Elme Communities - 10-K annual report 2015

Washington Real Estate Investment Trust (“Washington REIT”) is a self-administered equity real estate investment trust (“REIT”) successor to a trust organized in 1960. Our business consists of the ownership and operation of income-producing real property in the greater Washington metro region. We own a diversified portfolio of office buildings, multifamily buildings and retail centers.

 

Our current strategy is to recycle legacy assets that lack the income growth potential we seek and to invest in high-quality assets with compelling value-add returns through redevelopment opportunities in our existing portfolio and acquisitions that meet our investment criteria. We focus on properties inside the Washington metro region’s Beltway, near major transportation nodes and in areas with strong employment drivers and superior growth demographics. We will seek to continue to upgrade our portfolio as opportunities arise, funding acquisitions with a combination of cash, equity, debt and proceeds from property sales.

While we have historically focused most of our investments in the greater Washington metro region, in order to maximize acquisition opportunities we also may consider opportunities to replicate our Washington-focused approach in other geographic markets which meet the criteria described above.

All of our officers and employees live and work in or near the greater Washington metro region.

The Washington metro region experienced strong job growth during 2015 with 68,500 net job additions, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of this job growth, 38% was related to professional and business services compared to 15% in 2014. The private sector has been the primary source of the job growth, while employment related to the federal government has stabilized after several years of decline. Current estimates by Delta Associates / Transwestern Commercial Services (“Delta”), a national full service real estate firm that provides market research and evaluation services for commercial property, indicate that the region's unemployment rate was 4.3% as of October 2015, down from 4.7% in the prior year and lower than the national average of 5.0%. Delta expects the Washington metro region's strong job growth to continue in 2016, with expansion driven by the private sector.

The Washington metro region's strong job growth generally resulted in modest improvements in the real estate market performance for each of our segments. Market statistics and information for the Washington metro region from Delta are set forth below:

The small increase in direct vacancy rates is primarily due to new deliveries of office buildings and the direct vacancy rate in our region is well below the national average of 16.5%. Delta projects gradual improvement in office vacancy and effective rents during 2016 due to stronger demand for office space.

The multifamily real estate market remained steady during 2015 despite the large influx of new supply. Class A and B apartment deliveries are projected by Delta to increase to approximately 14,000 units in 2016. Delta expects strong demand to lead to higher rental rates in 2016 despite the new deliveries.

The retail real estate market in the Washington metro region continues to show steady, but modest, improvement. Delta projects continued improvement in 2016 due to low unemployment.

The commercial lease expirations for the next ten years and thereafter are as follows:

According to Delta, the professional/business services and government sectors constituted over one third of payroll jobs in the Washington metro area at the end of 2015. Due to our geographic concentration in the Washington metro area, a significant amount of our tenants have historically been concentrated in the professional/business services and government sectors, although the exact amount will vary from time to time. As a result of this concentration, we are susceptible to business trends (both positive and negative) that affect the outlook for these sectors. In particular, a significant reduction in federal government spending could seriously impact these sectors.

We enter into arrangements from time to time by which various service providers conduct day-to-day property management and/or leasing activities at our properties. Bozzuto Management Company ("Bozzuto") began conducting property management and leasing services at our multifamily properties in the third quarter of 2014. Bozzuto provides such services under individual property management agreements for each property, each of which is separately terminable by us or Bozzuto. The fees charged by Bozzuto under each agreement are approximately 3% of revenues at the property.

We expect to continue investing in additional income-producing properties through acquisitions, development and redevelopment. We invest in properties in which we believe we will be able to improve the operating results and increase the value of the property. Our properties typically compete for tenants with other properties throughout the respective areas in which they are located on the basis of location, quality and rental rates.

Further description of the property groups is contained in Item 2, Properties, Note 13, Segment Information and in Schedule III. Reference is also made to Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

On February 22, 2016, we had 174 employees including 99 persons engaged in property management functions and 75 persons engaged in corporate, financial, leasing, asset management and other functions.

We believe that we qualify as a REIT under Sections 856-860 of the Internal Revenue Code and intend to continue to qualify as such. To maintain our status as a REIT, we are among other things required to distribute 90% of our REIT taxable income (determined before the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gains), to our shareholders on an annual basis. When selling a property, we generally have the option of (a) reinvesting the sales proceeds of property sold, in a way that allows us to defer recognition of some or all taxable gain realized on the sale, (b) distributing gains to the shareholders with no tax to us or (c) treating net long-term capital gains as having been distributed to our shareholders, paying the tax on the gain deemed distributed and allocating the tax paid as a credit to our shareholders.

All disclosed gains on sale are calculated in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). We reinvested a portion of the Medical Office Portfolio, Country Club Towers, Munson Hill Towers and Montgomery Village Center sales proceeds in replacement properties through deferred tax exchanges.

Copies of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to such reports are available, free of charge, on the Internet on our website www.washreit.com. All required reports are made available on the website as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The reference to our website address does not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained in the website and such information should not be considered part of this document.

Our financial performance and the value of our real estate assets are subject to the risk that if our office, retail and multifamily properties do not generate revenues sufficient to meet our operating expenses, debt service and capital expenditures, our cash flow and ability to pay distributions to our shareholders will be adversely affected. The following factors, among others, may adversely affect the cash flow generated by our commercial and multifamily properties:

All of our properties are located in the Washington metro region, which may expose us to a greater amount of market dependent risk than if we were geographically diverse. General economic conditions and local real estate conditions in the Washington metro region are dependent upon various industries that are predominant in our area (such as government and professional/business services). A downturn in one or more of these industries may have a particularly strong effect on the economic climate of our region. Additionally, we are susceptible to adverse developments in the Washington D.C. regulatory environment, such as increases in real estate and other taxes and the costs of complying with governmental regulations or increased regulations. In the event of negative economic and/or regulatory changes in our region, we may experience a negative impact to our profitability and may be limited in our ability to meet our financial obligations when due and/or make distributions to our shareholders.

