SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (UNITED DOMINION REALTY, L.P.) (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Entity information
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements In August 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2020-06, Debt—Debt With Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity. The ASU simplifies the accounting for certain financial instruments with characteristics of liabilities and equity, including convertible instruments and contracts on an entity’s own equity. The updated standard will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2022, however, early adoption of the ASU is permitted on January 1, 2021. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that the updated standard will have on the consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. In April 2020, the FASB issued a Staff Q&A on accounting for leases during the COVID-19 pandemic, focused on the application of lease guidance in ASC 842, Leases. The Q&A states that some lease contracts may contain explicit or implicit enforceable rights and obligations that require lease concessions if certain circumstances arise that are beyond the control of the parties to the contract. Therefore, entities would need to perform a lease-by-lease analysis to determine whether contractual provisions in an existing lease agreement provide enforceable rights and obligations related to lease concessions. The FASB determined it would be acceptable for entities to not perform a lease-by-lease analysis regarding rent concessions resulting from COVID-19, and to instead make a policy election regarding rent concessions, which would give entities the option to account or not to account for these rent concessions as lease modifications if the total payments required by the modified contract are substantially the same or less than the total payments required by the original contract. Entities making the election to account for these rent concessions as lease modifications would recognize the effects of rent abatements and rent deferrals on a prospective straight-line basis over the remainder of the modified contract. We have made the election to not perform a lease-by-lease analysis to determine whether contractual provisions in an existing lease agreement provide enforceable rights and obligations related to lease concessions. By electing the FASB relief, we have also made an accounting policy election to account for rent abatements and rent deferrals given to lessees due to the COVID-19 pandemic as lease modifications. The lease concessions given to lessees due to the COVID-19 pandemic did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848). ASU 2020-04 contains practical expedients for reference rate reform related activities that impact debt, leases, derivatives and other contracts. The guidance in ASU 2020-04 is optional and may be elected over time as reference rate reform activities occur. During the first quarter of 2020, the Company elected to apply the hedge accounting expedients related to probability and the assessments of effectiveness for future LIBOR-indexed cash flows to assume that the index upon which future hedged transactions will be based matches the index on the corresponding derivatives. Application of these expedients preserves the presentation of derivatives consistent with past presentation. The Company continues to evaluate the impact of the guidance and may apply other elections as applicable as additional changes in the market occur. The ASU has not had a material impact on the consolidated financial statements and the Company does not expect the ASU to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements on a prospective basis. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The standard required entities to estimate a lifetime expected credit loss for most financial assets, including trade and other receivables, held-to-maturity debt securities, loans and other financial instruments, and to present the net amount of the financial instrument expected to be collected. In November 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-19, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses, which amended the transition requirements and scope of ASU 2016-13 and clarified that receivables arising from operating leases are not within the scope of the credit losses standard, but rather, should be accounted for in accordance with the leases standard. The updated standard became effective for the Company on January 1, 2020 and was adopted on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings of approximately $2.2 million on that date, which was primarily associated with our notes receivable. The Company concluded the cumulative effect was not material to our consolidated financial statements. Disclosures were updated pursuant to the requirements of the ASU.
Principles of Consolidation	Principles of Consolidation The Company accounts for subsidiary partnerships, joint ventures and other similar entities in which it holds an ownership interest in accordance with the consolidation guidance. The Company first evaluates whether each entity is a variable interest entity (“VIE”). Under the VIE model, the Company consolidates an entity when it has control to direct the activities of the VIE and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE. Under the voting model, the Company consolidates an entity when it controls the entity through ownership of a majority voting interest.
Real Estate Sales Gain Recognition	Real Estate Sales Gain Recognition For sale transactions resulting in a transfer of a controlling financial interest of a property, the Company generally derecognizes the related assets and liabilities from its Consolidated Balance Sheets and records the gain or loss in the period in which the transfer of control occurs. If control of the property has not transferred to the counterparty, the criteria for derecognition are not met and the Company will continue to recognize the related assets and liabilities on its Consolidated Balance Sheets. Sale transactions to entities in which the Company sells a controlling financial interest in a property but retains a noncontrolling interest are accounted for as partial sales. Partial sales resulting in a change in control are accounted for at fair value and a full gain or loss is recognized. Therefore, the Company will record a gain or loss on the partial interest sold, and the initial measurement of our retained interest will be accounted for at fair value. Sales of real estate to joint ventures or other noncontrolled investees are also accounted for at fair value and the Company will record a full gain or loss in the period the property is contributed. To the extent that the Company acquires a controlling financial interest in a property that it previously accounted for as an equity method investment, the Company will not remeasure its previously held interest if the acquisition is treated as an asset acquisition. The Company will include the carrying amount of its previously held equity method interest along with the consideration paid and transaction costs incurred in determining the amounts to allocate to the related assets and liabilities acquired on its Consolidated Balance Sheets. When treated as an asset acquisition, the Company will not recognize a gain or loss on consolidation of a property.
