Organization of the Company and Basis of Presentation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

Organization of the Company and Basis of Presentation

Our Organization and Basis of Presentation

Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. (“ELS”), a Maryland corporation, together with MHC Operating Limited Partnership (the “Operating Partnership”) and other consolidated subsidiaries (the “Subsidiaries”), is referred to herein as “we,” “us,” and “our.” We are a fully integrated owner and operator of lifestyle-oriented properties (“Properties”). We lease individual developed areas (“Sites”) with access to utilities for placement of factory built homes, cottages, cabins or recreational vehicles (“RVs”). Properties are designed and improved for several home options of various sizes and designs that are produced off-site, installed and set on designated Sites (“Site Set”) within the Properties. At certain Properties, we provide access to our Sites through right-to-use or membership contracts. We believe that we have qualified for taxation as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes since our taxable year ended December 31, 1993. We plan to continue to meet the requirements for taxation as a REIT. Many of these requirements, however, are highly technical and complex. For example, to qualify as a REIT, at least 95% of our gross income must come from sources that are itemized in the REIT tax laws. We must meet a number of organizational requirements, including a requirement to distribute to stockholders at least 90% of our REIT taxable income computed without regard to our deduction for dividends paid and our net capital gain.

If we fail to qualify as a REIT, we would be subject to U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate rates. Also, unless the IRS granted us relief under certain statutory provisions, we would remain disqualified as a REIT for four years following the year we first failed to qualify. Even if we qualify for taxation as a REIT, we are subject to certain foreign, state and local taxes on our income and property and U.S. federal income and excise taxes on our undistributed income.

Our operations are conducted primarily through the Operating Partnership. We contributed the proceeds from our initial public offering and subsequent offerings to the Operating Partnership for a general partnership interest. In 2004, the general partnership interest was contributed to MHC Trust, a private REIT subsidiary we own. As of December 31, 2013, MHC Trust was merged into ELS resulting in the general partnership interest of the Operating Partnership being directly held by ELS. In connection with the merger, we issued 125 of 6% Series D Cumulative Non-Qualified Preferred Stock (the “Series D Preferred Stock”) and 250 shares of 18.75% Series E Cumulative Non-Voting Preferred Stock (the “Series E Preferred Stock”) in exchange for similar preferred stock held by stockholders of MHC Trust. The financial results of the Operating Partnership and the Subsidiaries are consolidated in our consolidated financial statements. In addition, since certain activities, if performed by us, may cause us to earn income which is not qualifying for the REIT gross income tests, we have formed taxable REIT Subsidiaries, as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), to engage in such activities.

We intend to treat the merger of MHC Trust into ELS for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a tax-deferred liquidation of MHC Trust under Section 332 of the Code.

Several Properties are wholly owned by Realty Systems, Inc. (“RSI”), one of our taxable REIT Subsidiaries. In addition, RSI is engaged in the business of purchasing and selling or leasing Site Set homes that are located in Properties we own and manage. RSI also provides brokerage services to residents at such Properties for those residents who move from a Property but do not relocate their homes. RSI may provide brokerage services, in competition with other local brokers, by seeking buyers for the Site Set homes. Subsidiaries of RSI also operate ancillary activities at certain Properties consisting of operations such as golf courses, pro shops, stores and restaurants.

The limited partners of the Operating Partnership (the “Common OP Unitholders”) receive an allocation of net income that is based on their respective ownership percentage of the Operating Partnership that is shown on the Consolidated Financial Statements as Non-controlling interests—Common OP Units. As of December 31, 2013, the Non-Controlling Interests—Common OP Units represented 7,667,723 units of limited partnership interest (“OP Units”) which are convertible into an equivalent number of shares of our common stock. The issuance of additional shares of common stock or Common OP Units changes the respective ownership of the Operating Partnership for the Non-controlling interests—Common OP Units.

On July 15, 2013, we effected a two-for-one stock split of our common stock (see Note 3 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in this Form 10-K). All common stock and Common Operating Partnership Unit share and per share data in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements and notes have been adjusted retroactively to reflect the stock split.