid to us by our taxable REIT subsidiary, then a portion of the dividends we distribute to shareholders who are taxed at individual rates will generally be eligible for taxation at lower capital gains rates, rather than at ordinary income rates. See “—Taxation of U.S. Shareholders—Taxation of Taxable U.S.

Shareholders-Qualified Dividend Income.”

Generally, a taxable REIT subsidiary can perform impermissible tenant services without causing us to receive impermissible tenant services income under the REIT income tests. However, several provisions applicable to the arrangements between us and our taxable REIT subsidiary ensure that such taxable REIT subsidiary will be subject to an appropriate level of U.S. federal income taxation. For example, taxable REIT subsidiaries are limited in their ability to deduct interest payments in excess of a certain amount, including interest payments made directly or indirectly to us, as described below in “—Annual Distribution Requirements.” In addition, we will be obligated to pay a 100% penalty tax on some payments we receive or on certain expenses deducted by our taxable REIT subsidiary, and on income earned by our taxable REIT subsidiary for services provided to, or on behalf of, us, if the economic arrangements between us, our tenants and such taxable REIT subsidiary are not comparable to similar arrangements among unrelated parties. Our taxable REIT subsidiary, and any future taxable REIT subsidiaries acquired by us, may make interest and other payments to us and to third parties in connection with activities related to our properties. There can be no assurance that our taxable REIT subsidiary will not be limited in its ability to deduct interest payments made to us. In addition, there can be no assurance that the IRS might not seek to impose the 100% excise tax on a portion of payments received by us from, or expenses deducted by, or service income imputed to, our taxable REIT subsidiary.

We own one subsidiary that has elected to be treated as taxable REIT subsidiaries for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Our taxable REIT subsidiary is taxable as a regular corporation and has elected, together with us, to be treated as our taxable REIT subsidiary. We may elect, together with other corporations in which we may own directly or indirectly stock, for those corporations to be treated as our taxable REIT subsidiaries.

Gross Income Tests

To qualify as a REIT, we must satisfy two gross income tests that are applied on an annual basis. First, in each taxable year, at least 75% of our gross income (excluding gross income from prohibited transactions, certain hedging transactions, as described below, and certain foreign currency transactions) must be derived from investments relating to real property or mortgages on real property, generally including:

•“rents from real property”;

•dividends or other distributions on, and gain from the sale of, shares in other REITs;

•gain from the sale of real property or mortgages on real property, in either case, not held for sale to customers;

•interest income derived from mortgage loans secured by real property; and

•income attributable to temporary investments of new capital in stocks and debt instruments during the one-year period following our receipt of new capital that we raise through equity offerings or issuance of debt obligations with at least a five-year term.

Second, at least 95% of our gross income in each taxable year (excluding gross income from prohibited transactions, certain hedging transactions, as described below, and certain foreign currency transactions) must be derived from some combination of income that qualifies under the 75% gross income test described above, as well as other income sources generally including (a) other dividends, (b) interest (including interest income from debt instruments issued by publicly offered REITs), and (c) gain from the sale or disposition of stock or securities (including gain from the sale or other disposition of debt instruments issued by publicly offered REITs), in either case, not held for sale to customers.

Gross income from certain hedging transactions is excluded from gross income for purposes of the 95% gross income requirement. Similarly, gross income from certain hedging transactions is excluded from gross income for purposes of the 75% gross income test. Income from, and gain from the termination of, certain hedging transactions, where the property or indebtedness that was the subject of the prior hedging transaction was extinguished or disposed of, also will be excluded from gross income for purposes of either the 75% gross income test or the 95% gross income test. See “—Requirements for Qualification as a REIT—Gross Income Tests—Income from Hedging Transactions.”

Rents from Real Property. Rents we receive will qualify as “rents from real property” for the purpose of satisfying the gross income requirements for a REIT described above only if several conditions are met. These conditions relate to the identity of the tenant, the computation of the rent payable, and the nature of the property lease.

