Related Person Transactions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related Person Transactions	Related Person Transactions The following discussion includes a description of our related person transactions for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014. Certain of these related person transactions, and their approvals, occurred prior to the election of our new Board of Trustees at the Special Meeting and the appointment of our current executive officers following the Special Meeting. The disclosure below under “—Transactions with Prior Related Persons” describes our transactions and approvals with our prior related persons. Related Person Transactions Following the Special Meeting: Equity Group Investments and associated entities: Effective June 1, 2014, we entered into a one-year license agreement with Equity Group Investments, a private investment firm (Equity Group), to use office space on the sixth floor at Two North Riverside Plaza in Chicago, Illinois. The license fee is $0.2 million for the year. The license fee includes the non-exclusive use of additional areas on the sixth floor (such as conference rooms and common areas), certain administrative services (such as mail room services and reception desk staffing), office equipment, office furniture, supplies, licensee’s share of building operating expenses and real estate taxes and access to one parking space. The license expires on May 31, 2015, unless terminated earlier in accordance with the terms of the license. Mr. Zell, our Chairman, is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Equity Group Investments, and Mr. Helfand, our President and Chief Executive Officer, is the Co-President of Equity Group Investments. This license agreement was approved by the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees. On May 4, 2015, the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees approved an agreement to extend the term of the license agreement through November 30, 2015. The license fee payment is approximately $0.1 million for the extended term. Effective June 1, 2014, we entered into a one-year lease with one 3-month renewal option with Two North Riverside Plaza Joint Venture Limited Partnership, an entity associated with Mr. Zell, our Chairman, to occupy office space on the fourteenth floor at Two North Riverside Plaza in Chicago, Illinois. The lease payment is $0.2 million for the initial term. This lease was terminated, effective January 31, 2015, for a small termination fee. This lease was approved by the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees. Effective July 31, 2014, we entered into a sublease with Equity Residential Management, L.L.C. to occupy office space on the tenth floor of Two North Riverside Plaza in Chicago, Illinois. Equity Residential Management, L.L.C. leases the space from Two North Riverside Plaza Joint Venture Limited Partnership, an entity associated with Mr. Zell, our Chairman. The initial term of the sublease is approximately seven months commencing on or about October 22, 2014, expiring on May 31, 2015, with one 3-month renewal option. The sublease payment is approximately $0.2 million for the initial term. This sublease was approved by the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees. On May 4, 2015, the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees approved an agreement to extend the term of the sublease through November 30, 2015. The sublease payment is approximately $0.2 million for the extended term. Related/Corvex: On July 31, 2014, at the reconvened session of our 2014 annual meeting of shareholders, our shareholders voted to approve the reimbursement of approximately $33.5 million of expenses incurred by Related/Corvex since February 2013 in connection with their consent solicitations to remove our former Trustees and elect the new Board of Trustees and to engage in related litigation. Approximately $16.7 million was paid during the year ended December 31, 2014. Approximately $8.4 million will be reimbursed only if the average closing price of our common shares is at least $26.00 (as adjusted for any share splits or share dividends) during the one year period after the date on which the reimbursement was approved by shareholders, and the remaining approximately $8.4 million will be reimbursed only if the average closing price of our common shares is at least $26.00 (as adjusted for any share splits or share dividends) during the one year period between the first and second anniversaries of the date on which the reimbursement was approved by shareholders. Transactions with Prior Related Persons: RMR: Prior to entering into the Termination and Cooperation Agreement with RMR, as further described below, we had three primary agreements with RMR and its affiliates to provide management and administrative services to us: (i) a business management agreement, which relates to our business generally, (ii) a property management agreement, which relates to our property level operations, and (iii) an Australia business and property management agreement, which relates to our Australian properties. During the time we were externally managed by RMR, one of our former Managing Trustees, Mr. Barry Portnoy, was Chairman, majority owner and an employee of RMR. Another former Managing Trustee and our former President, Mr. Adam Portnoy, is the son of Mr. Barry Portnoy, and was an owner, President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of RMR. As a result of the removal, effective March 25, 2014, of Mr. Barry Portnoy and Mr. Adam Portnoy as Trustees of the Company and the resignation on May 23, 2014, of Mr. Adam D. Portnoy, Mr. John C. Popeo, Mr. David M. Lepore and other officers of RMR from their respective positions as officers of the Company, they, RMR, RMR Australia Asset Management Pty Limited, or RMR Australia, GOV, SIR and AIC have ceased to be related persons of the Company. Therefore, we only present related person transactions with these entities through June 30, 2014. Pursuant to our business management agreement with RMR, we recognized business management fees of $15.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2014. The fees for the three months ended March 31, 2014, include estimated 2014 incentive fees payable in common shares based on our common share total return. These amounts are included in general and administrative expenses, in our condensed consolidated financial statements. In accordance with the terms of our business management agreement, as amended in December 2013, we issued 34,222 of our common shares to RMR for the three months ended March 31, 2014 as payment for 10% of the base business management fee we recognized for such period. In connection with our property management agreement with RMR, the aggregate property management and construction supervision fees we recognized were $7.