Income Taxes	Income Taxes Due to the structure of the Company as a REIT and the nature of the operations for the operating properties, no provision for federal income taxes has been provided for at UDR. Historically, the Company has generally incurred only state and local excise and franchise taxes. UDR has elected for certain consolidated subsidiaries to be treated as taxable REIT subsidiaries (“TRS”). Income taxes for our TRS are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax basis. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities from a change in tax rate is recognized in earnings in the period of the enactment date. The Company’s deferred tax assets/(liabilities) are generally the result of differing depreciable lives on capitalized assets, temporary differences between book and tax basis of assets and liabilities and timing of expense recognition for certain accrued liabilities. As of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, UDR’s net deferred tax asset/(liability) was $(2.8) million and $(1.6) million, respectively. GAAP defines a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. GAAP also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting for interim periods, disclosure and transition. The Company recognizes its tax positions and evaluates them using a two-step process. First, UDR determines whether a tax position is more likely than not (greater than 50 percent probability) to be sustained upon examination, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits of the position. Second, the Company will determine the amount of benefit to recognize and record the amount that is more likely than not to be realized upon ultimate settlement. The Company invests in assets that qualify for federal investment tax credits (“ITC”) through our TRS. An ITC reduces federal income taxes payable when qualifying depreciable property is acquired. The ITC is determined as a percentage of cost of the assets. The Company accounts for ITCs under the deferral method, under which the tax benefit from the ITC is deferred and amortized as a tax benefit into Tax (provision)/benefit, net on the Consolidated Statements of Operations over the book life of the qualifying depreciable property. The ITCs are recorded in Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. UDR had no material unrecognized tax benefit, accrued interest or penalties at September 30, 2020. UDR and its subsidiaries are subject to federal income tax as well as income tax of various state and local jurisdictions. The tax years 2016 through 2019 remain open to examination by tax jurisdictions to which we are subject. When applicable, UDR recognizes interest and/or penalties related to uncertain tax positions in Tax (provision)/benefit, net on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Comprehensive Income/(Loss)	Comprehensive Income/(Loss) Comprehensive income/(loss), which is defined as the change in equity during each period from transactions and other events and circumstances from nonowner sources, including all changes in equity during a period except for those resulting from investments by or distributions to stockholders, is displayed in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income/(Loss). For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, the Company’s other comprehensive income/(loss) consisted of the gain/(loss) on derivative instruments that are designated as and qualify as cash flow hedges, (gain)/loss on derivative instruments reclassified from other comprehensive income/(loss) into earnings, and the allocation of other comprehensive income/(loss) to noncontrolling interests. The (gain)/loss on derivative instruments reclassified from other comprehensive income/(loss) is included in Interest expense on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. See Note 11, Derivatives and Hedging Activity, for further discussion. The allocation of other comprehensive income/(loss) to redeemable noncontrolling interests during the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 was $0.1 million and $(0.1) million, respectively, and during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 was less than $0.1 million and $(0.7) million, respectively.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic	Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic The Company continues to closely monitor the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all aspects of its business. The extent of the pandemic’s effect on our operational and financial performance will depend on future developments, including the duration, spread and intensity of the pandemic and the duration of government measures to mitigate the pandemic, all of which continue to be uncertain and difficult to predict. Given the uncertainty, we cannot predict the effect on future periods, but the adverse impact that could occur on the Company’s future financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be material, including, but not limited to, as a result of extended eviction moratoriums, additional rent deferrals, payment plans, lease concessions, waiving late payment fees, charges from potential adjustments to the carrying amount of receivables, and asset impairment charges. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company performed an analysis in accordance with the ASC 842, Leases, guidance to assess the collectibility of its operating lease receivables in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This analysis included an assessment of collectibility of current and future rents and whether those lease payments were no longer probable of collection. In accordance with the leases guidance, if lease payments are no longer deemed to be probable over the life of the lease contract, we recognize revenue only when cash is received, and all existing contractual operating lease receivables and straight-line lease receivables are reserved. As a result of its analysis, the Company reserved approximately $4.0 million of multifamily tenant lease receivables and approximately $0.8 million of retail tenant lease receivables (inclusive of less than $0.1 million of reserves on straight-line lease receivables) for its wholly-owned communities and communities held by joint ventures. In aggregate, the reserve is reflected as a $4.4 million reduction to Rental income and a $0.4 million reduction to Income/(loss) from unconsolidated entities on the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three months ended September 30, 2020. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company reserved approximately $9.5 million of multifamily tenant lease receivables and approximately $4.3 million of retail tenant lease receivables (inclusive of $2.9 million of reserves on straight-line lease receivables) for its wholly-owned communities and communities held by joint ventures. In aggregate, the reserve is reflected as a $12.9 million reduction to Rental income and a $0.9 million reduction to Income/(loss) from unconsolidated entities on the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2020. The impact to deferred leasing commissions was not material for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020. The Company did not recognize any other adjustments to the carrying amounts of assets or asset impairment charges due to the COVID-19 pandemic for the nine months ended September 30, 2020.
