Organization, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies

Organization and Basis of Presentation

AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (the “Company,” which term, unless the context otherwise requires, refers to AvalonBay Communities, Inc. together with its subsidiaries), is a Maryland corporation that has elected to be treated as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) for federal income tax purposes under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”). The Company focuses on the development, redevelopment, acquisition, ownership and operation of multifamily communities primarily in New England, the New York/New Jersey metro area, the Mid-Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest, and Northern and Southern California.

At December 31, 2018, the Company owned or held a direct or indirect ownership interest in 270 operating apartment communities containing 78,549 apartment homes in 12 states and the District of Columbia, of which nine communities containing 3,648 apartment homes were under redevelopment. In addition, the Company owned or held a direct or indirect ownership interest in 21 communities under development that are expected to contain an aggregate of 6,609 apartment homes (unaudited) when completed, and a mixed-use project being developed in which the Company is currently pursuing a potential for-sale strategy of individual condominium units. The Company also owned or held a direct or indirect ownership interest in land or rights to land in which the Company expects to develop an additional 28 communities that, if developed as expected, will contain an estimated 9,769 apartment homes (unaudited).

Capitalized terms used without definition have meanings provided elsewhere in this Form 10-K.

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, certain joint venture partnerships, subsidiary partnerships structured as DownREITs and any variable interest entities that qualify for consolidation. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The Company accounts for joint venture entities and subsidiary partnerships in accordance with the consolidation guidance. The Company evaluates the partnership of each joint venture entity and determines first whether to follow the variable interest entity (“VIE”) or the voting interest entity (“VOE”) model. Once the appropriate consolidation model is identified, the Company then evaluates whether it should consolidate the venture. Under the VIE model, the Company consolidates an investment when it has control to direct the activities of the venture and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE. Under the VOE model, the Company consolidates an investment when 1) it controls the investment through ownership of a majority voting interest if the investment is not a limited partnership or 2) it controls the investment through its ability to remove the other partners in the investment, at its discretion, when the investment is a limited partnership.

The Company generally uses the equity method of accounting for its investment in joint ventures, including when the Company holds a noncontrolling limited partner interest in a joint venture. Any investment in excess of the Company's cost basis at acquisition or formation of an equity method venture, will be recorded as a component of the Company's investment in the joint venture and recognized over the life of the underlying fixed assets of the venture as a reduction to its equity in income from the venture. Investments in which the Company has little or no influence are accounted for using the cost method.

Revenue and Gain Recognition

The Company accounts for its leases with its residents and retail tenants as operating leases. For lease agreements that provide for rent concessions and/or scheduled fixed and determinable rent increases, rental income is recognized on a straight-line basis over the noncancellable term of the lease. The Company’s residential lease term is generally one year. The Company records a charge to income for uncollectible outstanding receivables past due as a component of operating expenses, excluding property taxes on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

As of January 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, using the modified retrospective approach, which applies the new standard to contracts that are not completed as of the date of adoption. Under the new standard, revenue is recognized in accordance with the transfer of goods and services to customers at an amount that reflects the consideration that the Company expects to be entitled to for those goods and services. The majority of the Company’s revenue is derived from residential and retail rental income and other lease income, which are scoped out from this standard and included in the current lease accounting framework, and will be accounted for under ASU 2016-02, Leases, discussed under "Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Standards" below. Revenue streams that are scoped into ASU 2014-09 include:

•

Management fees - The Company has investment interests in real estate joint ventures, for which the Company may manage (i) the venture, (ii) the associated operating communities owned by the ventures and/or (iii) the development or redevelopment of those operating communities. For these activities, the Company receives asset management, property management, development and/or redevelopment fee revenue. The performance obligation is the management of the venture, community or other defined task such as the development or redevelopment of the community. While the individual activities that comprise the performance obligation of the management fees can vary day to day, the nature of the overall performance obligation to provide management service is the same and considered by the Company to be a series of services that have the same pattern of transfer to the customer and the same method to measure progress toward satisfaction of the performance obligation. The Company recognizes revenue for fees as earned on a monthly basis and has concluded this is appropriate under the new standard.