As a REIT operating exclusively in the Washington metro region, a significant portion of our properties is occupied by tenants that are directly or indirectly serving the United States Government as federal contractors or otherwise. A significant reduction in federal government spending, particularly a sudden decrease due to a sequestration process, such as occurred in recent years, could adversely affect the ability of these tenants to fulfill lease obligations or decrease the likelihood that they will renew their leases with us. Further, economic conditions in the Washington metro region are significantly dependent upon the level of federal government spending in the region as a whole. In the event of a significant reduction in federal government spending, there could be negative economic changes in our region which could adversely impact the ability of our tenants to perform their financial obligations under our leases or the likelihood of their lease renewals. As a result, if such a reduction in federal government spending were to occur, we could experience an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and ability to make distributions to our shareholders.

We may, from time to time, engage in development and redevelopment activities, some of which may be significant. Developing or redeveloping properties presents a number of risks for us, including risks that:

Properties developed or acquired for development may generate little or no cash flow from the date of acquisition through the date of completion of development. In addition, new development activities, regardless of whether or not they are ultimately successful, may require a substantial portion of management’s time and attention.

These risks could result in substantial unanticipated delays or expenses and, under certain circumstances, could prevent completion of development activities once undertaken. Any of the foregoing could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or ability to satisfy our debt service obligations.

We intend to continue to acquire properties which would increase our size and could alter our capital structure. Our acquisition activities and results may be exposed to the following risks:

We may acquire properties subject to liabilities and without recourse, or with limited recourse with respect to unknown liabilities. As a result, if liability were asserted against us based upon the acquisition of a property, we may have to pay substantial sums to settle it, which could adversely affect our cash flow. Unknown liabilities with respect to properties acquired might include:

We enter into arrangements from time to time by which various service providers conduct day-to-day property management and/or leasing activities at our properties. Failure of such service providers to adequately perform their contracted services could negatively impact our ability to retain tenants or lease vacant space. As a result, any such failure could negatively impact our profitability.    

Even though we qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we are required to pay state and local taxes on our properties. The real property taxes on our properties may increase as property tax rates change or as our properties are assessed or reassessed by taxing authorities. Therefore, the amount of property taxes we pay in the future may increase substantially from what we have paid in the past. If the property taxes we pay increase, our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, per share market price of our common shares and our ability to satisfy our principal and interest obligations and to make distributions to our shareholders could be adversely affected.

Real estate investments can be difficult to sell and convert to cash quickly, especially if market conditions are not favorable. Such illiquidity could limit our ability to quickly change our portfolio of properties in response to changes in economic or other conditions. Moreover, the tax laws applicable to REITs require that we hold our properties for investment, rather than primarily for sale in the ordinary course of business, which may cause us to forego or defer sales of properties that otherwise would be in our best interest. Due to these factors, we may be unable to sell a property at an advantageous time which could negatively impact our profitability.

The bankruptcy or insolvency of a major tenant may adversely affect the income produced by a property. We cannot evict a tenant solely because of its bankruptcy. On the other hand, a court might authorize the tenant to reject and terminate its lease. In such case, our claim against the bankrupt tenant for unpaid, future rent would be subject to a statutory cap that might be substantially

less than the remaining rent actually owed under the lease. As a result, our claim for unpaid rent would likely not be paid in full. This shortfall could adversely affect our cash flow and results of operations. If a tenant experiences a downturn in its business or other types of financial distress, it may be unable to make timely rental payments.

We invest in joint ventures in which we are not the exclusive investor or the only decision maker. Investments in such entities may involve risks not present when a third party is not involved, including the possibility that the other parties to these investments might become bankrupt or fail to fund their share of required capital contributions, and we may be forced to make contributions to maintain the value of the property. Our partners in these entities may have economic, tax or other business interests or goals that are inconsistent with our business interests or goals, and may be in a position to take actions contrary to our policies or objectives. Such investments may also lead to impasses, for example, as to whether to sell a property, because neither we nor the other parties to these investments may have full control over the entity. In addition, we may in certain circumstances be liable for the actions of the other parties to these investments. Each of these factors could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and ability to make distributions to our shareholders. In some instances, joint venture partners may have competing interests that could create conflicts of interest. These conflicts may include compliance with the REIT requirements, and our REIT status could be jeopardized if any of our joint ventures do not operate in compliance with the REIT requirements. To the extent our joint venture partners do not meet their obligations to us or they take action inconsistent with our interests in the joint venture, we may be adversely affected.

We face significant competition from developers, owners and operators of office, retail, multifamily and other commercial real estate. Substantially all of our properties face competition from similar properties in the same market. Such competition may affect our ability to attract and retain tenants and may reduce the rents we are able to charge. These competing properties may have vacancy rates higher than our properties, which may result in their owners being willing to make space available at lower rents than the space in our properties. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to lease our space, which would result in lower cash flows.

We periodically have significant cash balances that we invest in a variety of short-term investments that are intended to preserve principal value and maintain a high degree of liquidity while providing current income. From time to time, these investments may include (either directly or indirectly):

Investments in these securities and funds are not insured against loss of principal. Under certain circumstances, we may be required to redeem all or part of our investment, and our right to redeem some or all of our investment may be delayed or suspended. In addition, there is no guarantee that our investments in these securities or funds will be redeemable at par value. A decline in the value of our investment or a delay or suspension of our right to redeem may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition.

