Significant Accounting Policies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2011

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Accounting Policies

Revenue and real estate sales gain recognition

Rental income related to leases is recognized on an accrual basis when due from residents in accordance with FASB ASC 840, Leases and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 104, “Revenue Recognition”. Rental payments are generally due on a monthly basis and recognized when earned. The Company recognizes interest income, management and other fees and incentives when earned, fixed and determinable.

The Company accounts for sales of real estate in accordance with FASB ASC 360-20, Real Estate Sales. For sale transactions meeting the requirements for full accrual profit recognition, such as the Company no longer having continuing involvement in the property, we remove the related assets and liabilities from our Consolidated Balance Sheets and record the gain or loss in the period the transaction closes. For sale transactions that do not meet the full accrual sale criteria due to our continuing involvement, we evaluate the nature of the continuing involvement and account for the transaction under an alternate method of accounting. Unless certain limited criteria are met, non-monetary transactions, including property exchanges, are accounted for at fair value.

Sales to entities in which we retain or otherwise own an interest are accounted for as partial sales. If all other requirements for recognizing profit under the full accrual method have been satisfied and no other forms of continuing involvement are present, we recognize profit proportionate to the outside interest in the buyer and will defer the gain on the interest we retain. The Company will recognize any deferred gain when the property is then sold to a third party. In transactions accounted by us as partial sales, we determine if the buyer of the majority equity interest in the venture was provided a preference as to cash flows in either an operating or a capital waterfall. If a cash flow preference has been provided, we recognize profit only to the extent that proceeds from the sale of the majority equity interest exceed costs related to the entire property.

Marketable Securities

Marketable securities represented common stock in a publicly held company. Marketable securities were classified as “available-for-sale,” and were carried at fair value with unrealized gains and losses reported as a component of stockholders’ equity. During the six months ended June 30, 2011, the Company sold marketable securities for $3.5 million, resulting in a gross realized gain of $3.1 million, which is included in “Other Income” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The cost of securities sold was based on the specific identification method. Unrealized gains of $3.5 million were reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss) into earnings during the six months ended June 30, 2011.

The amortization of any discount and interest income on previously held debt securities are included in “Other Income” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010.

Preferred Share repurchases

When repurchasing Preferred Stock, the Company recognizes share issuance costs as a charge to the Preferred Stock on a pro rata basis to the total costs incurred for the Preferred Stock offering as well as any premium or discount on the repurchase. The Company recognized a net decrease attributable to income to common stockholders of ($175,000), during the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, and a net increase of $25,000 during the three and six months ended June 30, 2010, and they are reported in “(Premium)/discount on preferred stock repurchases, net” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

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 income, excise and franchise taxes. UDR has elected for certain consolidated subsidiaries to be treated as Taxable REIT Subsidiaries (“TRS”), primarily those engaged in development activities.

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 are generally the result of differing depreciable lives on capitalized assets and timing of expense recognition for certain accrued liabilities. As of June 30, 2011, UDR recorded a net current liability of $205,000 and a deferred tax asset of $6.6 million (net of a valuation allowance of $53.1 million). For the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, UDR recorded income tax expense of $59,000 and $145,000 and $81,000 and $146,000, respectively, which is classified in “General and Administrative” expenses.

FASB ASC 740, Income Taxes (“Topic 740”) 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. Topic 740 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, we determine 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. Then 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.

UDR had no unrecognized tax benefit, accrued interest or penalties at June 30, 2011. UDR and its subsidiaries are subject to U.S. federal income tax as well as income tax of multiple state jurisdictions. The tax years 2006 — 2010 remain open to examination by the major taxing jurisdictions to which we are subject. When applicable, UDR recognizes interest and/or penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense.

United Dominion Reality.L.P [Member]

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Accounting Policies

Revenue and real estate sales gain recognition

Rental income related to leases is recognized on an accrual basis when due from residents in accordance with FASB ASC 840, Leases and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 104, Revenue Recognition. Rental payments are generally due on a monthly basis and recognized when earned. The Operating Partnership recognizes interest income, management and other fees and incentives when earned, fixed and determinable.

The Operating Partnership accounts for sales of real estate in accordance with FASB ASC 360-20, Real Estate Sales. For sale transactions meeting the requirements for full accrual profit recognition, such as the Operating Partnership no longer having continuing involvement in the property, we remove the related assets and liabilities from our Consolidated Balance Sheets and record the gain or loss in the period the transaction closes. For sale transactions that do not meet the full accrual sale criteria due to our continuing involvement, we evaluate the nature of the continuing involvement and account for the transaction under an alternate method of accounting. Non-monetary transactions are accounted for at fair value.

Sales to entities in which we or our General Partner retain or otherwise own an interest are accounted for as partial sales. If all other requirements for recognizing profit under the full accrual method have been satisfied and no other forms of continuing involvement are present, we recognize profit proportionate to the outside interest in the buyer and will defer the gain on the interest we or our General Partner retain. The Operating Partnership will recognize any deferred gain when the property is then sold to a third party. In transactions accounted by us as partial sales, we determine if the buyer of the majority equity interest in the venture was provided a preference as to cash flows in either an operating or a capital waterfall. If a cash flow preference has been provided, we recognize profit only to the extent that proceeds from the sale of the majority equity interest exceed costs related to the entire 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 adopted certain accounting guidance within ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes, with respect to how uncertain tax positions should be recognized, measured, presented, and disclosed in the financial statements. The guidance requires 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 General Partner has reviewed all open tax years (2006-2010) and major jurisdictions and concluded the adoption of the new accounting guidance resulted in no impact to the Operating Partnership’s financial position or results of operations. 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.

Earnings per OP unit

Basic earnings per OP Unit is computed by dividing net income/(loss) attributable to general and limited partner units by the weighted average number of general and limited partner units (including redeemable OP Units) outstanding during the year. Diluted earnings 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 that shared in the earnings of the Operating Partnership. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, there were no dilutive instruments outstanding, and therefore, diluted earnings per OP Unit and basic earnings per OP Unit are the same.