•	Rental and non-rental related income - The Company recognizes revenue for new rental related income not included as components of a lease, such as reservation and application fees, as well as for non-rental related income, as earned, and has concluded this is appropriate under the new standard.

•

Gains or losses on sales of real estate - The Company accounts for the sale of real estate assets and any related gain recognition in accordance with the accounting guidance applicable to sales of real estate, which establishes standards for recognition of profit on all real estate sales transactions, other than retail land sales. The Company recognizes the sale, and associated gain or loss from the disposition, provided that the earnings process is complete and the Company does not have significant continuing involvement. Subsequent to the adoption of the new standard, a gain or loss is recognized when the criteria for an asset to be derecognized are met, which include when (i) a contract exists and (ii) the buyer obtained control of the nonfinancial asset that was sold. As a result, the Company may recognize a gain on a real estate disposition transaction that previously did not qualify as a sale or for full profit recognition due to the timing of the transfer of control or certain forms of continuing involvement. In addition, as discussed under ASU 2017-05, included in "Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Standards" below, subsequent to the adoption of the new standard, a gain or loss recognized on the sale of a nonfinancial asset to an unconsolidated entity will be recognized at 100%, and not the Company’s proportionate ownership percentage.

The Company concluded that the adoption of the new standard did not require an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings.

The following table provides details of the Company’s revenue streams disaggregated by the Company’s reportable operating segments, further discussed in Note 8, “Segment Reporting,” for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016. The segments are classified based on the individual community's status at January 1, 2018 for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, and at January 1, 2017 for the year ended December 31, 2016. Segment information for total revenue has been adjusted to exclude the real estate assets that were sold from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2018, or otherwise qualify as held for sale as of December 31, 2018, as described in Note 6, "Real Estate Disposition Activities," (dollars in thousands):



	Established Communities		Other Stabilized Communities		Development/ Redevelopment Communities		Non- allocated (1)		Total
For the year ended December 31, 2018
Management, development and other fees	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	3,572	$	3,572
Rental and non-rental related income (2)	9,563		2,417		1,913		—		13,893
Total non-lease revenue (3)	9,563		2,417		1,913		3,572		17,465

Lease income (4)	1,622,837		259,636		295,706		—		2,178,179
Business interruption insurance proceeds	26		—		—		—		26

Total revenue	$	1,632,426	$	262,053	$	297,619	$	3,572	$	2,195,670

For the year ended December 31, 2017
Management, development and other fees	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	4,147	$	4,147
Rental and non-rental related income (2)	9,453		2,083		1,478		—		13,014
Total non-lease revenue (3)	9,453		2,083		1,478		4,147		17,161

Lease income (4)	1,582,209		191,511		230,293		—		2,004,013
Business interruption insurance proceeds (5)	3		—		3,495		—		3,498

Total revenue	$	1,591,665	$	193,594	$	235,266	$	4,147	$	2,024,672

For the year ended December 31, 2016
Management, development and other fees	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	5,599	$	5,599
Rental and non-rental related income (2)	8,299		2,172		1,394		—		11,865
Total non-lease revenue (3)	8,299		2,172		1,394		5,599		17,464

Lease income (4)	1,423,658		219,035		185,343		—		1,828,036
Business interruption insurance proceeds (6)	152		65		20,312		—		20,529

Total revenue	$	1,432,109	$	221,272	$	207,049	$	5,599	$	1,866,029

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(1)	Revenue represents third-party management, asset management and developer fees and miscellaneous income which are not allocated to a reportable segment.


(2)	Amounts include revenue streams related to leasing activities that are not considered components of a lease, including but not limited to, apartment hold fees and application fees, as well as revenue streams not related to leasing activities, including but not limited to, vendor revenue sharing, building advertising, vending and dry cleaning revenue.


(3)	Represents all revenue accounted for under ASC 2014-09.


(4)	Amounts include all revenue streams derived from residential and retail rental income and other lease income, which are excluded from ASC 2014-09 and accounted for under the lease accounting framework.