United Dominion Realty L.P.
Entity information
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements In August 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2020-06, Debt—Debt With Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity. The ASU simplifies the accounting for certain financial instruments with characteristics of liabilities and equity, including convertible instruments and contracts on an entity’s own equity. The updated standard will be effective for the Operating Partnership on January 1, 2022, however, early adoption of the ASU is permitted on January 1, 2021. The Operating Partnership is currently evaluating the effect that the updated standard will have on the consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. In April 2020, the FASB issued a Staff Q&A on accounting for leases during the COVID-19 pandemic, focused on the application of lease guidance in ASC 842, Leases. The Q&A states that some lease contracts may contain explicit or implicit enforceable rights and obligations that require lease concessions if certain circumstances arise that are beyond the control of the parties to the contract. Therefore, entities would need to perform a lease-by-lease analysis to determine whether contractual provisions in an existing lease agreement provide enforceable rights and obligations related to lease concessions. The FASB determined it would be acceptable for entities to not perform a lease-by-lease analysis regarding rent concessions resulting from COVID-19, and to instead make a policy election regarding rent concessions, which would give entities the option to account or not to account for these rent concessions as lease modifications if the total payments required by the modified contract are substantially the same or less than the total payments required by the original contract. Entities making the election to account for these rent concessions as lease modifications would recognize the effects of rent abatements and rent deferrals on a prospective straight-line basis over the remainder of the modified contract. We have made the election to not perform a lease-by-lease analysis to determine whether contractual provisions in an existing lease agreement provide enforceable rights and obligations related to lease concessions. By electing the FASB relief, we have also made an accounting policy election to account for rent abatements and rent deferrals given to lessees due to the COVID-19 pandemic as lease modifications. The lease concessions given to lessees due to the COVID-19 pandemic did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848). ASU 2020-04 contains practical expedients for reference rate reform related activities that impact debt, leases, derivatives and other contracts. The guidance in ASU 2020-04 is optional and may be elected over time as reference rate reform activities occur. During the first quarter of 2020, the Operating Partnership elected to apply the hedge accounting expedients related to probability and the assessments of effectiveness for future LIBOR-indexed cash flows to assume that the index upon which future hedged transactions will be based matches the index on the corresponding derivatives. Application of these expedients preserves the presentation of derivatives consistent with past presentation. The Operating Partnership continues to evaluate the impact of the guidance and may apply other elections as applicable as additional changes in the market occur. The ASU has not had a material impact on the consolidated financial statements and the Operating Partnership does not expect the ASU to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements on a prospective basis. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The standard required entities to estimate a lifetime expected credit loss for most financial assets, including trade and other receivables, held-to-maturity debt securities, loans and other financial instruments, and to present the net amount of the financial instrument expected to be collected. In November 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-19, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses, which amended the transition requirements and scope of ASU 2016-13 and clarified that receivables arising from operating leases are not within the scope of the credit losses standard, but rather, should be accounted for in accordance with the leases standard. The updated standard became effective for the Operating Partnership on January 1, 2020 and was adopted on a modified retrospective basis. However, as the Operating Partnership’s financial assets primarily relate to receivables arising from operating leases, the ASU did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. Disclosures were updated pursuant to the requirements of the ASU.
Principles of Consolidation	Principles of Consolidation The Operating Partnership accounts for subsidiary partnerships, joint ventures and other similar entities in which it holds an ownership interest in accordance with the consolidation guidance. The Operating Partnership first evaluates whether each entity is a variable interest entity (“VIE”). Under the VIE model, the Operating Partnership consolidates an entity when it has control to direct the activities of the VIE and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE. Under the voting model, the Operating Partnership consolidates an entity when it controls the entity through ownership of a majority voting interest.
Income/(Loss) Per Operating Partnership Unit	Income/(Loss) Per Operating Partnership Unit Basic income/(loss) per OP Unit is computed by dividing net income/(loss) attributable to the general and limited partner unitholders by the weighted average number of general and limited partner units outstanding during the year. Diluted income/(loss) per OP Unit reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue OP Units were exercised or converted into OP Units or resulted in the issuance of OP Units and then shared in the income/(loss) of the Operating Partnership.