•First, the amount of rent must not be based in whole or in part on the income or profits of any person. However, an

amount we receive or accrue generally will not be excluded from the term “rents from real property” solely by reason of being based on a fixed percentage or percentages of receipts or sales;

•Second, we, or an actual or constructive owner of 10% or more of our shares, must not actually or constructively own 10% or more of the interests in the tenant, or, if the tenant is a corporation, 10% or more of the voting power or value of all classes of stock of the tenant. Rents received from such tenant that is a taxable REIT subsidiary, however, will not be excluded from the definition of “rents from real property” as a result of this condition if either (i) at least 90% of the space at the property to which the rents relate is leased to third parties, and the rents paid by the taxable REIT subsidiary are comparable to rents paid by our other tenants for comparable space or (ii) the property is a qualified lodging facility or a qualified health care property and such property is operated on behalf of the taxable REIT subsidiary by a person who is an “eligible independent contractor” (as described below) and certain other requirements are met;

•Third, rent attributable to personal property, leased in connection with a lease of real property, must not be greater than 15% of the total rent received under the lease. If this requirement is not met, then the portion of rent attributable to personal property will not qualify as “rents from real property”; and

•Fourth, for rents to qualify as rents from real property for the purpose of satisfying the gross income tests, we generally must not operate or manage the property or furnish or render services to the tenants of such property, other than through an “independent contractor” who is adequately compensated and from whom we derive no revenue or through a taxable REIT subsidiary. To the extent that impermissible services are provided by an independent contractor, the cost of the services generally must be borne by the independent contractor. We anticipate that any services we provide directly to tenants will be “usually or customarily rendered” in connection with the rental of space for occupancy only and not otherwise considered to be provided for the tenants’ convenience. We may provide a minimal amount of “non-customary” services to tenants of our properties, other than through an independent contractor or a taxable REIT subsidiary, but we intend that our income from these services will not exceed 1% of our total gross income from the property. If the impermissible tenant services income exceeds 1% of our total income from a property, then all of the income from that property will fail to qualify as rents from real property. If the total amount of impermissible tenant services income does not exceed 1% of our total income from the property, the services will not “taint” the other income from the property (that is, it will not cause the rent paid by tenants of that property to fail to qualify as rents from real property), but the impermissible tenant services income will not qualify as rents from real property. We will be deemed to have received income from the provision of impermissible services in an amount equal to at least 150% of our direct cost of providing the service.

We monitor (and intend to continue to monitor) the activities provided at, and the non-qualifying income arising from, our properties and believe that we have not provided services at levels that will cause us to fail to meet the income tests. We provide services and may provide access to third-party service providers at some or all of our properties. Based upon our experience in the markets where the properties are located, we believe that all access to service providers and services provided to tenants by us (other than through a qualified independent contractor or a taxable REIT subsidiary) either are usually or customarily rendered in connection with the rental of real property and not otherwise considered rendered to the occupant, or, if considered impermissible services, will not result in an amount of impermissible tenant service income that will cause us to fail to meet the income test requirements. However, we cannot provide any assurance that the IRS will agree with these positions.

Income we receive that is attributable to the rental of parking spaces at the properties will constitute rents from real property for purposes of the REIT gross income tests if the services provided with respect to the parking facilities are performed by independent contractors from whom we derive no income, either directly or indirectly, or by a taxable REIT subsidiary. We believe that the income we receive that is attributable to parking facilities will meet these tests and, accordingly, will constitute rents from real property for purposes of the REIT gross income tests.

Interest Income. “Interest” generally will be non-qualifying income for purposes of the 75% or 95% gross income tests if it depends in whole or in part on the income or profits of any person. However, interest based on a fixed percentage or percentages of receipts or sales may still qualify under the gross income tests. We do not expect to derive significant amounts of interest that will not qualify under the 75% and 95% gross income tests.

Dividend Income. Our share of any dividends received from any taxable REIT subsidiaries will qualify for purposes of the 95% gross income test but not for purposes of the 75% gross income test. We do not anticipate that we will receive sufficient dividends from any taxable REIT subsidiaries to cause us to exceed the limit on non-qualifying income under the 75% gross income test. Dividends that we receive from other qualifying REITs will qualify for purposes of both REIT income tests.