(5)	Amount for 2017 is primarily business interruption insurance proceeds related to the Maplewood casualty loss as discussed below in "Casualty Gains and Losses."


(6)	Amount for 2016 is primarily business interruption insurance proceeds related to the Edgewater casualty loss as discussed below in "Casualty Gains and Losses."

Due to the nature and timing of the Company’s identified revenue streams, there are no material amounts of outstanding or unsatisfied performance obligations as of December 31, 2018.

Real Estate

Operating real estate assets are stated at cost and consist of land and improvements, buildings and improvements, furniture, fixtures and equipment, and other costs incurred during their development, redevelopment and acquisition. Significant expenditures which improve or extend the life of an existing asset and that will benefit the Company for periods greater than a year, are capitalized. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred.

Project costs related to the development, construction and redevelopment of real estate projects (including interest and related loan fees, property taxes and other direct costs) are capitalized as a cost of the project. Indirect project costs that relate to several projects are capitalized and allocated to the projects to which they relate. Indirect costs not clearly related to development, construction and redevelopment activity are expensed as incurred. For development, capitalization (i) begins when the Company has determined that development of the future asset is probable, (ii) can be suspended if there is no current development activity underway, but future development is still probable and (iii) ends when the asset, or a portion of an asset, is delivered and is ready for its intended use, or the Company's intended use changes such that capitalization is no longer appropriate.

For land parcels improved with operating real estate, for which the Company intends to pursue development, the Company generally manages the current improvements until such time as all tenant obligations have been satisfied or eliminated through negotiation, and construction of new apartment communities is ready to begin. Revenue from incidental operations received from the current improvements on land parcels in excess of any incremental costs are recorded as a reduction of total capitalized costs of the respective Development Right and not as part of net income. Incidental operating costs in excess of incidental operating income are expensed in the period incurred.

For redevelopment efforts, the Company capitalizes costs either (i) in advance of taking homes out of service when significant renovation of the common area has begun until the redevelopment is completed, or (ii) when an apartment home is taken out of service for redevelopment until the redevelopment is completed and the apartment home is available for a new resident. Rental income and operating costs incurred during the initial lease-up or post-redevelopment lease-up period are recognized in earnings as incurred.

The adoption of ASU 2017-01 on October 1, 2016, impacted the Company's accounting framework for the acquisition of operating communities. Prior to adoption, the acquisition of an operating community was viewed as an acquisition of a business, and the Company identified and recorded each asset acquired and liability assumed in such transaction at its estimated fair value at the date of acquisition, and expensed all costs incurred related to acquisitions of operating communities. Subsequent to adoption of ASU 2017-01 on October 1, 2016, the Company assesses each acquisition of an operating community to determine if it meets the definition of a business or if it qualifies as an asset acquisition. The Company generally views acquisitions of individual operating communities as asset acquisitions, and results in the capitalization of acquisition costs, and the allocation of purchase price to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, based on the relative fair value of the respective assets and liabilities.