Real Estate Sales Gain Recognition	Real Estate Sales Gain Recognition For sale transactions resulting in a transfer of a controlling financial interest of a property, the Operating Partnership generally derecognizes the related assets and liabilities from its Consolidated Balance Sheets and records the gain or loss in the period in which the transfer of control occurs. If control of the property has not transferred to the counterparty, the criteria for derecognition are not met and the Operating Partnership will continue to recognize the related assets and liabilities on its Consolidated Balance Sheets. Sale transactions to entities in which the Operating Partnership sells a controlling financial interest in a property but retains a noncontrolling interest are accounted for as partial sales. Partial sales resulting in a change in control are accounted for at fair value and a full gain or loss is recognized. Therefore, the Operating Partnership will record a gain or loss on the partial interest sold, and the initial measurement of our retained interest will be accounted for at fair value. Sales of real estate to joint ventures or other noncontrolled investees are also accounted for at fair value and the Operating Partnership will record a full gain or loss in the period the property is contributed. To the extent that the Operating Partnership acquires a controlling financial interest in a property that it previously accounted for as an equity method investment, the Operating Partnership will not remeasure its previously held interest if the acquisition is treated as an asset acquisition. The Operating Partnership will include the carrying amount of its previously held equity method interest along with the consideration paid and transaction costs incurred in determining the amounts to allocate to the related assets and liabilities acquired on its Consolidated Balance Sheets. When treated as an asset acquisition, the Operating Partnership will not recognize a gain or loss on consolidation of a property.
Income Taxes	Income Taxes The taxable income or loss of the Operating Partnership is reported on the tax returns of the partners. Accordingly, no provision has been made in the accompanying financial statements for federal or state income taxes on income that is passed through to the partners. However, any state or local revenue, excise or franchise taxes that result from the operating activities of the Operating Partnership are recorded at the entity level. The Operating Partnership’s tax returns are subject to examination by federal and state taxing authorities. Net income for financial reporting purposes differs from the net income for income tax reporting purposes primarily due to temporary differences, principally real estate depreciation and the tax deferral of certain gains on property sales. The differences in depreciation result from differences in the book and tax basis of certain real estate assets and the differences in the methods of depreciation and lives of the real estate assets. The Operating Partnership evaluates the accounting and disclosure of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing the Operating Partnership’s tax returns to determine whether the tax positions are “more-likely-than-not” of being sustained by the applicable tax authority. Tax positions not deemed to meet the more-likely-than-not threshold would be recorded as a tax benefit or expense in the current year. Management of the Operating Partnership is required to analyze all open tax years, as defined by the statute of limitations, for all major jurisdictions, which include federal and certain states. The Operating Partnership has no examinations in progress and none are expected at this time. Management of the Operating Partnership has reviewed all open tax years (2017 through 2019) of tax jurisdictions and concluded there is no tax liability resulting from unrecognized tax benefits relating to uncertain income tax positions taken or expected to be taken in future tax returns.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic	Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic The Operating Partnership continues to closely monitor the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all aspects of its business. The extent of the pandemic’s effect on our operational and financial performance will depend on future developments, including the duration, spread and intensity of the pandemic and the duration of government measures to mitigate the pandemic, all of which continue to be uncertain and difficult to predict. Given the uncertainty, we cannot predict the effect on future periods, but the adverse impact that could occur on the Operating Partnership’s future financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be material, including, but not limited to, as a result of extended eviction moratoriums, additional rent deferrals, payment plans, lease concessions, waiving late payment fees, charges from potential adjustments to the carrying amount of receivables, and asset impairment charges. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Operating Partnership performed an analysis in accordance with the ASC 842, Leases, guidance to assess the collectibility of its operating lease receivables in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This analysis included an assessment of collectibility of current and future rents and whether those lease payments were no longer probable of collection. In accordance with the leases guidance, if lease payments are no longer deemed to be probable over the life of the lease contract, we recognize revenue only when cash is received, and all existing contractual operating lease receivables and straight-line lease receivables are reserved. As a result of its analysis, the Operating Partnership reserved approximately $1.6 million of multifamily tenant lease receivables and approximately $0.4 million of retail tenant lease receivables (inclusive of zero reserves on straight-line lease receivables) for its wholly-owned communities. In aggregate, the reserve is reflected as a $2.0 million reduction to Rental income on the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three months ended September 30, 2020. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Operating Partnership reserved approximately $3.6 million of multifamily tenant lease receivables and approximately $3.0 million of retail tenant lease receivables (inclusive of $2.2 million of reserves on straight-line lease receivables) for its wholly-owned communities. In aggregate, the reserve is reflected as a $6.6 million reduction to Rental income on the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2020. The impact to deferred leasing commissions was not material for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020. The Operating Partnership did not recognize any other adjustments to the carrying amounts of assets or asset impairment charges due to the COVID-19 pandemic for the nine months ended September 30, 2020.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (UNITED DOMINION REALTY, L.P.) (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