The Americans with Disabilities Act generally requires that public buildings, including commercial and multifamily properties, be made accessible to disabled persons. Noncompliance could result in imposition of fines by the federal government or the award

of damages to private litigants. If, pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, we are required to make substantial alterations and capital expenditures in one or more of our properties, including the removal of access barriers, it could adversely affect our results of operations.

We may also incur significant costs complying with other regulations. Our properties are subject to various federal, state and local regulatory requirements, such as state and local fair housing, rent control and fire and life safety requirements. If we fail to comply with these requirements, we may incur fines or private damage awards. We believe that our properties are currently in material compliance with regulatory requirements. However, we do not know whether existing requirements will change or whether compliance with future requirements will require significant unanticipated expenditures that will adversely affect our results of operations.

We carry insurance coverage on our properties of types and in amounts that we believe are in line with coverage customarily obtained by owners of similar properties. We believe all of our properties are adequately insured. The property insurance that we maintain for our properties has historically been on an “all risk” basis, which is in full force and effect until renewal in August 2016. There are other types of losses, such as from wars or catastrophic events, for which we cannot obtain insurance at all or at a reasonable cost.

We have an insurance policy that has no terrorism exclusion, except for non-certified nuclear, chemical and biological acts of terrorism. Our financial condition and results of operations are subject to the risks associated with acts of terrorism and the potential for uninsured losses as the result of any such acts. Effective November 26, 2002, under this existing coverage, any losses caused by certified acts of terrorism would be partially reimbursed by the United States under a formula established by federal law. Under this formula, the United States pays 85% of covered terrorism losses exceeding the statutorily established deductible paid by the insurance provider, and insurers pay 10% until aggregate insured losses from all insurers reach $100 billion in a calendar year. If the aggregate amount of insured losses under this program exceeds $100 billion during the applicable period for all insured and insurers combined, then each insurance provider will not be liable for payment of any amount which exceeds the aggregate amount of $100 billion. On January 12, 2015, The Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2015 was signed into law, extending the program through December 31, 2020. We continue to monitor the state of the insurance market in general, and the scope and costs of coverage for acts of terrorism in particular, but we cannot anticipate what amount of coverage will be available on commercially reasonable terms in future policy years.

In the event of an uninsured loss or a loss in excess of our insurance limits, we could lose both the revenues generated from the affected property and the capital we have invested in the affected property. Depending on the specific circumstances of the affected property it is possible that we could be liable for any mortgage indebtedness or other obligations related to the property. Any such loss could adversely affect our business and financial condition and results of operations.

In most cases, we have to renew our policies on an annual basis and negotiate acceptable terms for coverage, exposing us to the volatility of the insurance markets, including the possibility of rate increases. Any material increase in insurance rates or decrease in available coverage in the future could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Property ownership also involves potential liability to third parties for such matters as personal injuries occurring on the property. Such losses may not be fully insured. In addition to uninsured losses, various government authorities may condemn all or parts of operating properties. Such condemnations could adversely affect the viability of such projects. Any such uninsured loss would adversely affect our cash flow.

All of our properties are located in or near Washington D.C., a metropolitan area that has been and may in the future be the target of actual or threatened terrorism attacks. As a result, some tenants in our market may choose to relocate their businesses to other markets. This could result in an overall decrease in the demand for commercial space in this market generally, which could increase vacancies in our properties or necessitate that we lease our properties on less favorable terms, or both. In addition, future terrorist attacks in or near Washington D.C. could directly or indirectly damage our properties, both physically and financially, or cause losses that materially exceed our insurance coverage. As a result of the foregoing, our ability to generate revenues and the value of our properties could decline materially which would negatively affect our results of operations.

Under federal, state and local environmental laws, ordinances and regulations, we may be liable for costs and damages resulting from the presence or release of hazardous or toxic substances, wastes or petroleum products at our properties, including investigation or cleanup costs, personal or property damage, natural resource damages, or we may be required to pay for such costs and damages incurred by a government entity or third party regardless of our knowledge or responsibility, simply because of our current or past ownership or operation of the real estate. If environmental contamination issues arise, we may have to make substantial payments, which could adversely affect our cash flow and our ability to make distributions to our shareholders, because (1) as a current or former owner or operator of real property we may have to pay for property damage and for investigation and clean-up costs incurred in connection with the contamination; (2) the law typically imposes clean-up responsibility and liability regardless of whether the owner or operator knew of or caused the contamination; (3) even if more than one person may be responsible for the contamination, each person who shares legal liability under such environmental laws may be held responsible for all of the clean-up costs; and (4) governmental entities and third parties may sue the owner or operator of a contaminated site for damages and costs. We also may be liable for the costs of removal or remediation of hazardous substances or waste at disposal or treatment facilities if we arranged for disposal or treatment of hazardous substances at such facilities, whether or not we own such facility.

In addition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration and other state and local governmental authorities are increasingly imposing indoor air quality standards, especially with respect to asbestos, mold, and lead-based paint. The clean up or abatement of any of these environmental conditions, including for asbestos and mold, can be costly. For example, laws applicable to buildings containing certain asbestos-containing materials (“ACM”) impose multiple requirements, including:

Such laws may impose fines and penalties on building owners or operators who fail to comply with these requirements and may allow third parties to seek recovery from owners or operators for personal injury or property damage associated with exposure to asbestos fibers.

Inquiries about indoor air quality may necessitate special investigation and, depending on the results, remediation beyond our regular indoor air quality testing and maintenance programs. Indoor air quality issues can stem from inadequate ventilation, chemical contaminants from indoor or outdoor sources, and biological contaminants such as molds, pollen, viruses and bacteria. Indoor exposure to chemical or biological contaminants above certain levels can be alleged to be connected to allergic reactions or other health effects and symptoms in susceptible individuals. If these conditions were to occur at one of our properties, we may be subject to third-party claims for personal injury, or may need to undertake a targeted remediation program, including without limitation, steps to increase indoor ventilation rates and eliminate sources of contaminants. Such remediation programs could be costly, necessitate the temporary relocation of some or all of the property’s tenants or require rehabilitation of the affected property. 