The purchase price allocation to tangible assets, such as land and improvements, buildings and improvements, and furniture, fixtures and equipment, and the in-place lease intangible assets, is reflected in real estate assets and depreciated over their estimated useful lives. Any purchase price allocation to intangible assets, other than in-place lease intangibles, is included in prepaid expenses and other assets on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets and amortized over the term of the acquired intangible asset. The Company values land based on a market approach, looking to recent sales of similar properties, adjusting for differences due to location, the state of entitlement as well as the shape and size of the parcel. Improvements to land are valued using a replacement cost approach and consider the structures and amenities included for the communities. The approach for improvements applies industry standard replacement costs adjusted for geographic specific considerations and reduced by estimated depreciation. The value for furniture, fixtures and equipment is also determined based on a replacement cost approach, considering costs for both items in the apartment homes as well as common areas and was adjusted for estimated depreciation. The fair value of buildings acquired is estimated using the replacement cost approach, assuming the buildings were vacant at acquisition. The replacement cost approach considers the composition of structures acquired, adjusted for an estimate of depreciation. The estimate of depreciation is made considering industry standard information, depreciation curves for the identified asset classes and estimated useful life of the acquired property. The value of the acquired lease-related intangibles considers the estimated cost of leasing the apartment homes as if the acquired building(s) were vacant, as well as the value of the current leases relative to market-rate leases. The in-place lease value is determined using an average total lease-up time, the number of apartment homes and net revenues generated during the lease-up time. The lease-up period for an apartment community is assumed to be 12 months to achieve stabilized occupancy. Net revenues use market rent considering actual leasing and industry rental rate data. The value of current leases relative to a market-rate lease is based on market rents obtained for market comparables, and considered a market derived discount rate. Given the heterogeneous nature of multifamily real estate, the fair values for the land, debt, real estate assets and in-place leases incorporated significant unobservable inputs and therefore are considered to be Level 3 prices within the fair value hierarchy. Consideration for acquisitions is typically in the form of cash unless otherwise disclosed.

Depreciation is calculated on buildings and related improvements using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives, which range from seven to 30 years. Furniture, fixtures and equipment are generally depreciated using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives, which range from three years (primarily computer-related equipment) to seven years.

Income Taxes

The Company elected to be treated as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes for its tax year ended December 31, 1994 and has not revoked such election. A REIT is a corporate entity which holds real estate interests and can deduct from its federally taxable income qualifying dividends it pays if it meets a number of organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement that it currently distribute at least 90% of its adjusted taxable income to stockholders. Therefore, as a REIT, the Company generally will not be subject to corporate level federal income tax on its taxable income if it annually distributes 100% of its taxable income to its stockholders.

The states in which the Company operates have similar tax provisions which recognize the Company as a REIT for state income tax purposes. Management believes that all such conditions for the exemption from income taxes on ordinary income have been or will be met for the periods presented. Accordingly, no provision for federal and state income taxes has been made. If the Company fails to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, it will be subject to federal corporate income taxes at regular corporate rates and may not be able to qualify as a corporate REIT for four subsequent taxable years. Even if the Company qualifies for taxation as a REIT, the Company may be subject to certain state and local taxes on its income and property, and to federal income and excise taxes on its undistributed taxable income and in certain other instances.

The Company did not incur any charges or receive refunds of excise taxes related to the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016.

In addition, taxable income from non-REIT activities performed through taxable REIT subsidiaries (“TRS”) is subject to federal, state and local income taxes. The Company recorded an income tax benefit of $160,000 in 2018 and incurred income tax expense of $141,000 and $305,000 in 2017 and 2016, respectively, associated primarily with activities transacted through a TRS. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the Company did not have any unrecognized tax benefits. The Company does not believe that there will be any material changes in its unrecognized tax positions over the next 12 months. The Company is subject to examination by the respective taxing authorities for the tax years 2015 through 2017.

On December 22, 2017, H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “TCJA”), was enacted. The TCJA makes major changes to the Code, including lowering the statutory U.S. federal income tax rate from 35% to 21% effective January 1, 2018. The Company does not believe the TCJA had a material impact on its financial position or results of operations.

The following reconciles net income attributable to common stockholders to taxable net income for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited, dollars in thousands):



	2018 Estimate			2017 Actual			2016 Actual
Net income attributable to common stockholders	$	974,525		$	876,921		$	1,034,002
GAAP gain on sale of communities in excess of tax gain	(194,596		)	(86,661		)	(195,029		)
Depreciation/amortization timing differences on real estate	5,431			(3,642		)	(947		)
Amortization of debt/mark to market interest	2,276			(18,096		)	(18,985		)
Tax compensation expense (in excess of) less than GAAP	(612		)	3,912			9,821
Casualty and impairment loss (gain), net	19,153			20,243			(657		)
Other adjustments	(4,905		)	(4,304		)	11,533
Taxable net income	$	801,272		$	788,373		$	839,738

The following summarizes the tax components of the Company's common dividends declared for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 (unaudited):