In August 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2020-06, Debt—Debt With Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity. The ASU simplifies the accounting for certain financial instruments with characteristics of liabilities and equity, including convertible instruments and contracts on an entity’s own equity. The updated standard will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2022, however, early adoption of the ASU is permitted on January 1, 2021. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that the updated standard will have on the consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In April 2020, the FASB issued a Staff Q&A on accounting for leases during the COVID-19 pandemic, focused on the application of lease guidance in ASC 842, Leases. The Q&A states that some lease contracts may contain explicit or implicit enforceable rights and obligations that require lease concessions if certain circumstances arise that are beyond the control of the parties to the contract. Therefore, entities would need to perform a lease-by-lease analysis to determine whether contractual provisions in an existing lease agreement provide enforceable rights and obligations related to lease concessions.

The FASB determined it would be acceptable for entities to not perform a lease-by-lease analysis regarding rent concessions resulting from COVID-19, and to instead make a policy election regarding rent concessions, which would give entities the option to account or not to account for these rent concessions as lease modifications if the total payments required by the modified contract are substantially the same or less than the total payments required by the original contract. Entities making the election to account for these rent concessions as lease modifications would recognize the effects of rent abatements and rent deferrals on a prospective straight-line basis over the remainder of the modified contract.

We have made the election to not perform a lease-by-lease analysis to determine whether contractual provisions in an existing lease agreement provide enforceable rights and obligations related to lease concessions. By electing the FASB relief, we have also made an accounting policy election to account for rent abatements and rent deferrals given to lessees due to the COVID-19 pandemic as lease modifications. The lease concessions given to lessees due to the COVID-19 pandemic did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848). ASU 2020-04 contains practical expedients for reference rate reform related activities that impact debt, leases, derivatives and other contracts. The guidance in ASU 2020-04 is optional and may be elected over time as reference rate reform activities occur. During the first quarter of 2020, the Company elected to apply the hedge accounting expedients related to probability and the assessments of effectiveness for future LIBOR-indexed cash flows to assume that the index upon which future hedged transactions will be based matches the index on the corresponding derivatives. Application of these expedients preserves the presentation of derivatives consistent with past presentation. The Company continues to evaluate the impact of the guidance and may apply other elections as applicable as additional changes in the market occur. The ASU has not had a material impact on the consolidated financial statements and the Company does not expect the ASU to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements on a prospective basis.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The standard required entities to estimate a lifetime expected credit loss for most financial assets, including trade and other receivables, held-to-maturity debt securities, loans and other financial instruments, and to present the net amount of the financial instrument expected to be collected. In November 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-19, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses, which amended the transition requirements and scope of ASU 2016-13 and clarified that receivables arising from operating leases are not within the scope of the credit losses standard, but rather, should be accounted for in accordance with the leases standard. The updated standard became effective for the Company on January 1, 2020 and was adopted on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings of approximately $2.2 million on that date, which was primarily associated with our notes receivable. The Company concluded the cumulative effect was not material to our consolidated financial statements. Disclosures were updated pursuant to the requirements of the ASU.