Income from Hedging Transactions. From time to time we may enter into hedging transactions with respect to one or more of our assets or liabilities. Any such hedging transactions could take a variety of forms, including the use of derivative instruments such as interest rate swap or cap agreements, option agreements, and futures or forward contracts. Income of a REIT, including income from a pass-through subsidiary, arising from “clearly identified” hedging transactions that are entered into to manage the risk of interest rate or price changes with respect to borrowings, including gain from the disposition of such hedging transactions, to the extent the hedging transactions hedge indebtedness incurred, or to be incurred, by the REIT to acquire or carry real estate assets (each such hedge, a “Borrowings Hedge”), will not be treated as gross income for purposes of either the 95% gross income test or the 75% gross income test. Income of a REIT arising from hedging transactions that are entered into to manage the risk of currency fluctuations with respect to our investments (each such hedge, a “Currency Hedge”) will not be treated as gross income for purposes of either the 95% gross income test or the 75% gross income test provided that the transaction is “clearly identified.” This exclusion from the 95% and 75% gross income tests also will apply if we previously entered into a Borrowings Hedge or a Currency Hedge, a portion of the hedged indebtedness or property is disposed of, and in connection with such extinguishment or disposition we enter into a new “clearly identified” hedging transaction to offset the prior hedging position. In general, for a hedging transaction to be “clearly identified,” (1) it must be identified as a hedging transaction before the end of the day on which it is acquired, originated, or entered into; and (2) the items of risks being hedged must be identified “substantially contemporaneously” with entering into the hedging transaction (generally not more than 35 days after entering into the hedging transaction). To the extent that we hedge with other types of financial instruments or in other situations, the resultant income will be treated as income that does not qualify under the 95% or 75% gross income tests unless the hedge meets certain requirements, and we elect to integrate it with a specified asset and to treat the integrated position as a synthetic debt instrument. We intend to structure any hedging transactions in a manner that does not jeopardize our qualification as a REIT, but there can be no assurance we will be successful in this regard.

Income from Prohibited Transactions. Any gain that we realize on the sale of any property held as inventory or otherwise held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business, either directly or through pass-through subsidiaries, will be treated as income from a prohibited transaction that is subject to a 100% penalty tax. Under existing law, whether property is held as inventory or primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business is a question of fact that depends on all the facts and circumstances surrounding the particular transaction. However, we will not be treated as a dealer in real property for purposes of the 100% tax with respect to a real estate asset that we sell if (i) we have held the property for at least two years for the production of rental income prior to the sale, (ii) capitalized expenditures on the property in the two years preceding the sale are less than 30% of the net selling price of the property, and (iii) we either (a) have seven or fewer sales of property (excluding certain property obtained through foreclosure) for the year of sale; or (b) the aggregate adjusted basis of property sold during the year is 10% or less of the aggregate adjusted basis of all of our assets as of the beginning of the taxable year; or (c) the fair market value of property sold during the year is 10% or less of the aggregate fair market value of all of our assets as of the beginning of the taxable year; or (d) the aggregate adjusted basis of property sold during the year is 20% or less of the aggregate adjusted basis of all of our assets as of the beginning of the taxable year and the aggregate adjusted basis of property sold during the 3-year period ending with the year of sale is 10% or less of the aggregate tax basis of all of our assets as of the beginning of each of the 3 taxable years ending with the year of sale; or (e) the fair market value of property sold during the year is 20% or less of the aggregate fair market value of all of our assets as of the beginning of the taxable year and the fair market value of property sold during the 3-year period ending with the year of sale is 10% or less of the aggregate fair market value of all of our assets as of the beginning of each of the 3 taxable years ending with the year of sale. If we rely on clauses (b), (c), (d), or (e) in the preceding sentence, substantially all of the marketing and development expenditures with respect to the property sold must be made through an independent contractor from whom we derive no income or, one of our taxable REIT subsidiaries. The sale of more than one property to one buyer as part of one transaction constitutes one sale for purposes of this “safe harbor.” We intend to hold our properties for investment with a view to long-term appreciation, to engage in the business of acquiring, developing and owning our properties and to make occasional sales of the properties as are consistent with our investment objectives. However, the IRS may successfully contend that some or all of the sales made by us or subsidiary partnerships or limited liability companies are prohibited transactions. In that case, we would be required to pay the 100% penalty tax on our allocable share of the gains resulting from any such sales.