The costs associated with these issues could be substantial and, in extreme cases, could exceed the value of the contaminated property. The presence of hazardous or toxic substances or petroleum products or the failure to properly remediate contamination may adversely affect our ability to borrow against, sell or rent an affected property. In addition, applicable environmental laws may create liens on contaminated sites in favor of the government for damages and costs it incurs in connection with a contamination. Moreover, if contamination is discovered on our properties, environmental laws may impose restrictions on the manner in which property may be used or businesses may be operated, and these restrictions may result in substantial expenditures or liabilities.

It is our policy to retain independent environmental consultants to conduct Phase I environmental site assessments and asbestos surveys with respect to our acquisition of properties. These assessments generally include a visual inspection of the properties and the surrounding areas, an examination of current and historical uses of the properties and the surrounding areas and a review of relevant state, federal and historical documents. However, they do not always involve invasive techniques such as soil and ground water sampling. When appropriate, on a property-by-property basis, our general practice is to have these consultants conduct additional testing. However, even though these additional assessments may be conducted, there is still the risk that:

In addition, our properties are subject to various federal, state, and local environmental, health and safety regulatory requirements that address a wide variety of issues. Noncompliance with these environmental and health and safety laws and regulations could subject us or our tenants to liability, including significant fines or penalties. These liabilities could affect a tenant’s ability to make rental payments to us. Moreover, changes in laws could increase the potential costs of compliance with such laws and regulations or increase liability for noncompliance. This may result in significant unanticipated expenditures or may otherwise adversely affect our operations, or those of our tenants, which could in turn have an adverse effect on us.

We cannot assure you that costs or liabilities incurred as a result of environmental issues will not affect our ability to make distributions to our shareholders or that such costs, liabilities or other remedial measures will not have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

We face risks associated with security breaches or disruptions, whether through cyber-attacks or cyber intrusions over the Internet, malware, computer viruses, attachments to emails, or persons inside our organization. The risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyber-attacks or cyber intrusion, including by computer hackers, foreign governments, and cyber terrorists, has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. In the normal course of business we and our service providers (including service providers engaged in providing property management, leasing, accounting and/or payroll services) collect and retain certain personal information provided by our tenants, employees and vendors. We also rely extensively on computer systems to process transactions and manage our business. While we and our service providers employ a variety of data security measures to protect confidential information on our systems and periodically review and improve our data security measures, we cannot assure that we or our service providers will be able to prevent unauthorized access to this personal information. There can be no assurance that our efforts to maintain the security and integrity of the information we and our service providers collect and our and their computer systems will be effective or that attempted security breaches or disruptions would not be successful or damaging. Even the most well protected information, networks, systems and facilities remain potentially vulnerable because the techniques used in such attempted security breaches evolve and generally are not recognized until launched against a target, and in some cases are designed not be detected and, in fact, may not be detected. Accordingly, we and our service providers may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate security barriers or other preventative measures, and thus it is impossible for us and our service providers to entirely mitigate this risk. A security breach or other significant disruption involving computer networks and related systems could adversely impact our financial condition, cash flows and the market price of our common shares.

Natural disasters and severe weather such as earthquakes, hurricanes or floods may result in significant damage to our properties. The extent of our casualty losses and loss in operating income in connection with such events is a function of the severity of the event and the total amount of exposure in the affected area. Because our properties are concentrated in one region, a single catastrophe or destructive weather event affecting that region may have a significant negative effect on our financial condition and results of operations. As a result, our operating and financial results may vary significantly from one period to the next. We are also exposed to risks associated with inclement winter weather, including increased need for maintenance and repair of our buildings. In addition, climate change, to the extent it causes changes in weather patterns, could have effects on our business by increasing the cost of property insurance, energy and/or snow removal at our properties. As a result, the consequences of natural disasters, severe weather and climate change could increase our costs and reduce our cash flow.

A decline in the fair market value of our assets may require us to recognize an other-than-temporary impairment against such assets under GAAP if we were to determine that we do not have the ability and intent to hold any assets in unrealized loss positions to maturity or for a period of time sufficient to allow for recovery to the amortized cost of such assets. In such event, we would recognize unrealized losses through earnings and write down the amortized cost of such assets to a new cost basis, based on the fair value of such assets on the date they are considered to be other-than-temporarily impaired. Such impairment charges reflect non-cash losses at the time of recognition. Subsequent disposition or sale of such assets could further affect our future losses or gains, as they are based on the difference between the sale price received and adjusted amortized cost of such assets at the time

of sale, which may adversely affect our financial condition, liquidity and results of operations. In addition, a significant economic downturn over a period of time could result in an event or change in circumstances that results in an impairment in the value of our properties or our investments in joint ventures. An impairment loss is recognized if the carrying amount of the asset is not recoverable over its expected holding period and exceeds its fair value. There can be no assurance that we will not take charges in the future related to the impairment of our assets or investments. Any future impairment could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, liquidity or results of operations.

Certain states and municipalities, including Washington, DC, have adopted laws and regulations imposing restrictions on the timing or amount of rent increases or have imposed regulations relating to low- and moderate-income housing. Such laws and regulations limit our ability to charge market rents, increase rents, evict tenants or recover increases in our operating expenses and could make it more difficult for us to dispose of properties in certain circumstances. Similarly, compliance procedures associated with rent control statutes and low- and moderate-income housing regulations could have a negative impact on our operating costs, and any failure to comply with low- and moderate-income housing regulations could result in the loss of certain tax benefits and the forfeiture of rent payments. In addition, such low- and moderate-income housing regulations often require us to rent a certain number of units at below-market rents, which has a negative impact on our ability to increase cash flows from our properties subject to such regulations. Furthermore, such regulations may negatively impact our ability to attract higher-paying tenants to such properties.

