Basis of Presentation

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements of Senior Housing Properties Trust and its subsidiaries, or we, us, or our, are unaudited.  Certain information and disclosures required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, for complete financial statements have been condensed or omitted.  We believe the disclosures made are adequate to make the information presented not misleading.  However, the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, or our Annual Report.  

In the opinion of our management, all adjustments, which include only normal recurring adjustments, considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included.  All intercompany transactions and balances with or among our consolidated subsidiaries have been eliminated.  Operating results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts. Actual results could differ from those estimates.  Significant estimates in our condensed consolidated financial statements include purchase price allocations, useful lives of fixed assets and impairment of real estate and intangible assets.

In March 2017, we entered into a joint venture with a sovereign institutional investor for one of our properties leased to medical providers, medical related business, clinics and biotech laboratory tenants, or a MOB (two buildings), located in Boston, Massachusetts. We have determined that this joint venture is a variable interest entity, or VIE, as defined under the Consolidation Topic of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, Accounting Standards Codification, or ASC. We concluded that we must consolidate this VIE because we are the entity with the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and we have the obligation to absorb losses of, and the right to receive benefits from, the VIE that could be significant to the VIE, and therefore are the primary beneficiary of the VIE. The assets of this VIE were $1,122,953 as of June 30, 2017 and consist primarily of the net real estate owned by the joint venture. The liabilities of this VIE were $723,417 as of June 30, 2017 and consist primarily of the mortgage debts on the property. The sovereign institutional investor's interest in this consolidated entity is reflected as noncontrolling interest in our condensed consolidated financial statements. See Note 7 for further information about this joint venture.