Income from Foreclosure Property. We generally will be subject to tax at the maximum corporate rate (currently 21%) on any net income from foreclosure property, including any gain from the disposition of the foreclosure property, other than income that constitutes qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test. Foreclosure property is real property and any personal property incident to such real property (1) that we acquire as the result of having bid on the property at foreclosure, or having otherwise reduced the property to ownership or possession by agreement or process of law, after a default (or upon imminent default) on a lease of the property or a mortgage loan held by us and secured by the property, (2) for which we acquired the related loan or lease at a time when default was not imminent or anticipated, and (3) with respect to which we made a proper election to treat the property as foreclosure property. Any gain from the sale of property for which a foreclosure property election has been made and remains in place generally will not be subject to the 100% tax on gains from prohibited transactions described above, even if the property would otherwise constitute inventory or dealer property. To the extent that we

receive any income from foreclosure property that does not qualify for purposes of the 75% gross income test, we intend to make an election to treat the related property as foreclosure property if the election is available (which may not be the case with respect to any acquired “distressed loans”).

Failure to Satisfy the Gross Income Tests. If we fail to satisfy one or both of the 75% or 95% gross income tests for any taxable year, we may nevertheless qualify as a REIT for that year if we are entitled to relief under the Code. These relief provisions will be generally available if (1) our failure to meet these tests was due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect and (2) following our identification of the failure to meet the 75% and/or 95% gross income tests for any taxable year, we file a schedule with the IRS setting forth a description of each item of our gross income that satisfies the gross income tests for purposes of the 75% or 95% gross income test for such taxable year in accordance with Treasury Regulations. It is not possible, however, to state whether in all circumstances we would be entitled to the benefit of these relief provisions. If these relief provisions are inapplicable to a particular set of circumstances, we will fail to qualify as a REIT. As discussed above, under “—Taxation of the Company as a REIT—General,” even if these relief provisions apply, a tax would be imposed based on the amount of non-qualifying income. We intend to take advantage of any and all relief provisions that are available to us to cure any violation of the income tests applicable to REITs.

Any redetermined rents, redetermined deductions, excess interest, or redetermined taxable REIT subsidiary service income we generate will be subject to a 100% penalty tax. In general, redetermined rents are rents from real property that are overstated as a result of services furnished by one of our taxable REIT subsidiaries to any of our tenants, redetermined deductions and excess interest represent amounts that are deducted by a taxable REIT subsidiary for amounts paid to us that are in excess of the amounts that would have been deducted based on arm’s-length negotiations, and redetermined taxable REIT subsidiary service income is gross income (less deductions allocable thereto) of a taxable REIT subsidiary attributable to services provided to, or on behalf of, us that is less than the amounts that would have been paid by us to the taxable REIT subsidiary if based on arm’s-length negotiations. Rents we receive will not constitute redetermined rents if they qualify for the safe harbor provisions contained in the Code. Safe harbor provisions are provided where:

•amounts are excluded from the definition of impermissible tenant service income as a result of satisfying the 1% de minimis exception;

•a taxable REIT subsidiary renders a significant amount of similar services to unrelated parties and the charges for such services are substantially comparable;

•rents paid to us by tenants leasing at least 25% of the net leasable space of the REIT’s property who are not receiving services from the taxable REIT subsidiary are substantially comparable to the rents paid by the REIT’s tenants leasing comparable space who are receiving such services from the taxable REIT subsidiary and the charge for the service is separately stated; or

•the taxable REIT subsidiary’s gross income from the service is not less than 150% of the taxable REIT subsidiary’s direct cost of furnishing the service.