The execution of our investment strategy and management of our operations, depend to a significant degree on our senior management team. If we are unable to attract and retain skilled executives, our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.

We rely on borrowings under our credit facility and offerings of debt securities to finance acquisitions and development activities and for general corporate purposes. In the recent past, the commercial real estate debt markets have experienced significant volatility due to a number of factors, including the tightening of underwriting standards by lenders and credit rating agencies and the reported significant inventory of unsold mortgage-backed securities in the market. The volatility resulted in investors decreasing the availability of debt financing as well as increasing the cost of debt financing. Circumstances could again arise in which we may not be able to obtain debt financing in the future on favorable terms, or at all. If we were unable to borrow under our credit facility or to refinance existing debt financing, our financial condition and results of operations would likely be adversely affected.

We are subject to the risks normally associated with debt, including the risk that our cash flow may be insufficient to meet required payments of principal and interest. We anticipate that only a small portion of the principal of our debt will be repaid prior to maturity. Therefore, we are likely to need to refinance a significant portion of our outstanding debt as it matures. There is a risk that we may not be able to refinance existing debt or that the terms of any refinancing will not be as favorable as the terms of the existing debt. If principal payments due at maturity cannot be refinanced, extended or repaid with proceeds from other sources, such as new equity capital, our cash flow may not be sufficient to repay all maturing debt in years when significant “balloon” payments come due. In addition, we may rely on debt to fund a portion of our new investments such as our acquisition and development activity. There is a risk that we may be unable to finance these activities on favorable terms or at all. These conditions, which increase the cost and reduce the availability of debt, may continue or worsen in the future. If any of these risks were to happen, it would adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Our degree of leverage could affect our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, development or other general corporate purposes. Our senior unsecured debt is currently rated investment grade by two major rating agencies. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain this rating, and in the event our senior debt is downgraded from its current rating, we would likely incur higher borrowing costs and/or difficulty in obtaining additional financing. Our degree of leverage could also make us more vulnerable to a downturn in business or the economy generally. There is a risk that changes in our debt to market capitalization ratio, which is in part a function of our share price, or our ratio of indebtedness to other measures of asset value used by financial analysts, may have an adverse effect on the market price of our equity or debt securities.

Payments of principal and interest on borrowings may leave us with insufficient cash resources to operate our properties, fully implement our capital expenditure, acquisition and redevelopment activities, or meet the REIT distribution requirements imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). Our level of debt and the limitations imposed on us by our debt agreements could have significant adverse consequences, including the following:

If any one of these events were to occur, our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and market price of our common shares could be adversely affected.

We incur indebtedness that bears interest at variable rates. Accordingly, if interest rates increase, so will our interest costs, which could adversely affect our cash flow and our ability to service debt. As a protection against rising interest rates, we may enter into agreements such as interest rate swaps, caps, floors and other interest rate exchange contracts. These agreements, however, increase our risks that other parties to the agreements may not perform or that the agreements may be unenforceable. In addition, an increase in interest rates could decrease the amounts third-parties are willing to pay for our assets, thereby limiting our ability to change our portfolio promptly in response to changes in economic or other conditions.

Incurring mortgage and other secured debt obligations increases our risk of property losses because defaults on indebtedness secured by properties may result in foreclosure actions initiated by lenders and ultimately our loss of the property securing any loans for which we are in default. Any foreclosure on a mortgaged property or group of properties could adversely affect the overall value of our portfolio of properties (or portions thereof). For tax purposes, a foreclosure of any of our properties that is subject to a nonrecourse mortgage loan generally would be treated as a sale of the property for a purchase price equal to the outstanding balance of the debt secured by the mortgage. If the outstanding balance of the debt secured by the mortgage exceeds our tax basis in the property, we would recognize taxable income on foreclosure, but would not receive any cash proceeds, which could hinder our ability to satisfy the distribution requirements applicable to REITs under the Code.

In recent years, the United States and global equity and credit markets have experienced significant price volatility and liquidity disruptions which caused the market prices of shares to fluctuate substantially and the spreads on prospective debt financings to widen considerably. These circumstances significantly and negatively impacted liquidity in the financial markets, making terms for certain financings less attractive or unavailable. Any disruption in the equity and credit markets could negatively impact our ability to access additional financing at reasonable terms or at all. If such disruption were to occur, in the event of a debt financing, our cost of borrowing in the future would likely be significantly higher than historical levels. Additionally, in the case of a common equity financing, the disruptions in the financial markets could have a material adverse effect on the market value of our common shares, potentially requiring us to issue more shares than we would otherwise have issued with a higher market value for our common shares. Disruption in the financial markets also could negatively affect our ability to make acquisitions, undertake new development projects and refinance our debt. In addition, it could also make it more difficult for us to sell properties and could adversely affect the price we receive for properties that we do sell, as prospective buyers experience increased costs of financing and difficulties in obtaining financing. If economic conditions deteriorate, the ability of lenders to fulfill their obligations under working capital or other credit facilities that we may have in the future may be adversely impacted.

Disruptions in the financial markets also could adversely affect many of our tenants and their businesses, including their ability to pay rents when due and renew their leases at rates at least as favorable as their current rates. As well, our ability to attract prospective new tenants in the future could be adversely affected by disruption in the financial markets. Each of these disruptions could have adverse effects on us or the market price of our common shares.

