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Business
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Business

1.

Business

Equity Residential (“EQR”) is an S&P 500 company focused on the acquisition, development and management of rental apartment properties located in urban and high-density suburban markets, a business that is conducted on its behalf by ERP Operating Limited Partnership (“ERPOP”).  EQR is a Maryland real estate investment trust (“REIT”) formed in March 1993 and ERPOP is an Illinois limited partnership formed in May 1993.  References to the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our” mean collectively EQR, ERPOP and those entities/subsidiaries owned or controlled by EQR and/or ERPOP.  References to the “Operating Partnership” mean collectively ERPOP and those entities/subsidiaries owned or controlled by ERPOP.  Unless otherwise indicated, the notes to consolidated financial statements apply to both the Company and the Operating Partnership.

EQR is the general partner of, and as of December 31, 2018 owned an approximate 96.4% ownership interest in, ERPOP.  All of the Company’s property ownership, development and related business operations are conducted through the Operating Partnership and EQR has no material assets or liabilities other than its investment in ERPOP.  EQR issues public equity from time to time, the net proceeds of which it is obligated to contribute to ERPOP, but does not have any indebtedness as all debt is incurred by the Operating Partnership.  The Operating Partnership holds substantially all of the assets of the Company, including the Company’s ownership interests in its joint ventures.  The Operating Partnership conducts the operations of the business and is structured as a partnership with no publicly traded equity.  

As of December 31, 2018, the Company, directly or indirectly through investments in title holding entities, owned all or a portion of 307 properties located in 11 states and the District of Columbia consisting of 79,482 apartment units.  The ownership breakdown includes (table does not include various uncompleted development properties):

 

 

 

Properties

 

 

Apartment Units

 

Wholly Owned Properties

 

 

287

 

 

 

74,840

 

Master-Leased Property – Consolidated

 

 

1

 

 

 

162

 

Partially Owned Properties – Consolidated

 

 

17

 

 

 

3,535

 

Partially Owned Properties – Unconsolidated

 

 

2

 

 

 

945

 

 

 

 

307

 

 

 

79,482

 

 

Note: Effective February 1, 2018 and April 2, 2018, the Company took over management of two of its Master-Leased properties containing 94 apartment units and 597 apartment units located in Boston and Los Angeles, respectively.

 

The “Wholly Owned Properties” are accounted for under the consolidation method of accounting.  The “Master-Leased Property – Consolidated” is wholly owned by the Company but the entire project is leased to a third party corporate housing provider.  This property is consolidated and reflected as a real estate asset while the master lease is accounted for as an operating lease.  The “Partially Owned Properties – Consolidated” are controlled by the Company, but have partners with noncontrolling interests and are accounted for under the consolidation method of accounting and qualify as variable interest entities.  The “Partially Owned Properties – Unconsolidated” are controlled by the Company’s partners but the Company has noncontrolling interests and are accounted for under the equity method of accounting.

The Company maintains long-term ground leases for 14 operating properties.  The Company owns the building and improvements and leases the land underlying the improvements under long-term ground leases.  The expiration dates for these leases range from 2042 through 2113.  These properties are consolidated and reflected as real estate assets while the ground leases are accounted for as operating leases.  See Note 2 for additional discussion regarding the new leases standard.