ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF OPERATIONS

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF OPERATIONS

ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF OPERATIONS

1.  ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF OPERATIONS

CubeSmart (the “Parent Company”) operates as a self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust (“REIT”) with its operations conducted solely through CubeSmart, L.P. and its subsidiaries.  CubeSmart, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “Operating Partnership”), operates through an umbrella partnership structure, with the Parent Company, a Maryland real estate investment trust, as its sole general partner.  In the notes to the consolidated financial statements, we use the terms “the Company”, ‘we” or “our” to refer to the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership together with their consolidated subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.  The Company’s self-storage facilities (collectively, the “Properties”) are located in 22 states throughout the United States and the District of Columbia and are presented under one reportable segment: the Company owns, operates, develops, manages and acquires self-storage facilities.

As of September 30, 2012, the Parent Company owned approximately 96.7% of the partnership interests (“OP Units”) of the Operating Partnership.  The remaining OP Units, consisting exclusively of limited partner interests, are held by persons who contributed their interests in properties to us in exchange for OP Units.  Under the partnership agreement, these persons have the right to tender their OP Units for redemption to the Operating Partnership at any time for cash equal to the fair value of an equivalent number of common shares of the Parent Company.  In lieu of delivering cash, however, the Parent Company, as the Operating Partnership’s general partner, may, at its option, choose to acquire any OP Units so tendered by issuing common shares in exchange for the tendered OP Units.  If the Parent Company so chooses, its common shares will be exchanged for OP Units on a one-for-one basis.  This one-for-one exchange ratio is subject to adjustment to prevent dilution.  With each such exchange or redemption, the Parent Company’s percentage ownership in the Operating Partnership will increase.  In addition, whenever the Parent Company issues common or other classes of its shares, it contributes the net proceeds it receives from the issuance to the Operating Partnership and the Operating Partnership issues to the Parent Company an equal number of OP Units or other partnership interests having preferences and rights that mirror the preferences and rights of the shares issued.  This structure is commonly referred to as an umbrella partnership REIT or “UPREIT.”