	2018		2017		2016
Ordinary income	76	%	75	%	68	%
20% capital gain	11	%	18	%	26	%
Unrecaptured §1250 gain	13	%	7	%	6	%

Deferred Financing Costs

Deferred financing costs include fees and other expenditures necessary to obtain debt financing and are amortized on a straight-line basis, which approximates the effective interest method, over the shorter of the term of the loan or the related credit enhancement facility, if applicable. Unamortized financing costs are charged to earnings when debt is retired before the maturity date. Accumulated amortization of deferred financing costs related to unsecured notes was $20,564,000 and $16,984,000 as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and related to mortgage notes payable was $2,044,000 and $4,991,000 as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Deferred financing costs, except for costs associated with line-of-credit arrangements, are presented as a direct deduction from the related debt liability. Accumulated amortization of deferred financing costs related to the Company's Credit Facility was $10,108,000 and $8,299,000 as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and was included in prepaid expenses and other assets on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Cash in Escrow

Cash and cash equivalents include all cash and liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less from the date acquired. Cash in escrow includes principal reserve funds that are restricted for the repayment of specified secured financing. The majority of the Company's cash, cash equivalents and cash in escrow are held at major commercial banks.

Comprehensive Income

Comprehensive income, as reflected on the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income, is defined as all changes in equity during each period except for those resulting from investments by or distributions to shareholders. Accumulated other comprehensive loss, as reflected on the Consolidated Statements of Equity, reflects the effective portion of the cumulative changes in the fair value of derivatives in qualifying cash flow hedge relationships.

Earnings per Common Share

Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period. All outstanding unvested restricted share awards contain rights to non-forfeitable dividends and participate in undistributed earnings with common shareholders and, accordingly, are considered participating securities that are included in the two-class method of computing basic earnings per share (“EPS”). Both the unvested restricted shares and other potentially dilutive common shares, and the related impact to earnings, are considered when calculating earnings per share on a diluted basis. The Company's earnings per common share are determined as follows (dollars in thousands, except per share data):



	For the year ended
	12/31/18			12/31/17			12/31/16
Basic and diluted shares outstanding
Weighted average common shares—basic	137,844,755			137,523,771			136,928,251
Weighted average DownREIT units outstanding	7,500			7,500			7,500
Effect of dilutive securities	436,986			535,415			525,886
Weighted average common shares—diluted	138,289,241			138,066,686			137,461,637

Calculation of Earnings per Share—basic
Net income attributable to common stockholders	$	974,525		$	876,921		$	1,034,002
Net income allocated to unvested restricted shares	(2,839		)	(2,463		)	(2,610		)
Net income attributable to common stockholders, adjusted	$	971,686		$	874,458		$	1,031,392

Weighted average common shares—basic	137,844,755			137,523,771			136,928,251

Earnings per common share—basic	$	7.05		$	6.36		$	7.53

Calculation of Earnings per Share—diluted
Net income attributable to common stockholders	$	974,525		$	876,921		$	1,034,002
Add: noncontrolling interests of DownREIT unitholders in consolidated partnerships, including discontinued operations	44			42			41
Adjusted net income attributable to common stockholders	$	974,569		$	876,963		$	1,034,043

Weighted average common shares—diluted	138,289,241			138,066,686			137,461,637

Earnings per common share—diluted	$	7.05		$	6.35		$	7.52

Dividends per common share	$	5.88		$	5.68		$	5.40

All options to purchase shares of common stock outstanding as of December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 are included in the computation of diluted earnings per share.

Abandoned Pursuit Costs and Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company capitalizes pre-development costs incurred in pursuit of new development opportunities for which the Company currently believes future development is probable (“Development Rights”). Future development of these Development Rights is dependent upon various factors, including zoning and regulatory approval, rental market conditions, construction costs and the availability of capital. Initial pre-development costs incurred for pursuits for which future development is not yet considered probable are expensed as incurred. In addition, if the status of a Development Right changes, making future development by the Company no longer probable, any non-recoverable capitalized pre-development costs are expensed. The Company expensed costs related to the abandonment of Development Rights, as well as costs incurred in pursuing the acquisition or disposition of assets for which such acquisition and disposition activity did not occur, in the amounts of $4,388,000, $2,370,000 and $4,183,000 during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. These costs are included in expensed acquisition, development and other pursuit costs, net of recoveries on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. Abandoned pursuit costs can vary greatly, and the costs incurred in any given period may be significantly different in future periods.

