SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    ---------



                                    FORM 8-K



                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934




         Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): July 30, 1999




                              HRPT PROPERTIES TRUST
               (Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)




   Maryland                        1-9317                      04-6558834
(State or other               (Commission file               (IRS employer
jurisdiction of                    number)                identification no.)
incorporation)



400 Centre Street, Newton, Massachusetts                             02458
(Address of principal executive offices)                          (Zip code)



Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  617-332-3990



          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)






Item 5.  Other Events.

         Introduction.

         In its  Current  Report  on Form  8-K  dated  December  23,  1998  (the
"December,  1998 Form 8- K"), HRPT Properties Trust ("HRP") announced a plan for
a possible separate  financing of certain senior housing  properties which would
include a public  offering of common shares of a subsidiary  ("Senior  Housing")
and a distribution to HRP's  shareholders  of common shares of that  subsidiary.
HRP has decided not to proceed with the plan as  previously  announced.  Rather,
HRP  intends to  distribute  the common  shares of Senior  Housing in the manner
described below (the "Spin-Off").

         The Spin-Off,  which is described in more detail below, constitutes one
alternative  transaction  that HRP is considering  with respect to financing its
senior  housing and  healthcare  real estate  investments.  The  transaction  is
contingent,  and there can be no  assurance  that HRP will  pursue the  Spin-Off
rather than other  alternatives,  or that it will separately  finance its senior
housing and  healthcare  properties  at all.  References in this Form 8-K to HRP
includes its consolidated subsidiaries, unless the context otherwise requires.

         If the Spin-Off  occurs,  HRP will  distribute a prospectus  concerning
those shares to its shareholders prior to the distribution.

         The Proposed Transaction.

         The basic elements of the plan announced by HRP are as follows:

         Senior Housing,  a Maryland real estate  investment  trust, is a wholly
owned subsidiary of HRP. HRP has contributed to other wholly owned  subsidiaries
its  interest  in 93  properties,  which  include  (i) 14  properties  leased to
subsidiaries of Marriott  International,  Inc.,  (ii) four properties  leased to
subsidiaries of Brookdale Living  Communities,  Inc., (iii) 26 properties leased
to subsidiaries of Mariner Post-Acute  Network,  Inc., (iv) 42 properties leased
to subsidiaries of Integrated Health Services,  Inc., (v) one property leased to
a subsidiary of Genesis Health Ventures,  Inc. and (vi) six properties leased to
other  tenants.  As used in this Report,  the term "Senior  Housing  Properties"
means  these 93  properties,  collectively,  subject  to such  substitutions  or
variations, if any, as may result when and if the proposed plan is finalized.

         Senior  Housing  currently  has 26 million  common shares of beneficial
interest ("Senior Housing Common Shares") outstanding.

         If the plan is consummated,  HRP would contribute the capital shares of
the  subsidiaries  owning the Senior Housing  Properties to Senior  Housing.  In
exchange for the transfer of certain of the Senior  Housing  Properties,  Senior
Housing  and/or  a  subsidiary  would  issue to HRP a  promissory  note for $200
million.  Concurrently with the contribution of the subsidiary shares, HRP would
distribute to its shareholders  approximately 13.2 million Senior Housing Common
Shares (the "Spin-Off  Shares") which it currently owns.  Prior to the Spin-Off,
Senior Housing would enter into a new $350 million bank credit facility, secured
by certain of the Senior Housing Properties. Shortly after

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completion of the Spin-Off,  Senior Housing would borrow $200 million under this
bank credit facility and pay the promissory note due to HRP.

         Senior  Housing has filed a  registration  statement  on Form S-11 (the
"Senior  Properties  Registration  Statement")  with the Securities and Exchange
Commission  relating to HRP's  distribution of the Spin-Off  Shares.  The Senior
Properties  Registration  Statement  has not yet  become  effective.  The Senior
Housing Common Shares may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to
the time such registration  statement becomes  effective.  This Report shall not
constitute  an offer  to sell or the  solicitation  of an  offer  to buy  Senior
Housing Common Shares,  nor shall there be any sale of the Senior Housing Common
Shares in any State in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful
prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such State.

         The proposed  arrangements  between the Trust's  investment advisor and
Senior  Housing and the  proposed  changes in the  officers  and trustees of HRP
following the Spin-Off remain as were described in the December, 1998 Form 8-K.

         While HRP believes that pursuing a plan of the nature  described  above
is appropriate to promote shareholder value, the proposed plan is dependent on a
number of conditions,  including the  determination  to go forward with the plan
and Senior  Housing's  ability  to  complete  the new bank  credit  facility  on
acceptable terms.


                           FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

         This Current  Report on Form 8-K contains  statements  that  constitute
forward looking statements within the meaning of the Securities  Exchange Act of
1934, as amended. These statements appear in a number of places in this Form 8-K
and  include  statements  regarding  strategies,   plans,  beliefs  and  current
expectations  of HRP's  management.  Readers are cautioned that any such forward
looking  statements  are not  guarantees  of future events and involve risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in
the forward looking statements.  Such risks and uncertainties  include,  but are
not limited to, the factors discussed in the preceding paragraph.


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                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

                                 HRPT PROPERTIES TRUST



                                  By: /s/ Ajay Saini
                                      Ajay Saini, Treasurer and Chief Financial
                                      Officer

Date: July 30, 1999