Principles of Consolidation

The Company accounts for subsidiary partnerships, joint ventures and other similar entities in which it holds an ownership interest in accordance with the consolidation guidance. The Company first evaluates whether each entity is a variable interest entity (“VIE”). Under the VIE model, the Company consolidates an entity when it has control to direct the activities of the VIE and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE. Under the voting model, the Company consolidates an entity when it controls the entity through ownership of a majority voting interest.

Real Estate Sales Gain Recognition

Real Estate Sales Gain Recognition

For sale transactions resulting in a transfer of a controlling financial interest of a property, the Company generally derecognizes the related assets and liabilities from its Consolidated Balance Sheets and records the gain or loss in the period in which the transfer of control occurs. If control of the property has not transferred to the counterparty, the criteria for derecognition are not met and the Company will continue to recognize the related assets and liabilities on its Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Sale transactions to entities in which the Company sells a controlling financial interest in a property but retains a noncontrolling interest are accounted for as partial sales. Partial sales resulting in a change in control are accounted for at fair value and a full gain or loss is recognized. Therefore, the Company will record a gain or loss on the partial interest sold, and the initial measurement of our retained interest will be accounted for at fair value.

Sales of real estate to joint ventures or other noncontrolled investees are also accounted for at fair value and the Company will record a full gain or loss in the period the property is contributed.

To the extent that the Company acquires a controlling financial interest in a property that it previously accounted for as an equity method investment, the Company will not remeasure its previously held interest if the acquisition is treated as an asset acquisition. The Company will include the carrying amount of its previously held equity method interest along with the consideration paid and transaction costs incurred in determining the amounts to allocate to the related assets and liabilities acquired on its Consolidated Balance Sheets. When treated as an asset acquisition, the Company will not recognize a gain or loss on consolidation of a property.

Income Taxes

Due to the structure of the Company as a REIT and the nature of the operations for the operating properties, no provision for federal income taxes has been provided for at UDR. Historically, the Company has generally incurred only state and local excise and franchise taxes. UDR has elected for certain consolidated subsidiaries to be treated as taxable REIT subsidiaries (“TRS”).

Income taxes for our TRS are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax basis. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities from a change in tax rate is recognized in earnings in the period of the enactment date. The Company’s deferred tax assets/(liabilities) are generally the result of differing depreciable lives on capitalized assets, temporary differences between book and tax basis of assets and liabilities and timing of expense recognition for certain accrued liabilities. As of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, UDR’s net deferred tax asset/(liability) was $(2.8) million and $(1.6) million, respectively.

GAAP defines a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. GAAP also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting for interim periods, disclosure and transition.

The Company recognizes its tax positions and evaluates them using a two-step process. First, UDR determines whether a tax position is more likely than not (greater than 50 percent probability) to be sustained upon examination,

including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits of the position. Second, the Company will determine the amount of benefit to recognize and record the amount that is more likely than not to be realized upon ultimate settlement.

The Company invests in assets that qualify for federal investment tax credits (“ITC”) through our TRS. An ITC reduces federal income taxes payable when qualifying depreciable property is acquired. The ITC is determined as a percentage of cost of the assets. The Company accounts for ITCs under the deferral method, under which the tax benefit from the ITC is deferred and amortized as a tax benefit into Tax (provision)/benefit, net on the Consolidated Statements of Operations over the book life of the qualifying depreciable property. The ITCs are recorded in Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

UDR had no material unrecognized tax benefit, accrued interest or penalties at September 30, 2020. UDR and its subsidiaries are subject to federal income tax as well as income tax of various state and local jurisdictions. The tax years 2016 through 2019 remain open to examination by tax jurisdictions to which we are subject. When applicable, UDR recognizes interest and/or penalties related to uncertain tax positions in Tax (provision)/benefit, net on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Comprehensive Income/(Loss)

Comprehensive income/(loss), which is defined as the change in equity during each period from transactions and other events and circumstances from nonowner sources, including all changes in equity during a period except for those resulting from investments by or distributions to stockholders, is displayed in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income/(Loss). For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, the Company’s other comprehensive income/(loss) consisted of the gain/(loss) on derivative instruments that are designated as and qualify as cash flow hedges, (gain)/loss on derivative instruments reclassified from other comprehensive income/(loss) into earnings, and the allocation of other comprehensive income/(loss) to noncontrolling interests. The (gain)/loss on derivative instruments reclassified from other comprehensive income/(loss) is included in Interest expense on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. See Note 11, Derivatives and Hedging Activity, for further discussion. The allocation of other comprehensive income/(loss) to redeemable noncontrolling interests during the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 was $0.1 million and $(0.1) million, respectively, and during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 was less than $0.1 million and $(0.7) million, respectively.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic

The Company continues to closely monitor the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all aspects of its business. The extent of the pandemic’s effect on our operational and financial performance will depend on future developments, including the duration, spread and intensity of the pandemic and the duration of government measures to mitigate the pandemic, all of which continue to be uncertain and difficult to predict.

Given the uncertainty, we cannot predict the effect on future periods, but the adverse impact that could occur on the Company’s future financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be material, including, but not limited to, as a result of extended eviction moratoriums, additional rent deferrals, payment plans, lease concessions, waiving late payment fees, charges from potential adjustments to the carrying amount of receivables, and asset impairment charges.