The Company evaluates its real estate and other long-lived assets for impairment when potential indicators of impairment exist. Such assets are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization, unless the carrying amount of the asset is not recoverable. If events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of a property or long-lived asset may not be recoverable, the Company assesses its recoverability by comparing the carrying amount of the property or long-lived asset to its estimated undiscounted future cash flows. If the carrying amount exceeds the aggregate undiscounted future cash flows, the Company recognizes an impairment loss to the extent the carrying amount exceeds the estimated fair value of the property or long-lived asset. Based on periodic tests of recoverability of long-lived assets, for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, the Company did not recognize any impairment losses for wholly-owned operating real estate assets, and did not record any impairment losses other than those related to the impairment on land held for investment and casualty gains and losses from property damage as discussed below.

The Company assesses its portfolio of land held for both development and investment for impairment if the intent of the Company changes with respect to either the development of, or the expected holding period for, the land. During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company recognized an impairment charge of $826,000 related to a land parcel the Company had previously acquired for development and no longer intends to develop. During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company recognized an impairment charge of $9,350,000 related to a land parcel the Company had acquired for development in 2004 and sold during 2017. During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company recognized $10,500,000 of aggregate impairment charges related to three ancillary land parcels for which the Company has either sold or intended to sell. These charges were determined as the excess of the Company's carrying basis over the expected sales price for each parcel, and is included in casualty and impairment loss (gain), net on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

The Company evaluates its unconsolidated investments for other than temporary impairment, considering both the extent and amount by which the carrying value of the investment exceeds the fair value, and the Company’s intent and ability to hold the investment to recover its carrying value. The Company also evaluates its proportionate share of any impairment of assets held by unconsolidated investments. There were no other than temporary impairment losses recognized by any of the Company's investments in unconsolidated real estate entities during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 or 2016.

Casualty Gains and Losses

In February 2017, a fire occurred at the Company's Avalon Maplewood, located in Maplewood, NJ, which at the time was under construction and not yet occupied. The Company completed reconstruction of the damaged and destroyed portions of the community as well as the vertical construction of the community in 2018. During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company recorded a net casualty loss of $2,338,000 for the fire at Maplewood, included in casualty and impairment loss (gain), net on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company reached a final insurance settlement for the property damage and lost income for the Maplewood casualty loss of $19,696,000, after self-insurance and deductibles, of which the Company recognized $3,495,000 as business interruption insurance proceeds. See Note 7, “Commitments and Contingencies,” for additional discussion of the related casualty loss.

In January 2015, a fire occurred at the Company's Avalon at Edgewater apartment community located in Edgewater, NJ. Edgewater consisted of two residential buildings. One building, containing 240 apartment homes, was destroyed. The second building, containing 168 apartment homes, suffered minimal damage and has been repaired. See Note 7, “Commitments and Contingencies,” for discussion of the related legal matters. During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company reached a final insurance settlement for the Company's property damage and lost income for the Edgewater casualty loss, for which it received aggregate insurance proceeds for Edgewater of $73,150,000, after self-insurance and deductibles, of which $29,008,000 was received in 2016. Of this amount, $8,702,000 was recognized as casualty gain, reported as casualty and impairment loss (gain), net on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income, and $20,306,000 as business interruption insurance proceeds reported as a component of rental and other income on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company recorded a net casualty gain related to 2015 severe winter storms of $5,732,000, which is comprised of $8,493,000 in third-party insurance proceeds received, partially offset by incremental costs of $2,761,000. These amounts are included in casualty and impairment loss (gain), net on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