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2014. These amounts are included in operating expenses or have been capitalized, as appropriate, in our condensed consolidated financial statements. Our contract with MacarthurCook Fund Management Limited (MacarthurCook) terminated on January 31, 2013, and on that date we entered into a business and property management agreement (Australia Management Agreement) with RMR Australia for the benefit of CWH Australia Trust (formerly the MacarthurCook Industrial Property Fund), a subsidiary of ours. The terms of the Australia Management Agreement are substantially similar to the terms of the management agreement we had with MacarthurCook. RMR Australia is owned by our former Managing Trustees and our former President and it has been granted an Australian financial services license by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission. Similar to our prior arrangement with respect to fees we paid to MacarthurCook, RMR has agreed to waive half of the fees payable by us under our property management agreement with RMR and half of the business management fees otherwise payable by us under our business management agreement with RMR related to real estate investments that are subject to the Australia Management Agreement for so long as the Australia Management Agreement is in effect and we or any of our subsidiaries are paying the fees under that agreement. Pursuant to the Australia Management Agreement, we recognized aggregate business and property management fees of $0.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2014, which amounts are equal to the fees waived by RMR and excluded from the amount that was payable to RMR during the three months ended March 31, 2014. Termination and Cooperation Agreement: On September 30, 2014, we entered into a termination and cooperation agreement (Cooperation Agreement) with RMR and RMR Australia together, (Manager). Under the terms of the agreement, the existing business and property management agreements with RMR terminated effective September 30, 2014. Our existing Australia Management Agreement with RMR Australia will remain in effect until December 31, 2015, unless earlier terminated. Pursuant to the Cooperation Agreement, through February 28, 2015, Manager agreed to use best efforts to assist us in the transition of our management and operations. We paid Manager $1.2 million per month for transition services from October 1, 2014 to February 28, 2015. The payment of the transition fee also covers continued management and other services for the Australian assets through February 28, 2015. Beyond February 28, 2015, we have agreed to pay Manager $0.1 million per month until we no longer require such services or until the Australia Management Agreement is terminated. There is no future obligation to pay an incentive fee to RMR. SIR: SIR was formerly our 100% owned subsidiary. In March 2012, SIR completed an initial public offering, or the SIR IPO. Until July 9, 2014, we were SIR’s largest shareholder and, until July 2, 2013, SIR was one of our consolidated subsidiaries. As of March 31, 2014, we owned 22,000,000 common shares of SIR, which represented approximately 44.1% of SIR’s outstanding common shares. During the time we were externally managed by RMR, RMR provided management services to both us and SIR. Our former Managing Trustees and our former President were managing trustees of SIR and our former Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer served as the treasurer and chief financial officer of SIR and SIR’s executive officers were officers of RMR. In addition, one of our former Independent Trustees was an independent trustee of SIR. Under the registration agreement, we agreed to pay all expenses incurred by SIR relating to the registration and sale of the shares in an offering. We incurred and paid $0.6 million of reimbursements to SIR pursuant to this agreement. By letter dated March 31, 2014, SIR notified us that, effective that same day, SIR had elected to terminate the registration agreement with us as a result of the removal of all the former Trustees effective March 25, 2014, which constituted a change of control of us as provided in that agreement. The letter also noted that SIR would welcome the opportunity to meet with our new Board of Trustees to discuss mutually beneficial arrangements regarding the registration of the shares of SIR owned by EQC. On July 9, 2014, we sold our entire stake of 22,000,000 common shares of SIR, for $32.04 per share, raising aggregate gross proceeds of $704.8 million. As a result of this sale, we no longer hold any interest in SIR. AIC: We previously owned 12.5% of AIC, an Indiana insurance company, and, as of May 9, 2014, had invested $5.2 million in AIC since we became an equity owner of AIC in 2009. RMR, GOV, SIR and four other companies to which RMR provides management services also own shares of AIC. The other shareholders of AIC, on May 9, 2014, exercised their right to purchase the 20,000 shares of AIC we then owned. We received $5.8 million in aggregate proceeds from this sale and we no longer own any interest in AIC. We previously purchased property insurance providing $500.0 million of coverage pursuant to an insurance program arranged by AIC and with respect to which AIC was a reinsurer of certain coverage amounts. This program expired in June 2014. We recognized a loss of $0.1 million related to our investment in AIC for the three months ended March 31, 2014. Indemnification: Pursuant to our declaration of trust and separate indemnification agreements, we have advanced amounts incurred for legal fees and costs on behalf of certain of the former Trustees and officers with respect to the legal proceedings described in Part II, Item 1, “Legal Proceedings” in this Quarterly Report. Pursuant to indemnification provisions in our business and property management agreements with RMR, we have also incurred legal fees and costs on behalf of RMR for claims brought against RMR in its capacity as our business and property manager with respect to certain legal proceedings described in Part II, Item 1, “Legal Proceedings” in this Quarterly Report. For the three months ended March 31, 2014, we incurred approximately $3.9 million in such legal fees and costs, including our costs.