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company performed an analysis in accordance with the ASC 842, Leases, guidance to assess the collectibility of its operating lease receivables in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This analysis included an assessment of collectibility of current and future rents and whether those lease payments were no longer probable of collection. In accordance with the leases guidance, if lease payments are no longer deemed to be probable over the life of the lease contract, we recognize revenue only when cash is received, and all existing contractual operating lease receivables and straight-line lease receivables are reserved.

As a result of its analysis, the Company reserved approximately $4.0 million of multifamily tenant lease receivables and approximately $0.8 million of retail tenant lease receivables (inclusive of less than $0.1 million of reserves on straight-line lease receivables) for its wholly-owned communities and communities held by joint ventures. In aggregate, the reserve is reflected as a $4.4 million reduction to Rental income and a $0.4 million reduction to Income/(loss) from unconsolidated entities on the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three months ended September 30, 2020. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company reserved approximately $9.5 million of multifamily tenant lease receivables and approximately $4.3 million of retail tenant lease receivables (inclusive of $2.9 million of reserves on straight-line lease receivables) for its wholly-owned communities and communities held by joint ventures. In aggregate, the reserve is reflected as a $12.9 million reduction to Rental income and a $0.9 million reduction to Income/(loss) from unconsolidated entities on the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2020. The impact to deferred leasing commissions was not material for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020.

The Company did not recognize any other adjustments to the carrying amounts of assets or asset impairment charges due to the COVID-19 pandemic for the nine months ended September 30, 2020.

United Dominion Realty L.P.

Entity information

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2020-06, Debt—Debt With Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity. The ASU simplifies the accounting for certain financial instruments with characteristics of liabilities and equity, including convertible instruments and contracts on an entity’s own equity. The updated standard will be effective for the Operating Partnership on January 1, 2022, however, early adoption of the ASU is permitted on January 1, 2021. The Operating Partnership is currently evaluating the effect that the updated standard will have on the consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848). ASU 2020-04 contains practical expedients for reference rate reform related activities that impact debt, leases, derivatives and other contracts. The guidance in ASU 2020-04 is optional and may be elected over time as reference rate reform activities occur. During the first quarter of 2020, the Operating Partnership elected to apply the hedge accounting expedients related to probability and the assessments of effectiveness for future LIBOR-indexed cash flows to assume that the index upon which future hedged transactions will be based matches the index on the corresponding derivatives. Application of these expedients preserves the presentation of derivatives consistent with past presentation. The Operating Partnership continues to evaluate the impact of the guidance and may apply other elections as applicable as additional changes in the market occur. The ASU has not had a material impact on the consolidated financial statements and the Operating Partnership does not expect the ASU to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements on a prospective basis.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The standard required entities to estimate a lifetime expected credit loss for most financial assets, including trade and other receivables, held-to-maturity debt securities, loans and other financial instruments, and to present the net amount of the financial instrument expected to be collected. In November 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-19, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses, which amended the transition requirements and scope of ASU 2016-13 and clarified that receivables arising from operating leases are not within the scope of the credit losses standard, but rather, should be accounted for in accordance with the leases standard. The updated standard became effective for the Operating Partnership on January 1, 2020 and was adopted on a modified retrospective basis. However, as the Operating Partnership’s financial assets primarily relate to

receivables arising from operating leases, the ASU did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. Disclosures were updated pursuant to the requirements of the ASU.

Principles of Consolidation

The Operating Partnership accounts for subsidiary partnerships, joint ventures and other similar entities in which it holds an ownership interest in accordance with the consolidation guidance. The Operating Partnership first evaluates whether each entity is a variable interest entity (“VIE”). Under the VIE model, the Operating Partnership consolidates an entity when it has control to direct the activities of the VIE and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE. Under the voting model, the Operating Partnership consolidates an entity when it controls the entity through ownership of a majority voting interest.

Income/(Loss) Per Operating Partnership Unit

Basic income/(loss) per OP Unit is computed by dividing net income/(loss) attributable to the general and limited partner unitholders by the weighted average number of general and limited partner units outstanding during the year. Diluted income/(loss) per OP Unit reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue OP Units were exercised or converted into OP Units or resulted in the issuance of OP Units and then shared in the income/(loss) of the Operating Partnership.

Real Estate Sales Gain Recognition

Real Estate Sales Gain Recognition

For sale transactions resulting in a transfer of a controlling financial interest of a property, the Operating Partnership generally derecognizes the related assets and liabilities from its Consolidated Balance Sheets and records the gain or loss in the period in which the transfer of control occurs. If control of the property has not transferred to the counterparty, the criteria for derecognition are not met and the Operating Partnership will continue to recognize the related assets and liabilities on its Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Sale transactions to entities in which the Operating Partnership sells a controlling financial interest in a property but retains a noncontrolling interest are accounted for as partial sales. Partial sales resulting in a change in control are accounted for at fair value and a full gain or loss is recognized. Therefore, the Operating Partnership will record a gain or loss on the partial interest sold, and the initial measurement of our retained interest will be accounted for at fair value.

