Basis of Presentation

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements of Diversified Healthcare 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, 2019, or our Annual Report.

In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair statement of results for the interim period 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 impairments of real estate and intangible assets. We have made reclassifications to the financial statements of prior periods to conform to the current period presentation. These reclassifications had no effect on net income (loss) or equity.

We have been, are currently, and expect in the future to be involved in claims, lawsuits, and regulatory and other governmental audits, investigations and proceedings arising in the ordinary course of our business, some of which may involve material amounts. Also, the defense and resolution of these claims, lawsuits, and regulatory and other governmental audits, investigations and proceedings may require us to incur significant expense. We account for claims and litigation losses in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 450, Contingencies, or ASC 450. Under ASC 450, loss contingency provisions are recorded for probable and estimable losses at our best estimate of a loss or, when a best estimate cannot be made, at our estimate of the minimum loss. These estimates are often developed prior to knowing the amount of the ultimate loss, require the application of considerable judgment, and are refined as additional information becomes known. Accordingly, we are often initially unable to develop a best estimate of loss and therefore the estimated minimum loss amount, which could be zero, is recorded; and then, as information becomes known, the minimum loss amount is updated, as appropriate. A minimum or best estimate amount may be increased or decreased when events result in a changed expectation.

We have a joint venture arrangement with an institutional investor for one of our life science properties located in Boston, Massachusetts. The investor owns a 45% equity interest in the joint venture, and we own the remaining 55% equity interest in the joint venture. 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. 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 $981,204 and $1,015,661 as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively, and consist primarily of the net real estate owned by the joint venture. The liabilities of this VIE were $698,667 and $704,344 as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively, and consist primarily of mortgage debts secured by the property. The investor's interest in this consolidated entity is reflected as a noncontrolling interest in our condensed consolidated financial statements. See Note 7 for further information about this joint venture.