Related Person Transactions

The following discussion includes a description of our related person transactions for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014. Certain of these related person transactions, and their approvals, occurred prior to the election of our new Board of Trustees at the Special Meeting and the appointment of our current executive officers following the Special Meeting. The disclosure below under “—Transactions with Prior Related Persons” describes our transactions and approvals with our prior related persons.

Related Person Transactions Following the Special Meeting:

Equity Group Investments and associated entities: Effective June 1, 2014, we entered into a one-year license agreement with Equity Group Investments, a private investment firm (Equity Group), to use office space on the sixth floor at Two North Riverside Plaza in Chicago, Illinois. The license fee is $0.2 million for the year. The license fee includes the non-exclusive use of additional areas on the sixth floor (such as conference rooms and common areas), certain administrative services (such as mail room services and reception desk staffing), office equipment, office furniture, supplies, licensee’s share of building operating expenses and real estate taxes and access to one parking space. The license expires on May 31, 2015, unless terminated earlier in accordance with the terms of the license. Mr. Zell, our Chairman, is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Equity Group Investments, and Mr. Helfand, our President and Chief Executive Officer, is the Co-President of Equity Group Investments. This license agreement was approved by the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees. On May 4, 2015, the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees approved an agreement to extend the term of the license agreement through November 30, 2015. The license fee payment is approximately $0.1 million for the extended term.

Effective June 1, 2014, we entered into a one-year lease with one 3-month renewal option with Two North Riverside Plaza Joint Venture Limited Partnership, an entity associated with Mr. Zell, our Chairman, to occupy office space on the fourteenth floor at Two North Riverside Plaza in Chicago, Illinois. The lease payment is $0.2 million for the initial term. This lease was terminated, effective January 31, 2015, for a small termination fee. This lease was approved by the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees.