Sales of real estate to joint ventures or other noncontrolled investees are also accounted for at fair value and the Operating Partnership will record a full gain or loss in the period the property is contributed.

To the extent that the Operating Partnership acquires a controlling financial interest in a property that it previously accounted for as an equity method investment, the Operating Partnership will not remeasure its previously held interest if the acquisition is treated as an asset acquisition. The Operating Partnership will include the carrying amount of its previously held equity method interest along with the consideration paid and transaction costs incurred in determining the amounts to allocate to the related assets and liabilities acquired on its Consolidated Balance Sheets. When treated as an asset acquisition, the Operating Partnership will not recognize a gain or loss on consolidation of a property.

Income Taxes

The taxable income or loss of the Operating Partnership is reported on the tax returns of the partners. Accordingly, no provision has been made in the accompanying financial statements for federal or state income taxes on income that is passed through to the partners. However, any state or local revenue, excise or franchise taxes that result from the operating activities of the Operating Partnership are recorded at the entity level. The Operating Partnership’s tax returns are subject to examination by federal and state taxing authorities. Net income for financial reporting purposes differs from the net income for income tax reporting purposes primarily due to temporary differences, principally real estate depreciation and the tax deferral of certain gains on property sales. The differences in depreciation result from differences in the book and tax basis of certain real estate assets and the differences in the methods of depreciation and lives of the real estate assets.

The Operating Partnership evaluates the accounting and disclosure of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing the Operating Partnership’s tax returns to determine whether the tax positions are “more-likely-than-not” of being sustained by the applicable tax authority. Tax positions not deemed to meet the more-likely-than-not threshold would be recorded as a tax benefit or expense in the current year. Management of the Operating Partnership is required to analyze all open tax years, as defined by the statute of limitations, for all major jurisdictions, which include federal and certain states. The Operating Partnership has no examinations in progress and none are expected at this time.

Management of the Operating Partnership has reviewed all open tax years (2017 through 2019) of tax jurisdictions and concluded there is no tax liability resulting from unrecognized tax benefits relating to uncertain income tax positions taken or expected to be taken in future tax returns.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic

The Operating Partnership continues to closely monitor the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all aspects of its business. The extent of the pandemic’s effect on our operational and financial performance will depend on future developments, including the duration, spread and intensity of the pandemic and the duration of government measures to mitigate the pandemic, all of which continue to be uncertain and difficult to predict.

Given the uncertainty, we cannot predict the effect on future periods, but the adverse impact that could occur on the Operating Partnership’s future financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be material, including, but not limited to, as a result of extended eviction moratoriums, additional rent deferrals, payment plans, lease concessions, waiving late payment fees, charges from potential adjustments to the carrying amount of receivables, and asset impairment charges.

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Operating Partnership performed an analysis in accordance with the ASC 842, Leases, guidance to assess the collectibility of its operating lease receivables in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This analysis included an assessment of collectibility of current and future rents and whether those lease payments were no longer probable of collection. In accordance with the leases guidance, if lease payments are no longer deemed to be probable over the life of the lease contract, we recognize revenue only when cash is received, and all existing contractual operating lease receivables and straight-line lease receivables are reserved.

As a result of its analysis, the Operating Partnership reserved approximately $1.6 million of multifamily tenant lease receivables and approximately $0.4 million of retail tenant lease receivables (inclusive of zero reserves on straight-line lease receivables) for its wholly-owned communities. In aggregate, the reserve is reflected as a $2.0 million reduction to Rental income on the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three months ended September 30, 2020. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Operating Partnership reserved approximately $3.6 million of multifamily tenant lease receivables and approximately $3.0 million of retail tenant lease receivables (inclusive of $2.2 million of reserves on straight-line lease receivables) for its wholly-owned communities. In aggregate, the reserve is reflected as a $6.6 million reduction to Rental income on the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2020. The impact to deferred leasing commissions was not material for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020.

The Operating Partnership did not recognize any other adjustments to the carrying amounts of assets or asset impairment charges due to the COVID-19 pandemic for the nine months ended September 30, 2020.

- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for income taxes, which may include its accounting policies for recognizing and measuring deferred tax assets and liabilities and related valuation allowances, recognizing investment tax credits, operating loss carryforwards, tax credit carryforwards, and other carryforwards, methodologies for determining its effective income tax rate and the characterization of interest and penalties in the financial statements.

+ References

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+ Details