Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Business overview

Business OverviewHealthcare Realty Trust Incorporated (the "Company") is a real estate investment trust ("REIT") that owns, leases, manages, acquires, finances, develops and redevelops income-producing real estate properties associated primarily with the delivery of outpatient healthcare services throughout the United States. As of September 30, 2020, the Company had gross investments of approximately $4.3 billion in 211 real estate properties located in 24 states totaling approximately 15.5 million square feet. The Company provided leasing and property management services to approximately 11.9 million square feet nationwide.

Basis of presentation

Basis of Presentation

The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP") for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. They do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. However, except as disclosed herein, management believes there has been no material change in the information disclosed in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. All material intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

This interim financial information should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. Management believes that all adjustments of a normal, recurring nature considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. In addition, the interim financial information does not necessarily represent or indicate what the operating results will be for the year ending December 31, 2020 for many reasons including, but not limited to, acquisitions, dispositions, capital financing transactions, changes in interest rates and the effects of other trends, risks and uncertainties, such as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Use of estimates in the condensed consolidated financial statements

Use of Estimates in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

Preparation of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes. Actual results may differ from those estimates.

The Company considered the impact of COVID-19 on these assumptions and estimates used and determined that there were no material adverse impacts on the Company's results of operations and financial position at September 30, 2020. There can be no assurance that COVID-19 will not have a future material adverse impact on the financial results and business operations of the Company.

COVID-19 Update

Since being reported in December 2019, COVID-19 has spread globally, including to every state in the United States. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, and on March 13, 2020, the United States declared a national emergency with respect to COVID-19.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, all of the states and cities in which the Company owns properties, manages properties, and/or has development or redevelopment projects instituted quarantines, restrictions on travel, “shelter in place” rules, restrictions on types of businesses that may continue to operate, and/or restrictions on the types of construction projects that may continue. As a result, a number of the Company's tenants temporarily closed their offices or clinical space or operated on a reduced basis in response to government requirements or recommendations. Many of these restrictions have been lifted, but could be reimposed. In response to these disruptions, the Company provided some of its tenants with deferred rent arrangements. Such arrangements were made primarily in the second quarter of 2020, and less than $0.1 million of deferred rent arrangements originated in the third quarter. Through November 2, 2020, the Company has collected more than 99% of second and third quarter 2020 aggregate tenant billings. The Company has collected 96% of total scheduled deferral payments due in the third quarter of 2020. In addition, the Company has remaining various forms of rent deferrals outstanding representing

approximately $1.2 million, or less than 1% of second and third quarter 2020 aggregate tenant billings. The tenant deferral agreements generally require the deferred amounts to be repaid by the fourth quarter of 2020.

For accounting purposes, in accordance with ASC 842: Leases, normally a company would be required to assess a lease modification to determine if the modification should be treated as a separate lease and if not, modification accounting would be applied which would require a company to reassess the classification of the lease. However, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic in which many leases are being modified, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the "FASB") and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") have provided relief that will allow companies to make a policy election as to whether they treat COVID-19 related lease amendments as a provision included in the pre-concession arrangement, and therefore, not a lease modification, or to treat the lease amendment as a modification. The Company has elected to use this relief where applicable and therefore will have no change in the current classification of its leases in connection with many of the leases impacted by negotiations with its tenants. In order to be considered COVID-19 related, cash flows must be substantially the same or less than those prior to the concession. If the cash flows are substantially the same or less, there are two methods to potentially account for such rent deferrals under the relief. The first would be as if no changes to the lease contract were made. Under that accounting, a lessor would increase its lease receivable and a lessee would increase its accounts payable as receivables/payments accrue. In its income statement, a lessor would continue to recognize revenue during the deferral period. The second method would be to treat the deferred payments as variable lease payments (i.e., revenue recognized when cash received). The Company has elected the first method described above, which results in the revenue being recognized on an accrual basis.

If tenants are unable to timely repay deferred rent, or repay at all, request additional rent deferrals or abatements, decide not to renew leases, or renew leases at lower cash leasing spreads, the impact on the Company’s results of operations and financial condition could be material. In the second quarter of 2020, the Company recognized approximately $0.7 million general reserve against the deferred rent balance. Following positive collection trends in the third quarter of 2020, the Company released approximately $0.3 million of the general reserve. As of September 30, 2020, the Company had a remaining general reserve of $0.4 million against an approximate $1.7 million deferred rent balance.

Given the daily evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global response to curb its spread, the Company is not able to estimate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on its results of operations, financial condition, or liquidity for the fiscal year 2020. The Company continues to evaluate the impact of various forms of governmental assistance that may be or become available to the Company or its tenants.

Revenue from contract with customers (topic 606)

Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)

The Company recognizes certain revenue under the core principle of Topic 606. This requires an entity to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. Lease revenue is not within the scope of Topic 606. To achieve the core principle, the Company applies the five step model specified in the guidance.

Revenue that is accounted for under Topic 606 is segregated on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income in the Other operating line item. This line item includes parking income, rental lease guaranty income, management fee income and other miscellaneous income. Below is a detail of the amounts by category:

	THREE MONTHS ENDED September 30,				NINE MONTHS ENDED September 30,
in thousands	2020		2019		2020		2019
Type of Revenue
Parking income	$	1,764	$	1,935	$	5,042	$	5,538
Rental lease guaranty	—		—		—		128
Management fee income	62		69		209		201
Miscellaneous	42		55		113		120
	$	1,868	$	2,059	$	5,364	$	5,987

The Company’s major types of revenue that are accounted for under Topic 606 that are listed above are all accounted for as the performance obligation is satisfied. The performance obligations that are identified for each of these items are satisfied over time, and the Company recognizes revenue monthly based on this principle.

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted CashCash and cash equivalents includes short-term investments with original maturities of three months or less when purchased. Restricted cash includes cash held in escrow from the sale of a property in Oklahoma. These proceeds have been or will be disbursed as the Company acquires real estate investments in like-kind exchanges under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”).

New accounting pronouncements

New Accounting Pronouncements

Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-13

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, "Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments." This update is intended to improve financial reporting by requiring timelier recognition of credit losses on loans and other financial instruments that are not accounted for at fair value through net income, including loans held for investment, held-to-maturity debt securities, trade and other receivables, net investment in leases and other such commitments. This update requires that financial statement assets measured at an amortized cost and certain other financial instruments be presented at the net amount expected to be collected, through an allowance for credit losses that is deducted from the amortized cost basis. This standard is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019 with early adoption permitted. Operating lease receivables, representing the majority of the Company's receivables, are not within the scope of the new standard. The Company adopted this standard as of January 1, 2020. There was not a material impact to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements resulting from the adoption of this standard.

Accounting Standards Update No. 2017-04

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, "Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment." This update eliminates Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test. As such, an entity will perform its annual, or interim, goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. An entity should recognize a goodwill impairment charge for the amount by which the reporting unit's carrying amount exceeds its fair value. This standard is effective for the Company for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company adopted this standard as of January 1, 2020. There was not a material impact to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements resulting from the adoption of this standard.

Accounting Standards Update No. 2020-04

On March 12, 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. The Company has 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.