Our credit facility contains customary restrictions, requirements and other limitations on our ability to incur indebtedness. We must maintain certain ratios, including a maximum of total indebtedness to total asset value, a maximum of secured indebtedness to total asset value, a minimum of quarterly adjusted EBITDA to fixed charges, a minimum net operating income from unencumbered properties to unsecured interest expense and a maximum of unsecured indebtedness to unencumbered asset value. Our ability to borrow under our credit facility is subject to compliance with our financial and other covenants.

Failure to comply with any of the covenants under our unsecured credit facility or other debt instruments could result in a default under one or more of our debt instruments. In particular, we could suffer a default under one of our secured debt instruments that could exceed a cross-default threshold under our unsecured credit facility, causing an event of default under the unsecured credit facility. Under those circumstances, other sources of capital may not be available to us or be available only on unattractive terms. In addition, if we breach covenants in our debt agreements, the lenders can declare a default and, if the debt is secured, take possession of the property securing the defaulted loan.

Alternatively, even if a secured debt instrument is below the cross-default threshold for non-recourse secured debt under our unsecured credit facility, a default under such secured debt instrument may still cause a cross default under our unsecured credit facility because such secured debt instrument may not qualify as “non-recourse” under the definition in our unsecured credit facility. Another possible cross default could occur between our unsecured credit facility and our senior unsecured notes. Any of the foregoing default or cross-default events could cause our lenders to accelerate the timing of payments and/or prohibit future borrowings, either of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, financial condition and liquidity.

Provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law ("MGCL") may limit a change in control which could prevent holders of our common shares from profiting as a result of such change in control. These provisions include:

Additionally, we are subject to the “business combination” and “unsolicited takeover” provisions of the MGCL. These provisions may delay, defer, or prevent a transaction or a change in control that may involve a premium price for holders of our shares or otherwise be in their best interests. Our bylaws currently provide that the foregoing provision regarding "control share acquisitions" will not apply to Washington REIT. However, our board of trustees could, in the future, modify our bylaws such that the foregoing provision regarding "control share acquisitions" would be applicable to Washington REIT.

In order for us to maintain our qualification as a REIT under the Code, not more than 50% in value of our outstanding equity shares may be owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals (defined in the Code to include certain entities) at any time during the last half of each taxable year following our first year. Our charter authorizes our board of trustees to take the actions that are necessary or appropriate to preserve our qualification as a REIT. Our charter provides that no person (other than an excepted holder, as defined in our charter) may actually or constructively own more than 9.8% of the aggregate of our outstanding common shares by value or by number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, or 9.8% of the aggregate of the outstanding shares of all classes and series ("equity shares") by value.

Our board of trustees may, in its sole discretion, grant exemptions to the share ownership limits, subject to such conditions and the receipt by our board of trustees of certain representations and undertakings. In addition, our board of trustees has the authority under our charter to reduce these share ownership limits.

In addition to the share ownership limits discussed above, our charter also prohibits any person from (a) beneficially or constructively owning, as determined by applying certain attribution rules of the Code, our equity shares that would result in us being “closely held” under Section 856(h) of the Code (regardless of whether the interest is held during the last half of a taxable year) or that would otherwise cause us to fail to qualify as a REIT, or (b) transferring equity shares if such transfer would result in our equity shares being owned by fewer than 100 persons. The share ownership limits contained in our charter are based on the ownership at any time by any “person,” which term includes entities and certain groups. The share ownership limitations in our charter are common in REIT charters and are intended to provide added assurance of compliance with the tax law requirements, and to minimize administrative burdens. However, the share ownership limits on our shares also might delay, defer, prevent, or otherwise inhibit a transaction or a change in control of our company that might involve a premium price for our common shares or otherwise be in the best interest of our shareholders.

Maryland law provides that a trustee has no liability in that capacity if he or she satisfies his or her duties to us and our shareholders. Under current Maryland law, our trustees and officers will not have any liability to us or our shareholders for money damages, except for liability resulting from:

In addition, our charter authorizes and our bylaws require us to indemnify our trustees for actions taken by them in those capacities to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law. Our bylaws also authorize us to indemnify our officers for actions taken by them in those capacities to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law. As a result, we and our shareholders may have more limited rights against our trustees and officers than might otherwise exist. Accordingly, in the event that actions taken in good faith by any of our trustees or officers impede the performance of our company, your ability to recover damages from such trustees or officers will be limited with respect to trustees and may be limited with respect to officers. In addition, we will be obligated to advance the defense costs incurred by our trustees and our executive officers, and may, in the discretion of our board of trustees, advance the defense costs incurred by our officers, our employees and other agents, in connection with legal proceedings.

Cash flows from operations are an important factor in our ability to sustain our dividend at its current rate. If our cash flows from operations were to decline significantly, we may have to borrow on our lines of credit to sustain the dividend rate or reduce our dividend. Our ability to continue to pay dividends on our common shares at their current rate or to increase our common share dividend rate will depend on a number of factors, including, among others, the following:

Our board of trustees considers, among other factors, trends in our levels of funds from operations, together with associated recurring capital improvements, tenant improvements, leasing commissions and incentives, and adjustments to straight-line rents to reflect cash rents received. If some or all of these factors were to trend downward for a sustained period of time, our board of trustees could determine to reduce our dividend rate. If we do not maintain or increase the dividend rate on our common shares in the future, it could have an adverse effect on the market price of our common shares.

The interests of our existing shareholders could be diluted if additional equity securities are issued, including to finance future developments and acquisitions, instead of incurring additional debt. Our ability to execute our business strategy depends on our access to an appropriate blend of debt financing, including unsecured lines of credit and other forms of secured and unsecured debt and equity financing.