Effective July 31, 2014, we entered into a sublease with Equity Residential Management, L.L.C. to occupy office space on the tenth floor of Two North Riverside Plaza in Chicago, Illinois. Equity Residential Management, L.L.C. leases the space from Two North Riverside Plaza Joint Venture Limited Partnership, an entity associated with Mr. Zell, our Chairman. The initial term of the sublease is approximately seven months commencing on or about October 22, 2014, expiring on May 31, 2015, with one 3-month renewal option. The sublease payment is approximately $0.2 million for the initial term. This sublease was approved by the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees. On May 4, 2015, the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees approved an agreement to extend the term of the sublease through November 30, 2015. The sublease payment is approximately $0.2 million for the extended term.

Related/Corvex: On July 31, 2014, at the reconvened session of our 2014 annual meeting of shareholders, our shareholders voted to approve the reimbursement of approximately $33.5 million of expenses incurred by Related/Corvex since February 2013 in connection with their consent solicitations to remove our former Trustees and elect the new Board of Trustees and to engage in related litigation. Approximately $16.7 million was paid during the year ended December 31, 2014. Approximately $8.4 million will be reimbursed only if the average closing price of our common shares is at least $26.00 (as adjusted for any share splits or share dividends) during the one year period after the date on which the reimbursement was approved by shareholders, and the remaining approximately $8.4 million will be reimbursed only if the average closing price of our common shares is at least $26.00 (as adjusted for any share splits or share dividends) during the one year period between the first and second anniversaries of the date on which the reimbursement was approved by shareholders.

Transactions with Prior Related Persons:

RMR: Prior to entering into the Termination and Cooperation Agreement with RMR, as further described below, we had three primary agreements with RMR and its affiliates to provide management and administrative services to us: (i) a business management agreement, which relates to our business generally, (ii) a property management agreement, which relates to our property level operations, and (iii) an Australia business and property management agreement, which relates to our Australian properties.

During the time we were externally managed by RMR, one of our former Managing Trustees, Mr. Barry Portnoy, was Chairman, majority owner and an employee of RMR. Another former Managing Trustee and our former President, Mr. Adam Portnoy, is the son of Mr. Barry Portnoy, and was an owner, President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of RMR. As a result of the removal, effective March 25, 2014, of Mr. Barry Portnoy and Mr. Adam Portnoy as Trustees of the Company and the resignation on May 23, 2014, of Mr. Adam D. Portnoy, Mr. John C. Popeo, Mr. David M. Lepore and other officers of RMR from their respective positions as officers of the Company, they, RMR, RMR Australia Asset Management Pty Limited, or RMR Australia, GOV, SIR and AIC have ceased to be related persons of the Company. Therefore, we only present related person transactions with these entities through June 30, 2014.

Pursuant to our business management agreement with RMR, we recognized business management fees of $15.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2014. The fees for the three months ended March 31, 2014, include estimated 2014 incentive fees payable in common shares based on our common share total return. These amounts are included in general and administrative expenses, in our condensed consolidated financial statements. In accordance with the terms of our business management agreement, as amended in December 2013, we issued 34,222 of our common shares to RMR for the three months ended March 31, 2014 as payment for 10% of the base business management fee we recognized for such period. In connection with our property management agreement with RMR, the aggregate property management and construction supervision fees we recognized were $7.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2014. These amounts are included in operating expenses or have been capitalized, as appropriate, in our condensed consolidated financial statements.

Our contract with MacarthurCook Fund Management Limited (MacarthurCook) terminated on January 31, 2013, and on that date we entered into a business and property management agreement (Australia Management Agreement) with RMR Australia for the benefit of CWH Australia Trust (formerly the MacarthurCook Industrial Property Fund), a subsidiary of ours. The terms of the Australia Management Agreement are substantially similar to the terms of the management agreement we had with MacarthurCook. RMR Australia is owned by our former Managing Trustees and our former President and it has been granted an Australian financial services license by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission. Similar to our prior arrangement with respect to fees we paid to MacarthurCook, RMR has agreed to waive half of the fees payable by us under our property management agreement with RMR and half of the business management fees otherwise payable by us under our business management agreement with RMR related to real estate investments that are subject to the Australia Management Agreement for so long as the Australia Management Agreement is in effect and we or any of our subsidiaries are paying the fees under that agreement. Pursuant to the Australia Management Agreement, we recognized aggregate business and property management fees of $0.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2014, which amounts are equal to the fees waived by RMR and excluded from the amount that was payable to RMR during the three months ended March 31, 2014.