While we anticipate that any fees paid to a taxable REIT subsidiary for tenant services will reflect arm’s-length rates, a taxable REIT subsidiary may under certain circumstances provide tenant services which do not satisfy any of the safe-harbor provisions described above. Nevertheless, these determinations are inherently factual, and the IRS has broad discretion to assert that amounts paid between related parties should be reallocated to clearly reflect their respective incomes. If the IRS successfully made such an assertion, we would be required to pay a 100% penalty tax on the redetermined rent, redetermined deductions or excess interest, as applicable.

Asset Tests

At the close of each calendar quarter, we must satisfy the following tests relating to the nature and diversification of our assets. For purposes of the asset tests, a REIT is not treated as owning the stock of a qualified REIT subsidiary or an equity interest in any entity treated as a partnership otherwise disregarded for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Instead, a REIT is treated as owning its proportionate share of the assets held by such entity.

•At least 75% of the value of our total assets must be represented by some combination of “real estate assets,” cash, cash items, and U.S. government securities. For purposes of this test, real estate assets include interests in real property, such as land and buildings, leasehold interests in real property, stock of other corporations that qualify as REITs and debt instruments issued by publicly offered REITs, some types of mortgage-backed securities, mortgage loans, personal property leased in connection with real property to the extent that rents attributable to such personal

property are treated as “rents from real property”, and stock or debt instruments held for less than one year purchased with an offering of our shares or long term debt. Assets that do not qualify for purposes of the 75% asset test are subject to the additional asset tests described below.

•Not more than 25% of our total assets may be represented by securities other than those described in the first bullet above.

•Except for securities described in the first bullet above and the last bullet below and securities in qualified REIT subsidiaries and taxable REIT subsidiaries, the value of any one issuer’s securities owned by us may not exceed 5% of the value of our total assets.

•Except for securities described in the first bullet above and the last bullet below and securities in qualified REIT subsidiaries and taxable REIT subsidiaries, we may not own more than 10% of any one issuer’s outstanding voting securities.

•Except for securities described in the first bullet above and the last bullet below and securities in qualified REIT subsidiaries and taxable REIT subsidiaries, and certain types of indebtedness that are not treated as securities for purposes of this test, as discussed below, we may not own more than 10% of the total value of the outstanding securities of any one issuer.

•Not more than 20% of the value of our total assets may be represented by the securities of one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries.

•Not more than 25% of our total assets may be represented by debt instruments issued by publicly offered REITs that are “nonqualified” debt instruments (e.g., not secured by real property or interests in real property).

The 10% value test does not apply to certain “straight debt” and other excluded securities, as described in the Code, including (1) loans to individuals or estates; (2) obligations to pay rent from real property; (3) rental agreements described in Section 467 of the Code; (4) any security issued by other REITs; (5) certain securities issued by a state, the District of Columbia, a foreign government, or a political subdivision of any of the foregoing, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and (6) any other arrangement as determined by the IRS. In addition, (1) a REIT’s interest as a partner in a partnership is not considered a security for purposes of the 10% value test; (2) any debt instrument issued by a partnership (other than straight debt or other excluded security) will not be considered a security issued by the partnership if at least 75% of the partnership’s gross income is derived from sources that would qualify for the 75% REIT gross income test; and (3) any debt instrument issued by a partnership (other than straight debt or other excluded security) will not be considered a security issued by a partnership to the extent of the REIT’s interest as a partner in the partnership.