As with any public company, a number of factors may adversely influence the public market price of our common shares. These factors include:

We believe that we qualify as a REIT and intend to continue to operate in a manner that will allow us to continue to qualify as a REIT. However, we cannot assure you that we are qualified as such, or that we will remain qualified as such in the future. This is because qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex provisions of the Code which include:

The distribution requirement noted above could adversely affect our ability to use earnings for improvements or acquisitions because funds distributed to shareholders will not be available for capital improvements to existing properties or for acquiring additional properties.

Only limited judicial and administrative interpretations of the REIT rules exist. In addition, qualification as a REIT involves the determination of various factual matters and circumstances not entirely within our control. Future legislation, new regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions may significantly change the tax laws or the application of the tax laws with respect to qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes or the U.S. federal income tax consequences of such qualification.

If we fail to qualify as a REIT, we could face serious tax consequences that could substantially reduce our funds available for payment of dividends for each of the years involved because:

This treatment would reduce net earnings available for investment or distribution to shareholders because of the additional tax liability for the year (or years) involved. To the extent that distributions to shareholders had been made based on the assumption of our qualification as a REIT, we might be required to borrow funds or to liquidate certain of our investments to pay the applicable tax. As a result of these factors, our failure to qualify as a REIT could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity. If we fail to qualify as a REIT but are eligible for certain relief provisions, then we may retain our status as a REIT but may be required to pay a penalty tax, which could be substantial.

To qualify as a REIT, we must ensure that we meet the REIT gross income tests annually. In addition, we must ensure that, at the end of each calendar quarter, at least 75% of the value of our total assets consists of cash, cash items, government securities and qualifying real estate assets, including certain mortgage loans (the "75% asset test"). The remainder of our investment in securities (other than government securities, securities treated as real estate assets and securities issued by a TRS) generally cannot include more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer or more than 10% of the total value of the outstanding securities of any one issuer. In addition, in general, no more than 5% of the value of our assets (other than government securities, securities treated as real estate assets and securities issued by a TRS) can consist of the securities of any one issuer, and no more than 25% (20% for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017) of the value of our total securities can be represented by securities of one or more TRSs. Effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2015, debt instruments issued by publicly offered REITs, to the extent not secured by real property or interests in real property, are treated as "real estate assets" for purposes of the 75% test (and, thus, not subject to the 10% and 5% asset tests), but the total value of such debt instruments cannot exceed 25% of the value of our total assets. If we fail to comply with these asset requirements at the end of any calendar quarter, we must

correct the failure within 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter or qualify for certain statutory relief provisions to avoid losing our REIT qualification and suffering adverse tax consequences.

To meet these tests, we may be required to take or forgo taking actions that we would otherwise consider advantageous. For instance, in order to satisfy the gross income or asset tests applicable to REITs under the Code, we may be required to forego investments that we otherwise would make. Furthermore, we may be required to liquidate from our portfolio (or to contribute to a TRS) otherwise attractive investments. In addition, we may be required to make distributions to shareholders at disadvantageous times or when we do not have funds readily available for distribution. These actions could have the effect of reducing our income and amounts available for distribution to our shareholders. Thus, compliance with the REIT requirements may hinder our ability to make, or, in certain cases, maintain ownership of, certain attractive investments.

The REIT provisions of the Code limit our ability to earn fee income from joint ventures and third parties. Our aggregate gross income from fees and certain other non-qualifying sources cannot exceed 5% of our annual gross income. As a result, our ability to increase the amount of fee income we earn at the REIT level is limited and, therefore, we may conduct fee-generating activities through a TRS. Any fee income we earn through a TRS is subject to U.S. federal, state, and local income tax at regular corporate rates, which reduces our cash available for distribution to shareholders.

A REIT may own up to 100% of the stock of one or more TRSs. A TRS may hold assets and earn income that would not be qualifying assets or income if held or earned directly by a REIT. Both the subsidiary and the REIT must jointly elect to treat the subsidiary as a TRS. A corporation of which a TRS directly or indirectly owns more than 35% of the voting power or value of the stock will automatically be treated as a TRS. Overall, no more than 25% (20% for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017) of the value of a REIT's assets may consist of stock or securities of one or more TRSs. In addition, the rules applicable to TRSs limit the deductibility of interest paid or accrued by a TRS to its parent REIT to assure that the TRS is subject to an appropriate level of corporate taxation. The rules also impose a 100% excise tax on the parent REIT with respect to certain transactions involving a TRS that are not conducted on an arm's length basis.

Our TRSs will pay federal, state and local income tax on its taxable income. The after-tax net income of our TRSs will be available for distribution to us but generally is not required to be distributed. We believe that the aggregate value of the stock and securities of our TRSs is less than 25% (20% for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017) of the value of our total assets (including the stock and securities of our TRS). Furthermore, we monitor the value of our respective investments in our TRSs for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the ownership limitations applicable to TRSs. We scrutinize all of our transactions involving our TRSs to ensure that they are entered into on arm's length terms to avoid incurring the 100% excise tax described above. There can be no assurance, however, that we will be able to comply with the 25% (20% for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017) limitation discussed above or avoid application of the 100% excise tax discussed above.

The REIT provisions of the Code may limit our ability to hedge our assets and operations. Under these provisions, income that we generate from transactions we enter into to manage risk of interest rate changes with respect to borrowings made or to be made to acquire or carry real estate assets (each such hedge, a "Borrowings Hedge"), or manage the risk of certain currency fluctuations (each such hedge, a "Currency Hedge"), and such instrument is properly identified under applicable Treasury Regulations, does not constitute "gross income" for purposes of the 75% or 95% gross income tests. Effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2015, this exclusion from the 95% and 75% gross income tests also will apply if we previously entered into a Borrowings Hedge or a Currency Hedge, a portion of the hedged indebtedness or property is disposed of, and in connection with such extinguishment or disposition we enter into a new "clearly identified" hedging transaction to offset the prior hedging position. As a result of these rules, we may have to limit our use of hedging techniques that might otherwise be advantageous or implement those hedges through a TRS. This could increase the cost of our hedging activities because our TRS would be subject to tax on gains or expose us to greater risks associated with changes in interest rates than we would otherwise want to bear. In addition, losses in our TRS will generally not provide any current tax benefit, except to the extent that they may be carried back to prior years or forward to future years and offset against taxable income in the TRS.