Termination and Cooperation Agreement: On September 30, 2014, we entered into a termination and cooperation agreement (Cooperation Agreement) with RMR and RMR Australia together, (Manager). Under the terms of the agreement, the existing business and property management agreements with RMR terminated effective September 30, 2014. Our existing Australia Management Agreement with RMR Australia will remain in effect until December 31, 2015, unless earlier terminated.

Pursuant to the Cooperation Agreement, through February 28, 2015, Manager agreed to use best efforts to assist us in the transition of our management and operations. We paid Manager $1.2 million per month for transition services from October 1, 2014 to February 28, 2015. The payment of the transition fee also covers continued management and other services for the Australian assets through February 28, 2015. Beyond February 28, 2015, we have agreed to pay Manager $0.1 million per month until we no longer require such services or until the Australia Management Agreement is terminated.

There is no future obligation to pay an incentive fee to RMR.

SIR: SIR was formerly our 100% owned subsidiary. In March 2012, SIR completed an initial public offering, or the SIR IPO. Until July 9, 2014, we were SIR’s largest shareholder and, until July 2, 2013, SIR was one of our consolidated subsidiaries. As of March 31, 2014, we owned 22,000,000 common shares of SIR, which represented approximately 44.1% of SIR’s outstanding common shares. During the time we were externally managed by RMR, RMR provided management services to both us and SIR. Our former Managing Trustees and our former President were managing trustees of SIR and our former Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer served as the treasurer and chief financial officer of SIR and SIR’s executive officers were officers of RMR. In addition, one of our former Independent Trustees was an independent trustee of SIR. Under the registration agreement, we agreed to pay all expenses incurred by SIR relating to the registration and sale of the shares in an offering. We incurred and paid $0.6 million of reimbursements to SIR pursuant to this agreement. By letter dated March 31, 2014, SIR notified us that, effective that same day, SIR had elected to terminate the registration agreement with us as a result of the removal of all the former Trustees effective March 25, 2014, which constituted a change of control of us as provided in that agreement. The letter also noted that SIR would welcome the opportunity to meet with our new Board of Trustees to discuss mutually beneficial arrangements regarding the registration of the shares of SIR owned by EQC. On July 9, 2014, we sold our entire stake of 22,000,000 common shares of SIR, for $32.04 per share, raising aggregate gross proceeds of $704.8 million. As a result of this sale, we no longer hold any interest in SIR.

AIC: We previously owned 12.5% of AIC, an Indiana insurance company, and, as of May 9, 2014, had invested $5.2 million in AIC since we became an equity owner of AIC in 2009. RMR, GOV, SIR and four other companies to which RMR provides management services also own shares of AIC. The other shareholders of AIC, on May 9, 2014, exercised their right to purchase the 20,000 shares of AIC we then owned. We received $5.8 million in aggregate proceeds from this sale and we no longer own any interest in AIC.

We previously purchased property insurance providing $500.0 million of coverage pursuant to an insurance program arranged by AIC and with respect to which AIC was a reinsurer of certain coverage amounts. This program expired in June 2014. We recognized a loss of $0.1 million related to our investment in AIC for the three months ended March 31, 2014.

Indemnification: Pursuant to our declaration of trust and separate indemnification agreements, we have advanced amounts incurred for legal fees and costs on behalf of certain of the former Trustees and officers with respect to the legal proceedings described in Part II, Item 1, “Legal Proceedings” in this Quarterly Report. Pursuant to indemnification provisions in our business and property management agreements with RMR, we have also incurred legal fees and costs on behalf of RMR for claims brought against RMR in its capacity as our business and property manager with respect to certain legal proceedings described in Part II, Item 1, “Legal Proceedings” in this Quarterly Report. For the three months ended March 31, 2014, we incurred approximately $3.9 million in such legal fees and costs, including our costs.