For purposes of the 10% value test, debt will meet the “straight debt” safe harbor if (1) neither us, nor any of our controlled taxable REIT subsidiaries (i.e., taxable REIT subsidiaries more than 50% of the vote or value of the outstanding stock of which is directly or indirectly owned by us), own any securities not described in the preceding paragraph that have an aggregate value greater than 1% of the issuer’s outstanding securities, as calculated under the Code, (2) the debt is a written unconditional promise to pay on demand or on a specified date a sum certain in money, (3) the debt is not convertible, directly or indirectly, into stock, and (4) the interest rate and the interest payment dates of the debt are not contingent on the profits, the borrower’s discretion or similar factors. However, contingencies regarding time of payment and interest are permissible for purposes of qualifying as a straight debt security if either (1) such contingency does not have the effect of changing the effective yield of maturity, as determined under the Code, other than a change in the annual yield to maturity that does not exceed the greater of (i) 5% of the annual yield to maturity or (ii) 0.25%, or (2) neither the aggregate issue price nor the aggregate face amount of the issuer’s debt instruments held by the REIT exceeds $1,000,000 and not more than 12 months of unaccrued interest can be required to be prepaid thereunder. In addition, debt will not be disqualified from being treated as “straight debt” solely because the time or amount of payment is subject to a contingency upon a default or the exercise of a prepayment right by the issuer of the debt, provided that such contingency is consistent with customary commercial practice.

We own one subsidiary that has elected to be treated as a taxable REIT subsidiary for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Our taxable REIT subsidiary is taxable as a non-REIT C corporation and has elected, together with us, to be treated as our taxable REIT subsidiary. So long as our taxable REIT subsidiary qualifies as such, we will not be subject to the 5% asset test, 10% voting securities limitation or 10% value limitation with respect to our ownership interest in the taxable REIT subsidiary. We may acquire securities in other taxable REIT subsidiaries in the future. We believe that the aggregate value of our interests in our taxable REIT subsidiary does not exceed, and believe that in the future it will not exceed, 20% of the aggregate value of our gross assets. To the extent that we own an interest in an issuer that does not qualify as a REIT, a qualified REIT subsidiary, or a

taxable REIT subsidiary, we believe that our pro rata share of the value of the securities, including debt, of any such issuer does not exceed 5% of the total value of our assets. Moreover, with respect to each issuer in which we own an interest that does not qualify as a qualified REIT subsidiary or a taxable REIT subsidiary, we believe that our ownership of the securities of any such issuer complies with the 10% voting securities limitation and 10% value limitation.

No independent appraisals have been obtained to support these conclusions. In this regard, however, we cannot provide any assurance that the IRS will agree with our determinations.

Failure to Satisfy the Asset Tests. The asset tests must be satisfied not only on the last day of the calendar quarter in which we, directly or through pass-through subsidiaries, acquire securities in the applicable issuer, but also on the last day of the calendar quarter in which we increase our ownership of securities of such issuer, including as a result of increasing our interest in pass-through subsidiaries. After initially meeting the asset tests at the close of any quarter, we will not lose our status as a REIT for failure to satisfy the asset tests at the end of a later quarter solely by reason of changes in the relative values of our assets (including a discrepancy caused solely by the change in the foreign currency exchange rate used to value a foreign asset). If failure to satisfy the asset tests results from an acquisition of securities or other property during a quarter, we can cure this failure by disposing of sufficient non-qualifying assets within 30 days after the close of that quarter. We intend to continue to maintain adequate records of the value of our assets to ensure compliance with the asset tests and to take any available action within 30 days after the close of any quarter as may be required to cure any noncompliance with the asset tests. Although we plan to take steps to ensure that we satisfy such tests for any quarter with respect to which testing is to occur, there can be no assurance that such steps will always be successful. If we fail to timely cure any noncompliance with the asset tests, we will cease to qualify as a REIT, unless we satisfy certain relief provisions.

