ORGANIZATION	9 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2016
ORGANIZATION [Abstract]
ORGANIZATION	NOTE 1 • ORGANIZATION Investors Real Estate Trust (“IRET”, “we” or “us”) is a self-advised real estate investment trust engaged in acquiring, owning and leasing multifamily residential and commercial real estate. We have elected to be taxed as a Real Estate Investment Trust (“REIT”) under Sections 856-860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. As a REIT, we are subject to a number of organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement to distribute 90% of ordinary taxable income to shareholders, and, generally, are not subject to federal income tax on net income, except for taxes on undistributed REIT taxable income and taxes on the income generated by our taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”). Our TRS is subject to corporate federal and state income tax on its taxable income at regular statutory rates. We have considered estimated future taxable income and have determined that there were no material income tax provisions or material net deferred income tax items for our TRS for the nine months ended January 31, 2016 and 2015. Our multifamily properties and commercial properties are located mainly in the states of North Dakota and Minnesota, but also in the states of Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming. As of January 31, 2016, we held for investment 94 multifamily properties with 12,401 apartment units and 83 commercial properties, consisting of healthcare, industrial and other, totaling 4.5 million net rentable square feet. We held for sale 8 multifamily properties, 1 commercial property and 1 parcel of land as of January 31, 2016. We conduct a majority of our business activities through our consolidated operating partnership, IRET Properties, a North Dakota Limited Partnership (the “Operating Partnership”), as well as through a number of other consolidated subsidiary entities. All references to IRET, we or us refer to Investors Real Estate Trust and its consolidated subsidiaries.

NOTE 1 • ORGANIZATION

Investors Real Estate Trust (“IRET”, “we” or “us”) is a self-advised real estate investment trust engaged in acquiring, owning and leasing multifamily residential and commercial real estate. We have elected to be taxed as a Real Estate Investment Trust (“REIT”) under Sections 856-860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. As a REIT, we are subject to a number of organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement to distribute 90% of ordinary taxable income to shareholders, and, generally, are not subject to federal income tax on net income, except for taxes on undistributed REIT taxable income and taxes on the income generated by our taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”). Our TRS is subject to corporate federal and state income tax on its taxable income at regular statutory rates. We have considered estimated future taxable income and have determined that there were no material income tax provisions or material net deferred income tax items for our TRS for the nine months ended January 31, 2016 and 2015. Our multifamily properties and commercial properties are located mainly in the states of North Dakota and Minnesota, but also in the states of Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming. As of January 31, 2016, we held for investment 94 multifamily properties with 12,401 apartment units and 83 commercial properties, consisting of healthcare, industrial and other, totaling 4.5 million net rentable square feet. We held for sale 8 multifamily properties, 1 commercial property and 1 parcel of land as of January 31, 2016. We conduct a majority of our business activities through our consolidated operating partnership, IRET Properties, a North Dakota Limited Partnership (the “Operating Partnership”), as well as through a number of other consolidated subsidiary entities.

All references to IRET, we or us refer to Investors Real Estate Trust and its consolidated subsidiaries.