Organization, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2019

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 March 31, 2019, the Company owned or held a direct or indirect ownership interest in 272 operating apartment communities containing 79,143 apartment homes in 12 states and the District of Columbia, of which nine communities containing 3,396 apartment homes were under redevelopment. In addition, the Company owned or held a direct or indirect ownership interest in 19 communities under development that are expected to contain an aggregate of 6,170 apartment homes when completed, as well as 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 on which the Company expects to develop an additional 29 communities that, if developed as expected, will contain an estimated 10,050 apartment homes.

The interim unaudited financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") for interim financial information and in conjunction with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements required by GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. These unaudited financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes included in the Company's 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2019 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full year. Management believes the disclosures are adequate to ensure the information presented is not misleading. In the opinion of management, all adjustments and eliminations, consisting only of normal, recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the financial statements for the interim periods, have been included.

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

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 three months ended
	3/31/2019			3/31/2018
Basic and diluted shares outstanding
Weighted average common shares - basic	138,331,248			137,764,468
Weighted average DownREIT units outstanding	7,500			7,500
Effect of dilutive securities	493,453			381,202
Weighted average common shares - diluted	138,832,201			138,153,170

Calculation of Earnings per Share - basic
Net income attributable to common stockholders	$	170,366		$	141,643
Net income allocated to unvested restricted shares	(501		)	(430		)
Net income attributable to common stockholders, adjusted	$	169,865		$	141,213

Weighted average common shares - basic	138,331,248			137,764,468

Earnings per common share - basic	$	1.23		$	1.03

Calculation of Earnings per Share - diluted
Net income attributable to common stockholders	$	170,366		$	141,643
Add: noncontrolling interests of DownREIT unitholders in consolidated partnerships	11			11
Adjusted net income attributable to common stockholders	$	170,377		$	141,654

Weighted average common shares - diluted	138,832,201			138,153,170

Earnings per common share - diluted	$	1.23		$	1.03

All options to purchase shares of common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2019 are included in the computation of diluted earnings per share.

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.

Legal and Other Contingencies

The Company is involved in various other claims and/or administrative proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of its business. While no assurances can be given, the Company does not currently believe that any of these other outstanding litigation matters, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or results of operations.

Real Estate, Policy

Acquisitions of Investments in Real Estate

The Company accounts for acquisitions of investments in real estate in accordance with the authoritative guidance for the initial measurement, which first requires that the Company determine if the real estate investment is the acquisition of an asset or a business combination. Under either model, the Company must identify and determine the fair value of any assets acquired, liabilities assumed and any noncontrolling interest in the acquiree. Typical assets acquired and liabilities assumed include land, building, furniture, fixtures and equipment, debt and identified intangible assets and liabilities, consisting of the value of above or below market leases and in-place leases. In making estimates of fair values for purposes of allocating purchase price, the Company utilizes various sources, including its own analysis of recently acquired and existing comparable properties in its portfolio and other market data. Consideration for acquisitions is typically in the form of cash unless otherwise disclosed. For a business combination, the Company records the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on the fair value of each respective item. For an asset acquisition, the allocation of the purchase price is based on the relative fair value of the net assets. The Company expenses all applicable acquisition costs for a business combination and capitalizes all applicable acquisition costs for an asset acquisition. The Company expects that acquisitions of individual operating communities will generally be viewed as asset acquisitions.

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.

Lessee Considerations

The Company assessed whether a contract is or contains a lease based on whether the contract conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset, including specified portions of larger assets, for a period of time in exchange for consideration. The Company identified leases as contracts in which it has the right to direct the use of the property and obtain all of the economic benefits.

The Company’s leases include both fixed and variable lease payments, which are based on an index or rate such as the consumer price index (CPI) or percentage rents based on total sales. When evaluating what payments to include in the measurement of the lease liability, the Company included lease payments that depend on an index or rate only. Variable lease payments that are not based on an index or rate including changes in CPI, percentage rents based on total sales, fair market value resets and others are not included in the measurement of the lease liability, but will be recognized as variable lease expense in the period in which they are incurred.

For leases that have options to extend the term or terminate the lease early, the Company considered whether these options are reasonably certain to be exercised, taking into account physical improvements, installation or relocation costs, rent during the option periods and the cost of returning the assets to a contractually specified condition. The Company only factored the impact of options into the lease term if the option was considered reasonably certain to be exercised.

The Company determined the discount rate associated with its ground and office leases using the Company’s actual borrowing rates as well as indicative market pricing for longer term rates. The Company determined the discount rates on a lease by lease basis using the incremental borrowing rate and taking into consideration the remaining term of each of the lease agreements.

Lessor Considerations

The Company evaluated leases in which it is the lessor, which are composed of residential and retail leases at its apartment communities. The accounting model for lessors did not significantly change as a result of ASU 2016-02, with the impacts primarily related to the accounting for sales-type and direct financing leases. The Company evaluated its residential and retail leases determining that they continue to be considered to be 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. Some of the Company’s retail leases have fixed-price renewal options, and the lessee may be able to exercise its renewal option at an amount less than the fair value of the rent at such time. The Company only includes renewal options in the lease term, if at the commencement of the lease, the option period rent is reasonably certain to be less than the base period rent and therefore exercised by the lessee.

Additionally, for the Company’s residential and retail leases, which are comprised of the lease component and common area maintenance as a non-lease component, the Company determined that (i) the leases are operating leases, (ii) the lease component is the predominant component and (iii) that all components of its operating leases share the same timing and pattern of transfer.

The Company changed its presentation of charges for uncollectible lease revenue associated with its residential and retail leasing activity, reflecting those amounts as a component of rental and other income on the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income for the three months ended March 31, 2019. However, in accordance with its prospective adoption of the standard, the Company did not adjust the prior year period presentation of charges for uncollectible lease revenue associated with its residential and retail leasing activity as a component of operating expenses, excluding property taxes, on the on the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income for the three months ended March 31, 2018.