The failure to satisfy the 5% asset test, or the 10% vote or value asset tests can be remedied even after the 30-day cure period under certain circumstances. Specifically, if we fail these asset tests at the end of any quarter and such failure is not cured within 30 days thereafter, we may dispose of sufficient assets (generally within six months after the last day of the quarter in which our identification of the failure to satisfy these asset tests occurred) to cure such a violation that does not exceed the lesser of 1% of our assets at the end of the relevant quarter or $10,000,000. If we fail any of the other asset tests or our failure of the 5% and 10% asset tests is in excess of the de minimis amount described above, as long as such failure was due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, we are permitted to avoid disqualification as a REIT, after the 30-day cure period, by taking steps including the disposing of sufficient assets to meet the asset test (generally within six months after the last day of the quarter in which our identification of the failure to satisfy the REIT asset test occurred), paying a tax equal to the greater of $50,000 or the highest corporate income tax rate of the net income generated by the non-qualifying assets during the period in which we failed to satisfy the asset test, and filing in accordance with applicable Treasury Regulations a schedule with the IRS that describes the assets that caused us to fail to satisfy the asset test(s). We intend to take advantage of any and all relief provisions that are available to us to cure any violation of the asset tests applicable to REITs. In certain circumstances, utilization of such provisions could result in us being required to pay an excise or penalty tax, which could be significant in amount.

Annual Distribution Requirements

To qualify as a REIT, we are required to distribute dividends, other than capital gain dividends, to our shareholders each year in an amount at least equal to:

•the sum of: (1) 90% of our “REIT taxable income,” computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction and our net capital gain; and (2) 90% of our after tax net income, if any, from foreclosure property; minus

•the excess of the sum of specified items of non-cash income over 5% of our REIT taxable income, computed without regard to our net capital gain and the deduction for dividends paid.

For purposes of this test, non-cash income means income attributable to leveled stepped rents, original issue discount included in our taxable income without the receipt of a corresponding payment, cancellation of indebtedness or income attributable to a like-kind exchange that is later determined to be taxable.

We generally must make dividend distributions in the taxable year to which they relate. Dividend distributions may be made in the following year in two circumstances. First, if we declare a dividend in October, November, or December of any year with a record date in one of these months and pay the dividend on or before January 31 of the following year. Such distributions are treated as both paid by us and received by each shareholder on December 31 of the year in which they are declared. Second, distributions may be made in the following year if they are declared before we timely file our tax return for the year and if made with or before the first regular dividend payment after such declaration. These distributions are taxable to our shareholders in the year in which paid, even though the distributions relate to our prior taxable year for purposes of the 90% distribution

requirement.

To the extent that we do not distribute all of our net capital gain or distribute at least 90%, but less than 100%, of our “REIT taxable income,” as adjusted, we will be required to pay tax on that amount at regular corporate tax rates. We intend to make timely distributions sufficient to satisfy these annual distribution requirements. In certain circumstances we may elect to retain, rather than distribute, our net long-term capital gains and pay tax on such gains. In this case, we could elect for our shareholders to include their proportionate share of such undistributed long-term capital gains in income, and to receive a corresponding credit for their share of the tax that we paid. Our shareholders would then increase their adjusted basis of their stock by the difference between (1) the amounts of capital gain dividends that we designated and that they included in their taxable income, minus (2) the tax that we paid on their behalf with respect to that income.

To the extent that in the future we may have available net operating losses carried forward from prior tax years, such losses may reduce the amount of distributions that we must make in order to comply with the REIT distribution requirements. Our deduction for any net operating loss carryforwards arising from losses we sustain in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 is limited to 80% of our REIT taxable income (determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), and any unused portion of such losses may be carried forward indefinitely.

If we fail to distribute during each calendar year at least the sum of (a) 85% of our REIT ordinary income for such year, (b) 95% of our REIT capital gain net income for such year, and (c) any undistributed taxable income from prior periods, we would be subject to a non-deductible 4% excise tax on the excess of such required distribution over the sum of (x) the amounts actually distributed, and (y) the amounts of income we retained and on which we paid corporate income tax.

We expect that our REIT taxable income (determined before our deduction for dividends paid) will be less than our cash flow because of depreciation and other non-cash charges included in computing REIT taxable income. Accordingly, we anticipate that we will generally have sufficient cash or liquid assets to enable us to satisfy the distribution requirements described above. However, from time to time, we may not have sufficient cash or other liquid assets to meet these distribution requirements due to timing differences between the actual receipt of income and actual payment of deductible expenses, and the inclusion of income and deduction of expenses in arriving at our taxable income.

The Code limits the deductibility of net