A casualty loss may also result in lost operating income from one or more communities that is covered by the Company’s business interruption insurance policies. The Company recognizes income for amounts received under its business interruption insurance policies as a component of rental and other income in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. Revenue is recognized upon resolution of all contingencies related to the receipt, typically upon written confirmation by the insurer or receipt of the actual proceeds. The Company recognized $26,000, $3,498,000 and $20,564,000 in income related business interruption insurance proceeds for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations

The Company presents the assets and liabilities of any communities which have been sold, or otherwise qualify as held for sale, separately in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. In addition, the results of operations for those assets that meet the definition of discontinued operations are presented as such in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. Real estate assets held for sale are measured at the lower of the carrying amount or the fair value less the cost to sell. Both the real estate assets and corresponding liabilities are presented separately in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. Upon the classification of an asset as held for sale, no further depreciation is recorded. Disposals representing a strategic shift in operations (e.g., a disposal of a major geographic area, a major line of business or a major equity method investment) will be presented as discontinued operations, and for those assets qualifying for classification as discontinued operations, the specific components of net income presented as discontinued operations include net operating income, depreciation expense and interest expense, net. For periods prior to the asset qualifying for discontinued operations, the Company reclassifies the results of operations to discontinued operations. In addition, the net gain or loss (including any impairment loss) on the eventual disposal of assets held for sale will be presented as discontinued operations when recognized. A change in presentation for held for sale or discontinued operations has no impact on the Company's financial condition or results of operations. The Company combines the operating, investing and financing portions of cash flows attributable to discontinued operations with the respective cash flows from continuing operations on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The Company had one wholly-owned operating community and two ancillary land parcels that qualified as held for sale presentation at December 31, 2018.

Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests

Redeemable noncontrolling interests are comprised of potential future obligations of the Company, which allow the investors holding the noncontrolling interest to require the Company to purchase their interest. The Company classifies obligations under the redeemable noncontrolling interests at fair value, with a corresponding offset for changes in the fair value recorded in accumulated earnings less dividends. Reductions in fair value are recorded only to the extent that the Company has previously recorded increases in fair value above the redeemable noncontrolling interest's initial basis. The redeemable noncontrolling interests are presented outside of permanent equity as settlement in shares of the Company's common stock, where permitted, may not be within the Company's control. The nature and valuation of the Company's redeemable noncontrolling interests are discussed further in Note 11, “Fair Value.”

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

The Company enters into interest rate swap and interest rate cap agreements (collectively, "Hedging Derivatives") for interest rate risk management purposes and in conjunction with certain variable rate secured debt to satisfy lender requirements. The Company does not enter into Hedging Derivative transactions for trading or other speculative purposes. The Company assesses the effectiveness of qualifying cash flow and fair value hedges, both at inception and on an on-going basis. Hedge ineffectiveness is reported as a component of interest expense, net. The fair values of Hedging Derivatives that are in an asset position are recorded in prepaid expenses and other assets. The fair value of Hedging Derivatives that are in a liability position are included in accrued expenses and other liabilities. The Company does not present or disclose the fair value of Hedging Derivatives on a net basis. Fair value changes for derivatives that are not in qualifying hedge relationships are reported as a component of interest expense, net. For the Hedging Derivative positions that the Company has determined qualify as effective cash flow hedges, the Company has recorded the cumulative changes in the fair value of Hedging Derivatives in other comprehensive loss. Amounts recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss will be reclassified into earnings in the periods in which earnings are affected by the hedged cash flow. The effective portion of the change in fair value of the Hedging Derivatives that the Company has determined qualified as effective fair value hedges is reported as an adjustment to the carrying amount of the corresponding debt being hedged. See Note 11, “Fair Value,” for further discussion of derivative financial instruments.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions. These estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Reclassifications

Certain reclassifications have been made to amounts in prior years' notes to financial statements to conform to current year presentations as a result of changes in held for sale classification, disposition activity and segment classification.

Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Standards

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities. This ASU expands hedge accounting for both nonfinancial and financial risk components and aligns the recognition and presentation of the effects of the hedging instrument and the hedged item in the financial statements. This update also simplifies the application of hedge accounting guidance and eases the administrative burden of hedge documentation requirements and assessing hedge effectiveness. The Company adopted the guidance as of January 1, 2018 and it did not have a material effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

In February 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-05, Other Income-Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets (Subtopic 610-20): Clarifying the Scope of Asset Derecognition Guidance and Accounting for Partial Sales of Nonfinancial Assets. This ASU (i) clarifies the scope of the nonfinancial asset guidance and the derecognition of certain businesses and nonprofit activities, (ii) eliminates the exception in the financial asset guidance for transfers of investments (including equity method investments) in real estate entities and supersedes the guidance in the Exchanges of a Nonfinancial Asset for a Noncontrolling Ownership Interest and (iii) provides guidance on the accounting of partial sales of nonfinancial assets and contributions of nonfinancial assets to a joint venture or other noncontrolled investee. The Company adopted the new standard as of January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective approach, applying the provisions to open contracts as of the date of adoption. See "Revenue and Gain Recognition" above for additional discussion of the impact of adopting the guidance.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases, amending the existing accounting standards for lease accounting, including requiring lessees to recognize most leases on their balance sheets and making targeted changes to lessor accounting. The guidance will be effective in the first quarter of 2019 and allows for early adoption. The new standard requires a modified retrospective transition approach for all leases existing at the date of initial application, with an option to use certain transition relief. ASU 2016-02 provides for transition relief, which includes electing to not (i) reassess whether any expired or existing contract is a lease or contains a lease, (ii) reassess the lease classification of any expired or existing leases and (iii) expense any capitalized initial direct costs for any existing leases. Subsequently, the FASB issued ASU 2018-01, ASU 2018-11 and ASU 2018-20 which provides further transition relief by providing (i) an option to not evaluate land easements that exist or have expired prior to the date of adoption under ASC 842, (ii) prospective adoption as a transition method, (iii) a practical expedient for lessors to not separate lease and non-lease components by class of underlying asset when certain conditions are met and (iv) technical improvements for lessor accounting for sales taxes collected from lessees and certain lessor costs.

The Company adopted ASC 842 as of January 1, 2019 using the prospective adoption method, and plans to apply certain practical expedients allowed under the standard including:


•	not reassessing (i) whether any expired or existing contracts are or contain leases, (ii) the lease classification for any expired or existing leases, and (iii) the accounting for initial direct costs for any existing leases;


•	not evaluating short term leases;


•	not assessing whether existing land easements are, or contain leases; and


•	making an accounting policy election by class of underlying asset, to not separate non-lease components from lease components and instead to account for each separate lease and non- lease component as a single lease component.

The Company anticipates adoption of the standard will result in the recognition of incremental right of use assets and corresponding lease liabilities to its balance sheet upon adoption of the new standard in the range from $100,000,000 to $150,000,000 resulting from the recognition of its long-term ground and administrative office leases, currently accounted for as operating leases. The Company is finalizing its adoption of the new standard and will report finalized impacts in the Company's first quarter 2019 Form 10-Q filing.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers and in August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers-Deferral of the Effective Date, which defers the effective date of the new revenue recognition standard until the first quarter of 2018. Subsequently, the FASB has issued multiple ASUs clarifying ASU 2014-09 and ASU 2015-14. Under the new standard, revenue is recognized when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the fee is fixed or determinable, and collectability is probable. Revenue is generally recognized net of allowances and any taxes collected from customers and subsequently remitted to governmental authorities. The majority of the Company's revenue is derived from rental income, which is scoped out from this standard and will be accounted for under ASU 2016-02, Leases, discussed above. The Company's other revenue streams, which are being evaluated under this ASU, include but are not limited to management fees, non-recurring rental and non-rental related income, and gains and losses from real estate dispositions. The Company adopted the new standard as of January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective approach, applying the provisions to open contracts as of the date of adoption. See "Revenue and Gain Recognition" above for additional discussion of the impact of adopting the guidance.