DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

NOTE 1—DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

Ventas, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated or except where the context otherwise requires, “we,” “us” or “our”), an S&P 500 company, is a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) with a highly diversified portfolio of seniors housing, life science and innovation and healthcare properties located throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. As of September 30, 2018, we owned approximately 1,200 properties (including properties owned through investments in unconsolidated entities and properties classified as held for sale), consisting of seniors housing communities, medical office buildings (“MOBs”), life science and innovation centers, inpatient rehabilitation facilities (“IRFs”) and long-term acute care facilities (“LTACs”), health systems and skilled nursing facilities (“SNFs”), and we had 16 properties under development, including five properties that are owned by unconsolidated real estate entities. Our company was originally founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

We primarily invest in seniors housing, life science and innovation and healthcare properties through acquisitions and lease our properties to unaffiliated tenants or operate them through independent third-party managers. As of September 30, 2018, we leased a total of 468 properties (excluding properties within our office operations reportable business segment) to various healthcare operating companies under “triple-net” or “absolute-net” leases that obligate the tenants to pay all property-related expenses, including maintenance, utilities, repairs, taxes, insurance and capital expenditures.

As of September 30, 2018, pursuant to long-term management agreements, we engaged independent operators, such as Atria Senior Living, Inc. (“Atria”) and Sunrise Senior Living, LLC (together with its subsidiaries, “Sunrise”), to manage 360 seniors housing communities for us.

Our three largest tenants, Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, “Brookdale Senior Living”), Ardent Health Partners, LLC (together with its subsidiaries, “Ardent”) and Kindred Healthcare, LLC (formerly Kindred Healthcare, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, “Kindred”) leased from us 135 properties (excluding one property managed by Brookdale Senior Living pursuant to a long-term management agreement), 11 properties and 32 properties, respectively, as of September 30, 2018.

Through our Lillibridge Healthcare Services, Inc. subsidiary and our ownership interest in PMB Real Estate Services LLC, we also provide MOB management, leasing, marketing, facility development and advisory services to highly rated hospitals and health systems throughout the United States. In addition, from time to time, we make secured and non-mortgage loans and other investments relating to seniors housing and healthcare operators or properties.