The maximum tax rate applicable to income from "qualified dividends" payable by corporations to U.S. shareholders that are individuals, trusts and estates is 20% (excluding the 3.8% net investment income tax). Dividends payable by REITs, however, generally are not eligible for the reduced rates and will continue to be subject to tax at rates applicable to ordinary income. Although this does not adversely affect the taxation of REITs or dividends payable by REITs, the more favorable rates applicable to regular corporate qualified dividends could cause investors who are individuals, trusts and estates to perceive investments in REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in the shares of non-REIT corporations that pay dividends, which could adversely affect the value of the stock of REITs, including our common shares.

A REIT's net income from prohibited transactions is subject to a 100% penalty tax. In general, prohibited transactions are sales or other dispositions of property, other than foreclosure property, held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business. Although we do not intend to hold any properties that would be characterized as held for sale to customers in the ordinary course of our business, unless a sale or disposition qualifies under certain statutory safe harbors, such characterization is a factual determination and no guarantee can be given that the IRS would agree with our characterization of our properties or that we will be able to make use of the otherwise available safe harbors.

In order to qualify as a REIT, we generally must distribute to our shareholders, on an annual basis, at least 90% of our "REIT taxable income," determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gains. In addition, we will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate rates to the extent that we distribute less than 100% of our net taxable income (including net capital gains) and will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the amount by which our distributions in any calendar year are less than a minimum amount specified under U.S. federal income tax laws. We intend to continue to distribute our net income to our shareholders in a manner intended to satisfy the REIT 90% distribution requirement and to avoid U.S. federal income tax and the 4% nondeductible excise tax.

In addition, from time to time our taxable income may exceed our net income as determined by GAAP. This may occur, for instance, because realized capital losses are deducted in determining our GAAP net income, but may not be deductible in computing our taxable income. In addition, we may incur nondeductible capital expenditures or be required to make debt or amortization payments. As a result of the foregoing, we may generate less cash flow than taxable income in a particular year and we may incur U.S. federal income tax and the 4% nondeductible excise tax on that income if we do not distribute such income to shareholders in that year. In that event, we may be required to (i) use cash reserves, (ii) incur debt at rates or times that we regard as unfavorable, (iii) sell assets in adverse market conditions, (iv) distribute amounts that would otherwise be invested in future acquisitions, capital expenditures or repayment of debt, or (v) make a taxable distribution of our shares as part of a distribution in which shareholders may elect to receive our shares or (subject to a limit measured as a percentage of the total distribution) cash in order to satisfy the REIT 90% distribution requirement and to avoid U.S. federal income tax and the 4% nondeductible excise tax in that year. These alternatives could increase our costs or reduce our equity. Thus, compliance with the REIT requirements may hinder our ability to grow, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our charter provides that our board of trustees may revoke or otherwise terminate our REIT election, without the approval of our shareholders, if it determines that it is no longer in our best interest to continue to qualify as a REIT. If we cease to be a REIT, we will not be allowed a deduction for dividends paid to shareholders in computing our taxable income, will be subject to U.S. federal, state and local income tax at regular corporate rates, and generally would no longer be required to distribute any of our net taxable income to our shareholders, which may have adverse consequences on our total return to our shareholders.

Even if we qualify for taxation as a REIT, we may be subject to certain federal, state and local taxes on our income, property or net worth, including taxes on any undistributed income, tax on income from some activities conducted as a result of a foreclosure, and state or local income, property and transfer taxes. In addition, we could, in certain circumstances, be required to pay an excise or penalty tax (which could be significant in amount) in order to utilize one or more relief provisions under the Code to maintain

our qualification as a REIT. Any of these taxes would decrease cash available for the payment of our debt obligations and distributions to shareholders. Our TRSs generally will be subject to U.S. federal, state and local corporate income tax on their net taxable income.

The Internal Revenue Service, the United States Treasury Department and Congress frequently review U.S. federal income tax legislation, regulations and other guidance. For example, several REIT rules were recently amended under the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015, which was enacted on December 18, 2015. Among other provisions, this legislation contained changes, with differing effective dates, to tax law impacting REIT restrictions and requirements, including modifying one of the REIT income tests and the REIT asset tests to permit certain investments in debt securities to be treated as qualified real estate assets, modifying the calculation methodology related to the prohibited transactions safe harbor, modifying the treatment of ancillary personal property leased with real property so as to permit it to be treated as real property for one of the REIT asset tests and, effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, reducing the percentage of gross assets a REIT can hold as securities of a TRS. We cannot predict whether, when or to what extent new federal tax laws, regulations, interpretations or rulings will be adopted. Any legislative action may prospectively or retroactively modify our tax treatment and, therefore, may adversely affect taxation of us and/or our investors.

None.

We have historically declared dividends on a quarterly basis. The maintenance of our dividend level is subject to various factors reviewed by the Board of Trustees in its discretion. These factors include our results of operations, the availability of cash and the REIT distribution requirements, which require at least 90% of our REIT taxable income to be distributed to shareholders on an annual basis. For further discussion, please refer to:

During the period covered by this report, we did not sell equity securities without registration under the Securities Act.

We provide Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) in addition to the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes to assist readers in understanding our results of operations and financial condition. We organize the MD&A as follows:

When evaluating our financial condition and operating performance, we focus on the following financial and non-financial indicators: