National Storage Affiliates Trust - 10-K annual report 2018

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

National Storage Affiliates Trust

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

8400 East Prentice Avenue

9th Floor

Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

(720) 630-2600

(Registrant's telephone number including area code)

National Storage Affiliates Trust and its consolidated subsidiaries (the "Company", "NSA," "we," "our", and "us") make forward-looking statements in this report that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include information about possible or assumed future results of our business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, plans and objectives. When we use the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "continue," "intend," "should," "may," or similar expressions, we intend to identify forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements contained in this report reflect our current views about future events and are subject to numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and changes in circumstances that may cause our actual results to differ significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statement.

Statements regarding the following subjects, among others, may be forward-looking:

partnership into Class A common units of limited partner interest ("OP units") in our operating partnership, the conversion ratio in effect at such time and the impact of such convertibility on our diluted earnings (loss) per share;

The forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions and expectations of our future performance, taking into account all information currently available to us. Forward-looking statements are not predictions of future events. These beliefs, assumptions, and expectations can change as a result of many possible events or factors, not all of which are known to us. Readers should carefully review our financial statements and the notes thereto, as well as the sections entitled "Business," "Risk Factors," "Properties," and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," described in Item 1, Item 1A, Item 2 and Item 7, respectively, of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other documents we file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. If a change occurs, our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations may vary materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made. New risks and uncertainties arise over time, and it is not possible for us to predict those events or how they may affect us. Except as required by law, we are not obligated to, and do not intend to, update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

PART I

Our chairman and chief executive officer, Arlen D. Nordhagen, co-founded SecurCare Self Storage, Inc. in 1988 to invest in and manage self storage properties. While growing SecurCare to over 150 self storage properties, Mr. Nordhagen recognized a market opportunity for a differentiated public self storage REIT that would leverage the benefits of national scale by integrating multiple experienced regional self storage operators with local operational focus and expertise. We believe that his vision, which is the foundation of the Company, aligns the interests of our participating regional operators ("PROs"), with those of our public shareholders by allowing our PROs to participate alongside our shareholders in our financial performance and the performance of our PROs' "managed portfolios", which means, with respect to each PRO, the portfolio of properties that such PRO manages on our behalf. A key component of this strategy is to capitalize on the local market expertise and knowledge of regional self storage operators by maintaining the continuity of their roles as property managers.

We believe that our structure creates the right financial incentives to accomplish these objectives. We require our PROs to exchange the self storage properties they contribute to the Company for a combination of OP units and subordinated performance units in our operating partnership or subsidiaries of our operating partnership that issue units intended to be economically equivalent to the OP units and subordinated performance units issued by our operating partnership ("DownREIT partnerships"). OP units, which are economically equivalent to our common shares, create alignment with the performance of the Company as a whole. Subordinated performance units, which are linked to the performance of specific managed portfolios, incentivize our PROs to drive operating performance and support the

We believe that our national platform has significant potential for continued external and internal growth. We seek to further expand our platform by continuing to recruit additional established self storage operators as well as opportunistically partnering with institutional funds and other institutional investors in strategic joint venture arrangements while integrating our operations through the implementation of centralized initiatives, including management information systems, revenue enhancement, and cost optimization programs. We are currently engaged in preliminary discussions with additional self storage operators and believe that we could add one to three PROs in addition to the ten PROs we have currently identified, which will enhance our existing geographic footprint and allow us to enter regional markets in which we currently have limited or no market share.

In October 2018, we entered into definitive agreements with affiliates of Southern Self Storage, LLC d/b/a Southern Self Storage of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, to add Southern Self Storage ("Southern") as our ninth PRO. In January 2019, we completed the initial contribution transaction with Southern, which included the acquisition of six self storage properties by us. In addition, in February 2019, we entered into definitive agreements with affiliates of Investment Real Estate Management, LLC d/b/a Moove In Self Storage of York, Pennsylvania to add Moove In Self Storage ("Moove In") as our tenth PRO. Moove In is led by John Gilliland, a past Chairman of the national Self Storage Association. Moove In currently owns 19 self storage properties in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York. Upon closing, Moove In intends to contribute six self storage properties to us as part of the initial contribution transaction, and its remaining properties will be added to our captive pipeline. We expect the initial contribution transaction and related closing documentation, including the entry into a facilities portfolio management agreement, to close during the first quarter of 2019, subject to customary closing conditions.

To capitalize on their recognized and established local brands, our PROs continue to function as property managers for their managed portfolios under their existing brands (which include various brands in addition to those discussed below). Over the long-run, we may seek to brand or co-brand each location as part of NSA.

We benefit from the local market knowledge and active presence of our PROs, allowing us to build and foster important customer and industry relationships. These local relationships provide attractive off-market acquisition opportunities that we believe will continue to fuel additional external growth.

We believe our structure allows our PROs to optimize their established property management platforms while addressing financial and operational hurdles. Before joining us, our PROs faced challenges in securing low cost capital and had to manage multiple investors and lending relationships, making it difficult to compete with larger competitors, including public REITs, for acquisition and investment opportunities. Our PROs were also limited in their ability to raise growth capital through the sale of assets, a portfolio refinancing, or capital contributions from new equity partners. Serving as our on-the-ground acquisition teams, our PROs now have access to our broader financing sources and lower cost of capital, while our national platform allows them to benefit from our economies of scale to drive operating efficiencies in a rapidly evolving, technology-driven industry.

During the year ended December 31, 2017, we sold three self storage properties to unrelated third parties and excess land parcels adjacent to our self storage properties for $17.8 million. The self storage properties comprised approximately 0.2 million rentable square feet configured in approximately 1,200 storage units.

We seek to opportunistically partner with institutional funds and other institutional investors to acquire attractive portfolios utilizing a promoted return structure. We believe there is significant opportunity for continued external growth by partnering with institutional investors seeking to deploy capital in the self storage industry.

2018 Joint Venture

During the year ended December 31, 2018, we formed the 2018 Joint Venture (as defined in Note 5 to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8), in which we have a 25% ownership interest, with an affiliate of Heitman America Real Estate REIT LLC. In September 2018, the 2018 Joint Venture completed the acquisition of a portfolio of 112 self storage properties located across 17 states and Puerto Rico, consisting of approximately 8.2 million rentable square feet configured in over 68,000 storage units for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $1.325 billion (the "Portfolio").

2016 Joint Venture

Through our property management platform, we direct, manage and control the day-to-day operations and affairs of certain consolidated properties and our unconsolidated real estate ventures. We earn certain customary fees for managing and operating the properties in the unconsolidated real estate ventures and we facilitate tenant insurance and/or tenant warranty protection programs for tenants at these properties in exchange for half of all proceeds from such programs.

As of December 31, 2018, our property management platform managed and controlled 39 of our consolidated properties in select markets in California, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, Virginia and Puerto Rico. As discussed above, in January 2019, Southern began managing our six properties located in Puerto Rico.

We believe our unique PRO structure combined with our property management platform allows us to differentiate ourselves from other self storage operators, and the following competitive strengths enable us to effectively compete against our industry peers:

Our national platform utilizes advanced technology for our data warehouse program, Internet marketing, our centralized call centers, financial and property analytic dashboards, revenue optimization analytics and expense management tools to enhance operational performance. These centralized programs, which are run through our Technology and Best Practices Group, are positively impacting our business performance, and we believe that they will continue to be a driver of organic growth going forward. We will utilize our Technology and Best Practices Group to help us benefit from the collective sharing of key operating strategies among our PROs in areas like human resource management, local marketing and operating procedures and building tenant insurance-related arrangements.

By capitalizing on our competitive strengths, we seek to increase scale, achieve optimal revenue-producing occupancy and rent levels, and increase long-term shareholder value by achieving sustainable long-term growth. Our business and growth strategies to achieve these objectives are as follows:

Our PROs have management service agreements with all of the properties in our captive pipeline and hold controlling and non-controlling ownership interests in some of these properties. With respect to each property in our captive pipeline in which a PRO holds a controlling ownership interest, such PRO has agreed that it will not transfer (or permit the transfer of, to the extent possible) any interest in such self storage property without first offering or causing to be offered (if permissible) such interest to us. In addition, upon maturity of the outstanding mortgage indebtedness encumbering such property, so long as occupancy is consistent with or exceeds average local market levels, which we determine in our sole discretion, such PRO has agreed to offer or cause to be offered (if permissible) such interest to us. With respect to captive pipeline properties in which our PROs have a non-controlling ownership interest or no ownership interest, each PRO has agreed to use commercially reasonable good faith efforts to facilitate our purchase of such property. We preserve the discretion to accept or reject any of the properties that our PROs are required to, or elect to, offer (or cause to be offered) to us.

We expect to maintain a flexible approach in financing new property acquisitions. In general, we expect to fund our property acquisitions through a combination of borrowings under bank credit facilities (including term loans and revolving facilities), property-level debt, issuances of OP equity and public and private equity and debt issuances.

During the year ended December 31, 2018, we entered into a credit agreement with a lender for a term loan facility that matures in December 2028 (the "2028 Term Loan Facility") and is separate from the credit facility and 2023 Term Loan Facility in an aggregate amount of $75.0 million, which amount is outstanding. We have an expansion option under the 2028 Term Loan Facility, which, if exercised in full, would provide for total borrowings in an aggregate amount up to $125.0 million.

The credit facility, 2023 Term Loan Facility and 2028 Term Loan Facility each contain the same financial covenants and customary affirmative and negative covenants that, among other things, could limit the Company's ability to make distributions or certain investments, incur debt, incur liens and enter into certain transactions.

We expect to employ leverage in our capital structure in amounts determined from time to time by our board of trustees. Although our board of trustees has not adopted a policy which limits the total amount of indebtedness that we may incur, it will consider a number of factors in evaluating our level of indebtedness from time to time, as well as the amount of such indebtedness that will be either fixed and variable-rate, and in making financial decisions, including, among others, the following:

Our indebtedness may be recourse, non-recourse or cross-collateralized. If the indebtedness is non-recourse, the collateral will be limited to the particular properties to which the indebtedness relates. In addition, we may invest in properties subject to existing loans secured by mortgages or similar liens on our properties, or may refinance properties acquired on a leveraged basis. We may use the proceeds from any borrowings to refinance existing indebtedness, to refinance investments, including the redevelopment of existing properties, for general working capital or for other purposes when we believe it is advisable.

In the future, we may adopt a dividend reinvestment plan that will permit shareholders who elect to participate in the plan to have their cash dividends reinvested in additional common shares.

General

Generally, self storage properties are subject to various laws, ordinances and regulations, including those relating to lien sale rights and procedures, public accommodations, insurance, and the environment. Changes in any of these laws, ordinances or regulations could increase the potential liability existing or created by tenants or others on our properties. Laws, ordinances, or regulations affecting development, construction, operation, upkeep, safety and taxation requirements may result in significant unanticipated expenditures, loss of self storage sites or other impairments to operations, which would adversely affect our cash flows from operating activities.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("the ADA"), all places of public accommodation are required to meet certain federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons. For additional information on the ADA, see "Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business—Costs associated with complying with the ADA may result in unanticipated expenses."

Insurance activities are subject to state insurance laws and regulations as determined by the particular insurance commissioner for each state in accordance with the McCarran-Ferguson Act, as well as subject to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and the privacy regulations promulgated by the Federal Trade Commission pursuant thereto.

Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (the "CERCLA"), and comparable state laws, we may be required to investigate and remediate regulated hazardous materials at one or more of our properties. For additional information on environmental matters and regulation, see "Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business—Environmental compliance costs and liabilities associated with operating our properties may affect our results of operations."

Property management activities are often subject to state real estate brokerage laws and regulations as determined by the particular real estate commission for each state.

REIT Qualification

We have elected and we believe that we have qualified to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (the "Code"), commencing with our taxable year ended on December 31, 2015. We generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on our net taxable income to the extent that we distribute annually all of our net taxable income to our shareholders and maintain our qualification as a REIT. We believe that we have been organized and have operated in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code, and we expect that our intended manner of operation will enable us to continue to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT. To qualify, and maintain our qualification, as a REIT, we must meet on a continuing basis, through our organization and actual investment and operating results, various requirements under the Code relating to, among other things, the sources of our gross income, the composition and values of our assets, our distribution levels and the diversity of ownership of our shares. If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year and do not qualify for certain statutory relief provisions, we will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate rates and may be precluded from qualifying as a REIT for the subsequent four taxable years following the year during which we failed to qualify as a REIT. Even if we qualify for taxation as a REIT, we still may be subject to some U.S. federal, state and local taxes on our income or assets. In addition, subject to maintaining our qualification as a REIT, a portion of our business is conducted through, and a portion of our income is earned by, one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries ("TRSs"), which are subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax at regular rates. Distributions paid by us generally will not be eligible for taxation at the preferential U.S. federal income tax rates that currently apply to certain distributions received

Recent U.S. Federal Income Tax Legislation

On December 22, 2017, Congress enacted H.R. 1, also known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 ("TCJA"). The TCJA made major changes to the Internal Revenue Code, including the reduction of the tax rates applicable to individuals and subchapter C corporations, a reduction or elimination of certain deductions (including new limitations on the deductibility of interest expense), permitting immediate expensing of capital expenditures and significant changes in the taxation of earnings from non-U.S. sources. The effect of the significant changes made by the TCJA is highly uncertain, and additional administrative guidance is still required in order to fully evaluate the effect of many provisions. Technical corrections or other amendments to the new rules, and additional administrative guidance interpreting these new rules, may be forthcoming at any time but may also be significantly delayed. While we do not currently expect this reform to have a significant impact to the Company's consolidated financial statements, stockholders are urged to consult with their tax advisors regarding the effects of the TCJA or other legislative, regulatory or administrative developments on an investment in the Company's common stock.

We compete with many other entities engaged in real estate investment activities for customers and acquisitions of self storage properties and other assets, including national, regional, and local owners, operators, and developers of self storage properties. We compete based on a number of factors including location, rental rates, security, suitability of the property's design to prospective tenants' needs, and the manner in which the property is operated and marketed. We believe that the primary competition for potential customers comes from other self storage properties within a three to five mile radius. We have positioned our properties within their respective markets as high-quality operations that emphasize tenant convenience, security, and professionalism.

We also may compete with numerous other potential buyers when pursuing a possible property for acquisition, which can increase the potential cost of a project. These competing bidders also may possess greater resources than us and therefore be in a better position to acquire a property. However, our use of OP units and subordinated performance units as transactional currency allows us to structure our acquisitions in tax-deferred transactions. As a result, potential targets who are tax-sensitive might favor us as a suitor.

Our primary national competitors in many of our markets for both tenants and acquisition opportunities include local and regional operators, institutional investors, private equity funds, as well as the other public self storage REITs, including Public Storage, Cubesmart, Extra Space Storage Inc. and Life Storage, Inc.  These entities also seek financing through similar channels to the Company. Therefore, we will continue to compete for institutional investors in a market where funds for real estate investment may decrease.

We file registration statements, proxy statements, our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to those statements and reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Investors may obtain copies of these statements and reports by accessing the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Our statements and reports and any amendments to any of those statements and reports that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission are available free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable on our website at www.nationalstorageaffiliates.com. The information contained on our website is not incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "NSA."

Adverse economic or other conditions in the markets in which we do business and more broadly associated with the real estate industry could negatively affect our occupancy levels and rental rates and therefore our operating results and the value of our self storage properties.

We are also susceptible to the effects of adverse macro-economic events and business conditions that can result in higher unemployment, shrinking demand for products, large-scale business failures and tight credit markets. Our results of operations are sensitive to changes in overall economic conditions that impact consumer spending, including discretionary spending, as well as to increased bad debts due to recessionary pressures. Adverse economic conditions affecting disposable consumer income, such as employment levels, business conditions, interest rates and the availability of financing, tax rates, fuel and energy costs, could reduce consumer spending or cause consumers to shift their spending to other products and services. A general reduction in the level of discretionary spending or shifts in consumer discretionary spending could adversely affect our growth and profitability. Our operating results and cash available for distribution could also be adversely impacted if we experience increased operating costs, including maintenance, insurance premiums and real estate taxes, whether due to economic conditions, government regulation or otherwise. In addition, our operating expenses, including taxes, insurance, maintenance and debt service payments, may not be reduced even if we experience a reduction in revenues, which may exacerbate the impact on our profitability.

We may not be successful in identifying and consummating suitable acquisitions, adding additional suitable new PROs, or integrating and operating such acquisitions, including integrating them into our financial and operational reporting infrastructure and internal control framework in a timely manner, which may impede our growth.

Our ability to expand through acquisitions is integral to our business strategy and requires us to identify suitable acquisition candidates or investment opportunities that meet our criteria and are compatible with our growth strategy. We may not be successful in identifying suitable properties or other assets that meet our acquisition criteria or in consummating acquisitions on satisfactory terms or at all. Failure to identify or consummate acquisitions will slow our growth, which could in turn adversely affect our share price.

For the potential acquisitions in our captive pipeline, we have not entered into negotiations with the respective owners of these properties and there can be no assurance as to whether we will acquire any of these properties or the actual timing of any such acquisitions. Each captive pipeline property is subject to additional due diligence and the determination by us to pursue the acquisition of the property. In addition, with respect to the captive pipeline properties

Our ability to acquire properties on favorable terms and successfully integrate and operate them, including integrating them into our financial and operational reporting infrastructure in a timely manner, may be constrained by the following significant risks:

We face competition for tenants.

We compete with many other entities engaged in real estate investment activities for tenants, including national, regional and local owners, operators and developers of self storage properties. Our primary national competitors for tenants in many of our markets are the large public and private self storage companies, institutional investors, and private equity funds. Actions by our competitors may decrease or prevent increases in the occupancy and rental rates, while increasing the operating expenses of our properties.

Rental revenues are significantly influenced by demand for self storage space generally, and a decrease in such demand would likely have a greater adverse effect on our rental revenues than if we owned a more diversified real estate portfolio.

Because our portfolio of properties consists primarily of self storage properties, we are subject to risks inherent in investments in a single industry. A decrease in the demand for self storage space would have a greater adverse effect on our rental revenues than if we owned a more diversified real estate portfolio. Demand for self storage space has been and could be adversely affected by weakness in the national, regional and local economies, changes in supply of, or demand for, similar or competing self storage properties in an area and the excess amount of self storage space in a particular market. To the extent that any of these conditions occur, they are likely to affect market rents for self storage space, which could cause a decrease in our rental revenue. Any such decrease could impair our operating results, ability to satisfy debt service obligations and ability to make cash distributions to our shareholders.

Increases in taxes and regulatory compliance costs may reduce our income and adversely impact our cash flows.

Increases in income or other taxes generally are not passed through to tenants under leases and may reduce our net income, funds from operations ("FFO"), cash flows, financial condition, ability to pay or refinance our debt obligations, ability to make cash distributions to shareholders, and the trading price of our securities. Similarly, changes in laws increasing the potential liability for environmental conditions existing on properties or increasing the restrictions on discharges or other conditions may result in significant unanticipated expenditures, which could result in similar adverse effects.

Many states and jurisdictions are facing severe budgetary problems. Action that may be taken in response to these problems, such as changes to sales taxes or other governmental efforts, including mandating medical insurance for employees, could adversely impact our business and results of operations.

Our property taxes could increase due to various reasons, including a reassessment as a result of our contribution transactions, which could adversely impact our operating results and cash flow.

The value of our properties may be reassessed for property tax purposes by taxing authorities including as a result of our acquisition and contribution transactions. Accordingly, the amount of property taxes we pay in the future may increase substantially from what we have paid in the past or from what we expected in connection with our underwriting activities. If the property taxes we pay increase, our operating results and cash flow would be adversely impacted, and our ability to pay any expected dividends to our shareholders could be adversely affected.

Our storage leases are relatively short-term in nature, which exposes us to the risk that we may have to re-lease our units and we may be unable to do so on attractive terms, on a timely basis or at all.

Our storage leases are relatively short-term in nature, typically month-to-month, which exposes us to the risk that we may have to re-lease our units frequently and we may be unable to do so on attractive terms, on a timely basis or at all. Because these leases generally permit the tenant to leave at the end of the month without penalty, our revenues and operating results may be impacted by declines in market rental rates more quickly than if our leases were for longer terms. In addition, any delay in re-leasing units as vacancies arise would reduce our revenues and harm our operating results.

Security breaches through cyber-attacks, cyber-intrusions, or other methods could disrupt our information technology networks and related systems.

We and our PROs are increasingly dependent upon automated information technology processes and Internet commerce, and many of our and their tenants come from the telephone or over the Internet. Moreover, the nature of our and our PROs' business involves the receipt and retention of certain personal information about such tenants. In many cases, we and our PROs also rely significantly on third-party vendors to retain data, process transactions and provide other systems services. Our networks and operations could be disrupted, and sensitive data could be compromised, by physical or electronic security breaches, targeted against us, our PROs, our vendors or other organizations, including financial markets or institutions, including by way of or through cyber-attacks or cyber-intrusions over the Internet, malware, computer viruses, attachments to e-mails, phishing, employee theft or misuse, or inadequate security controls. Although we make efforts to protect the security and integrity of our networks and systems, there can be no assurance that these efforts and measures will be effective or that attempted security breaches or disruptions would not be successful, as such attacks and breaches may be difficult to detect (or not detected at all) and are becoming more sophisticated. In such event, we may experience business interruptions; data loss, ransom, misappropriation, or corruption; theft or misuse of confidential or proprietary information; or litigation and investigation by tenants, governmental or regulatory agencies, or other third parties. Such events could also have other adverse impacts on us, including breaches of debt covenants or other contractual or REIT compliance obligations, late or misstated financial reports, and significant diversion of management attention and resources. As a result, such events could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows and harm our business reputation or have such effects on our PROs.

We may become subject to litigation or threatened litigation that may divert management's time and attention, require us to pay damages and expenses or restrict the operation of our business.

We may become subject to disputes, including class or collective actions, with customers (or prospective customers), employees, commercial parties with whom we maintain relationships or other parties with whom we do business. Any such dispute could result in litigation between us and the other parties. Whether or not any dispute actually proceeds to litigation, we may be required to devote significant management time and attention to its successful resolution (through litigation, settlement or otherwise), which would detract from our management's ability to focus on our business. Any such resolution could involve the payment of damages or expenses by us, which may be significant and may not be covered by insurance. In addition, any such resolution could involve our agreement with terms that restrict the operation of our business.

There are other commercial parties, at both a local and national level, that may assert that our use of our brand names and other intellectual property conflict with their rights to use brand names and other intellectual property that they consider to be similar to ours. Any such commercial dispute and related resolution would involve all of the risks

We also could be sued for personal injuries and/or property damage occurring on our properties. The liability insurance we maintain may not cover all costs and expenses arising from such lawsuits.

The acquisition of new properties that lack operating history with us will make it more difficult to predict our operating results.

With respect to acquisitions, if we fail to accurately estimate occupancy levels, rental rates, operating costs or costs of improvements to bring an acquired property up to the standards established for our intended market position, the performance of the property may be below expectations. Acquired properties may have characteristics or deficiencies affecting their valuation or profitability potential that we have not yet discovered. We cannot assure that the performance of properties acquired by us will increase or be maintained following our acquisition.

Costs associated with complying with the ADA may result in unanticipated expenses.

Under the ADA, places of public accommodation are required to meet certain federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons. These requirements became effective in 1992. A number of additional U.S. federal, state and local laws may also require modifications to our properties, or restrict certain further renovations of the properties, with respect to access thereto by disabled persons. Noncompliance with the ADA could result in the imposition of fines or an award of damages to private litigants and also could result in an order to correct any non-complying feature, which could result in substantial capital expenditures. If one or more of our properties is not in compliance with the ADA or other legislation, then we would be required to incur additional costs to bring the property into compliance. If we incur substantial costs to comply with the ADA or other legislation, our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow, per share trading price of our common shares and our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations and to make cash distributions to our shareholders could be adversely affected.

Environmental compliance costs and liabilities associated with operating our properties may affect our results of operations.

Under various U.S. federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations, owners and operators of real estate may be liable for the costs of investigating and remediating certain hazardous substances or other regulated materials on or in such property. CERCLA and comparable state laws typically impose strict joint and several liabilities without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of such substances or materials. The presence of such substances or materials, or the failure to properly remediate such substances, may adversely affect the owner's or operator's ability to lease, sell or rent such property or to borrow using such property as collateral. Persons who arrange for the disposal or treatment of hazardous substances or other regulated materials may be liable for the costs of removal or remediation of such substances at a disposal or treatment facility, whether or not such facility is owned or operated by such person. Certain environmental laws impose liability for release of asbestos-containing materials into the air and third-parties may seek recovery from owners or operators of real properties for personal injury associated with asbestos-containing materials.

Certain environmental laws also impose liability, without regard to knowledge or fault, for removal or remediation of hazardous substances or other regulated materials upon owners and operators of contaminated property even after they no longer own or operate the property. Moreover, the past or present owner or operator of a property from which a release emanates could be liable for any personal injuries or property damages that may result from such releases, as well as any damages to natural resources that may arise from such releases.

Certain environmental laws impose compliance obligations on owners and operators of real property with respect to the management of hazardous materials and other regulated substances. For example, environmental laws govern the management of asbestos-containing materials and lead-based paint. Failure to comply with these laws can result in penalties or other sanctions.

In connection with the ownership, operation and management of our current or past properties and any properties that we may acquire and/or manage in the future, we could be legally responsible for environmental liabilities or costs relating to a release of hazardous substances or other regulated materials at or emanating from such property. In order to assess the potential for such liability, we conduct an environmental assessment of each property prior to acquisition and manage our properties in accordance with environmental laws while we own or operate them. We have engaged qualified, reputable and adequately insured environmental consulting firms to perform environmental site assessments

No assurances can be given that existing environmental studies with respect to any of our properties reveal all environmental liabilities, that any prior owner or operator of our properties did not create any material environmental condition not known to us, or that a material environmental condition does not otherwise exist as to any one or more of our properties. There also exists the risk that material environmental conditions, liabilities or compliance concerns may have arisen after the review was completed or may arise in the future. Finally, future laws, ordinances or regulations and future interpretations of existing laws, ordinances or regulations may impose additional material environmental liability.

We rely on on-site personnel to maximize tenant satisfaction at each of our properties, and any difficulties we or they encounter in hiring, training and maintaining skilled on-site personnel may harm our operating performance.

The general professionalism of site managers and staff are contributing factors to a site's ability to successfully secure rentals and retain tenants and we rely on on-site personnel to maintain clean and secure self storage properties. If we or our PROs are unable to successfully recruit, train and retain qualified on-site personnel, the quality of service we and our PROs strive to provide at our properties could be adversely affected, which could lead to decreased occupancy levels and reduced operating performance of our properties.

We and certain of our PROs have tenant insurance- and/or tenant protection plan-related arrangements that are in some cases subject to state-specific governmental regulation, which may adversely affect our results.

We and certain of our PROs have tenant insurance- and/or tenant protection plan-related arrangements with regulated insurance companies and our tenants. Some of our PROs earn access fees in connection with these arrangements. We receive a portion of the fees from these PROs. The tenant insurance and tenant protection plan businesses, including the payments associated with these arrangements, are in some cases subject to state-specific governmental regulation. State regulatory authorities generally have broad discretion to grant, renew and revoke licenses and approvals, to promulgate, interpret and implement regulations, and to evaluate compliance with regulations through periodic examinations, audits and investigations of the affairs of insurance industry participants. Although these arrangements are managed by our property management platform and/or certain of our PROs who have developed marketing programs and management procedures to navigate the regulatory environment, as a result of regulatory or private action in any jurisdiction in which we operate, we may be temporarily or permanently suspended from continuing some or all of our tenant insurance- and/or tenant protection plan-related activities, or otherwise fined or penalized or suffer an adverse judgment, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Privacy concerns could result in regulatory changes that may harm our business.

Personal privacy has become a significant issue in the jurisdictions in which we operate. Many jurisdictions in which we operate have imposed or in the future may impose restrictions and requirements on the use of personal information by those collecting such information. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 was recently passed and will become effective as of January 1, 2020, which provides consumers with expansive rights and control over personal information obtained by or shared with certain covered businesses. Changes to law or regulations or the passage of new laws affecting privacy, if applicable to our business, could impose additional costs and liability on us and could limit our use and disclosure of such information.

Uninsured losses or losses in excess of our insurance coverage could adversely affect our financial condition, operating results and cash flow.

We maintain comprehensive liability, fire, flood, earthquake, wind (as deemed necessary or as required by our lenders), extended coverage and rental loss insurance with respect to our properties. Certain types of losses, however, may be either uninsurable or not economically insurable, such as losses due to earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, riots, acts of war or terrorism. Should an uninsured loss occur, we could lose both our investment in and anticipated profits and cash flow from a property. In addition, if any such loss is insured, we may be required to pay significant amounts on any claim for recovery of such a loss prior to our insurer being obligated to reimburse us for the loss, or the amount of the loss may exceed our coverage for the loss. We currently self-insure a portion of our commercial insurance deductible risk through our captive insurance company. To the extent that our captive insurance company is unable to bear that risk, we may be required to fund additional capital to our captive insurance company or we may be required to bear that loss. As a result, our operating results may be adversely affected.

Illiquidity of real estate investments could significantly impede our ability to respond to adverse changes in the performance of our properties.

Because real estate investments are relatively illiquid, our ability to promptly sell one or more properties in our portfolio in response to changing economic, financial and investment conditions is limited. The real estate market is affected by many factors, such as general economic conditions, availability of financing, interest rates and other factors, including supply and demand, that are beyond our control. We cannot predict whether we will be able to sell any property for the price or on the terms set by us or whether any price or other terms offered by a prospective purchaser would be acceptable to us. We also cannot predict the length of time needed to find a willing purchaser and to close the sale of a property. In addition, we may be required to expend funds to correct defects or to make improvements before a property can be sold. We cannot assure you that we will have funds available to correct those defects or to make those improvements.

In acquiring a property, we may agree to transfer restrictions that materially restrict us from selling that property for a period of time or impose other restrictions, such as a limitation on the amount of debt that can be placed or repaid on that property. For example, we are party to certain agreements with our PROs that provide that, until March 31, 2023, our operating partnership shall not, and shall cause its subsidiaries not to, sell, dispose or otherwise transfer any property that is a part of the applicable self storage property portfolio relating to a series of subordinated performance units without the consent of the partners (including us) holding at least 50% of the then outstanding OP units and the partners holding at least 50% of the then outstanding series of subordinated performance units that relate to the applicable property, except for sales, dispositions or other transfers of a property to wholly owned subsidiaries of our operating partnership. These restrictions may require us to keep certain properties that we would otherwise sell, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, cash flow and ability to execute our business plan.

Our business could be harmed if key personnel terminate their employment with us.

Our success depends, to a significant extent, on the continued services of Arlen D. Nordhagen and Tamara D. Fischer and the other members of our senior management team. At the time of our initial public offering, Mr. Nordhagen and Ms. Fischer entered into new employment agreements with us. These employment agreements provide for an initial three-year term of employment for these executives and automatic one-year extensions thereafter unless either party provides at least 90 days' notice of non-renewal. Notwithstanding these agreements, there can be no assurance that any of them will remain employed by us. The loss of services of one or more members of our senior management team could harm our business and our prospects.

We invest in strategic joint ventures that subject us to additional risks.

Some of our investments are. and in the future may be, structured as strategic joint ventures. Part of our strategy is to opportunistically partner with institutional funds and other institutional investors to acquire attractive portfolios through a promoted return structure. These arrangements are driven by the magnitude of capital required to complete the acquisitions and maintain the acquired portfolios. Such arrangements involve risks not present where a third party is not involved, including the possibility that partners or co-venturers might become bankrupt or otherwise fail to fund their share of required capital contributions. Additionally, partners or co-venturers might at any time have economic or other business interests or goals different from us and or in competition with us.

Joint ventures generally provide for a reduced level of control over an acquired project because governance rights are shared with others. Accordingly, certain major decisions relating to joint ventures, including decisions relating to, among other things, the approval of annual budgets, sales and acquisitions of properties, financings, and certain actions relating to bankruptcy, are often made by a majority vote of the investors or by separate agreements that are reached with respect to individual decisions. In addition, such decisions may be subject to the risk that the partners or co-venturers may make business, financial or management decisions with which we do not agree or take risks or otherwise act in a manner that does not serve our best interests. Because we may not have the ability to exercise control over such operations, we may not be able to realize some or all of the benefits that we believe will be created from our involvement. At times, we and our partners or co-venturers may also each have the right to trigger a buy-sell arrangement, which could cause us to sell our interest, or acquire our partners' or co-venturers' interest, at a time when we otherwise would not have initiated such a transaction. If any of the foregoing were to occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could suffer as a result.

Some of our PROs have limited experience operating under the Company's capital structure, and we may not be able to achieve the desired outcomes that the structure is intended to produce.

Some of our PROs have limited experience operating under our capital structure. As a means of incentivizing our PROs to drive operating performance and support the sustainability of the operating cash flow from the properties they manage on our behalf, we issued each PRO subordinated performance units aimed at aligning the interests of our PROs with our interests and those of our shareholders. The subordinated performance units are entitled to distributions exclusively tied to the performance of each PRO's managed portfolios but only after minimum performance thresholds are satisfied. Our issuance of such units, however, may have been and could be based on inaccurate valuations and thus misallocated, which would limit or eliminate the effectiveness of our intended incentive-based program. Moreover, difficulties in aligning incentives and implementing our structure could allow a PRO to underperform without triggering our right to terminate the applicable facilities portfolio and asset management agreements and transfer management rights of the PRO to us (or a designee) or cause our management to be distracted from other aspects of our business, which could adversely affect our operating results and business.

We are restricted in making certain property sales on account of agreements with our PROs that may require us to keep certain properties that we would otherwise sell.

The partnership unit designations related to our subordinated performance units provide that, until March 31, 2023, our operating partnership may not sell, dispose or otherwise transfer any property that is a part of the applicable self storage property portfolio relating to a series of subordinated performance units without the consent of the partners (including us) holding at least 50% of the then outstanding OP units and the consent of partners holding at least 50% of the then outstanding series of subordinated performance units that relate to the applicable property, except for sales, dispositions or other transfers of a property to wholly owned subsidiaries of our operating partnership. This restriction may require us to keep certain properties that we would otherwise sell, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, cash flow and ability to execute our business plan. In addition, we may enter into agreements with future PROs that contain the same or similar restrictions or that impose such restrictions for different periods.

Our ability to terminate our facilities portfolio management agreements and asset management agreements with a PRO is limited, which may adversely affect our ability to execute our business plan.

We may elect to terminate our facilities portfolio management agreements and asset management agreements with a PRO and transfer property management responsibilities over the properties managed by such PRO to us (or our designee), (i) upon certain defaults by a PRO as set forth in these agreements, or (ii) if the PRO's properties, on a portfolio basis, fail to meet certain pre-determined performance thresholds for more than two consecutive calendar years or if the operating cash flow generated by the properties of the PRO for any calendar year falls below a level that will enable us to fund minimum levels of distributions, debt service payments attributable to the properties, and fund the properties' allocable operating expenses. Consequently, to the extent a PRO complies with these covenants, standards, and minimum requirements, we may not be able to terminate the applicable facilities portfolio management agreements and asset management agreements and transfer property management responsibilities over such properties even if our board of trustees believes that such PRO is not properly executing our business plan and/or is failing to operate its properties to their full potential. Moreover, transferring the management responsibilities over the properties managed by a PRO may be costly or difficult to implement or may be delayed, even if we are able to and believe that such a change in portfolio and property management would be beneficial to us and our shareholders.

We may less vigorously pursue enforcement of terms of agreements entered into with our PROs because of conflicts of interest with our PROs.

Our PROs are entities that have contributed or will contribute through contribution agreements, self storage properties, or legal entities owning self storage properties, to our operating partnership or DownREIT partnerships in exchange for ownership interests in our operating partnership or DownREIT partnerships. As part of each transaction, our PROs make and have made limited representations and warranties to our operating partnership regarding the entities, properties and other assets to be acquired by our operating partnership or DownREIT partnerships in the contribution and generally agree to indemnify our operating partnership for 12 months after the closing of the contribution for breaches of such representations. Such indemnification is limited, however, and our operating partnership is not entitled to any other indemnification in connection with the contributions. In addition, following each contribution from a PRO, the day-to-day operations of each of the managed properties will be managed by the PRO who was the principal of the

We own self storage properties in some of the same geographic regions as our PROs and may compete for tenants with other properties managed by our PROs.

Pursuant to the facilities portfolio management agreements with our PROs, each PRO has agreed that, without our consent, the PRO will not, and it will cause its affiliates not to, enter into any new agreements or arrangements for the management of additional self storage properties, other than the properties we are not acquiring and the properties each PRO contributes to our operating partnership. However, we have not and will not acquire all of the self storage properties of our PROs. We will therefore own self storage properties in some of the same geographic regions as our PROs, and, as a result, we may compete for tenants with our PROs. This competition may affect our ability to attract and retain tenants and may reduce the rental rates we are able to charge, which could adversely affect our operating results and business.

Our PROs may engage in other activities, diverting their attention from the management of our properties, which could adversely affect the execution of our business plan and our operating results.

Our PROs and their employees and personnel are in the business of managing self storage properties. We have agreed that our PROs may continue to manage properties not included in our portfolio, and our PROs are not obligated to dedicate any specific employees or personnel exclusively to the management of our properties. As a result, their time and efforts may be diverted from the management of our properties, which could adversely affect the execution of our business plan and our operating results.

When a PRO elects or is required to "retire" we may become exposed to new and additional costs and risks.

Under the facilities portfolio management agreements, after a two year period following the later of completion of our initial public offering or the initial contribution of their properties to us, a PRO may elect, or be required, to "retire" from the self storage business. Upon a retirement event, management of the properties will be transferred to us (or our designee) in exchange for OP units with a value equal to four times the average of the normalized annual EBITDA from the management contracts related to such PRO's managed portfolio over the immediately preceding 24-month period. As a result of this transfer, we may become exposed to new and additional costs and risks. Accordingly, the retirement of a PRO may adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.

Our formation transactions and subsequent contribution transactions were generally not negotiated on an arm's-length basis and may not be as favorable to us as if they had been negotiated with unaffiliated third parties.

We did not conduct arm's-length negotiations with certain of the parties involved regarding the terms of the formation transactions and subsequent contribution transactions, including the contribution agreements, facilities portfolio management agreements, sales commission agreements, asset management agreements and registration rights agreements. In the course of structuring the formation transactions and subsequent contribution transactions, certain members of our senior management team and other contributors had the ability to influence the type and level of benefits that they received from us. Accordingly, the terms of the formation transactions and subsequent contribution transactions may not solely reflect the best interests of us or our shareholders and may be overly favorable to the other party to such transactions and agreements.

Conflicts of interest could arise with respect to certain transactions between the holders of OP units (including subordinated performance units), which include our PROs, on the one hand, and us and our shareholders, on the other.

Conflicts of interest could arise with respect to the interests of holders of OP units (including subordinated performance units), on the one hand, which include members of our senior management team, PROs, and trustees (including Arlen D. Nordhagen, our chief executive officer and chairman of the board of trustees) and us and our shareholders, on the other. In particular, the consummation of certain business combinations, the sale, disposition or transfer of certain of our assets or the repayment of certain indebtedness that may be desirable to us and our shareholders could have adverse tax consequences to such unit holders. In addition, our trustees and officers have duties to the Company under applicable Maryland law in connection with their management of the Company. At the same time, we have fiduciary duties, as a general partner, to our operating partnership and to the limited partners under Delaware law

The partnership agreement of our operating partnership contains provisions that may delay, defer or prevent a change in control.

The partnership agreement of our operating partnership provides that subordinated performance unit holders holding more than 50% of the voting power of the subordinated performance units must approve certain change of control transactions involving us unless, as a result of such transactions, the holders of subordinated performance units are offered a choice (1) to allow their subordinated performance units to remain outstanding without the terms thereof being materially and adversely changed or the subordinated performance units are converted into or exchanged for equity securities of the surviving entity having terms and conditions that are substantially similar to those of the subordinated performance units (it being understood that we may not be the surviving entity and that the parent of the surviving entity or the surviving entity may not be publicly traded) or (2) to receive for each subordinated performance unit an amount of cash, securities or other property payable to a holder of OP units had such holder exercised its right to exchange its subordinated performance units for OP units without taking into consideration a specified conversion penalty associated with such an exchange. In addition, in the case of any such change of control transactions in which we have not received the consent of OP unit holders holding more than 50% of the OP units (other than those held by the Company or its subsidiaries) and of subordinated performance unit holders holding more than 50% of the voting power of the subordinated performance units (other than those held by the Company or its subsidiaries), such transaction is required to be approved by a companywide vote of limited partners holding more than 50% of our outstanding OP units in which OP units (including for this purpose OP units held by us and our subsidiaries) are voted and subordinated performance units (not held by us and our subsidiaries) are voted on an applicable as converted basis and in which we will be deemed to vote the OP units held by us and our subsidiaries in proportion to the manner in which all of our outstanding common shares were voted at a shareholders meeting relating to such transaction. These approval rights could delay, deter, or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for our common shares or otherwise be in the best interests of our shareholders.

We may change our investment and financing strategies and enter into new lines of business without shareholder consent, which may subject us to different risks.

We may change our business and financing strategies and enter into new lines of business at any time without the consent of our shareholders, which could result in our making investments and engaging in business activities that are different from, and possibly riskier than, the investments and businesses described in this document. A change in our strategy or our entry into new lines of business may increase our exposure to other risks or real estate market fluctuations.

Certain provisions of Maryland law could inhibit a change in our control.

Certain provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law (the "MGCL") applicable to a Maryland real estate investment trust may have the effect of inhibiting a third-party from making a proposal to acquire us or of impeding a change in our control under circumstances that otherwise could provide the holders of our common shares with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then prevailing market price of such shares. The "business combination" provisions of the MGCL, subject to limitations, prohibit certain business combinations between a REIT and an "interested shareholder" (defined generally as any person who beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting power of our then outstanding voting shares or an affiliate or associate of ours who, at any time within the two-year period prior to the date in question, was the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 10% or more of our then outstanding voting shares) or an affiliate thereof for five years after the most recent date on which the shareholder becomes an interested shareholder and, thereafter, imposes special appraisal rights and special shareholder voting requirements on these combinations. These provisions of the MGCL do not apply, however, to business combinations that are approved or exempted by the board of trustees of a REIT prior to the time that the interested shareholder becomes an interested shareholder. Pursuant to the statute, our board of trustees has by resolution exempted business combinations between us and (1) any other person, provided that the business combination is first approved by our board of trustees (including a majority of trustees who are not affiliates or associates of such person), (2) Arlen D. Nordhagen and any of his affiliates and associates and (3) any person acting in concert with the foregoing, from these provisions of the MGCL. As a result, such persons may be able to enter into business combinations with us that may not be in the best interests of our

The "control share" provisions of the MGCL provide that holders of "control shares" of a Maryland real estate investment trust (defined as voting shares which, when aggregated with all other shares controlled by the shareholder, entitle the shareholder to exercise one of three increasing ranges of voting power in the election of trustees) acquired in a "control share acquisition" (defined as the direct or indirect acquisition of ownership or control of issued and outstanding "control shares," subject to certain exceptions) have no voting rights with respect to such shares except to the extent approved by our shareholders by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, excluding votes entitled to be cast by the acquirer of control shares, our officers and our trustees who are also our employees. Our bylaws contain a provision exempting from the control share acquisition statute any and all acquisitions by any person of our shares. There can be no assurance that this provision will not be amended or eliminated at any time in the future.

Our authorized but unissued common and preferred shares may prevent a change in our control.

Our declaration of trust authorizes us to issue additional authorized but unissued common shares and preferred shares. In addition, our board of trustees may, without common shareholder approval, increase the aggregate number of our authorized shares or the number of shares of any class or series that we have authority to issue and classify or reclassify any unissued common shares or preferred shares, and may set or change the preferences, rights and other terms of any unissued classified or reclassified shares. As a result, among other things, our board may establish a class or series of common shares or preferred shares that could delay or prevent a transaction or a change in our control that might involve a premium price for our common shares or otherwise be in the best interests of our shareholders.

Our rights and the rights of our shareholders to take action against our trustees and officers are limited, which could limit your recourse in the event of actions not in your best interest.

Our declaration of trust limits the liability of our present and former trustees and officers to us and our shareholders for money damages to the maximum extent permitted under Maryland law. Under current Maryland law, our present and former trustees and officers will not have any liability to us or our shareholders for money damages other than liability resulting from:

Our declaration of trust authorizes us to indemnify our present and former trustees and officers for actions taken by them in those capacities to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law. Our bylaws require us to indemnify each present and former trustee or officer, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, in connection with any proceeding to which he or she is made, or threatened to be made, a party to or witness in by reason of his or her service to us as a trustee or officer or in certain other capacities. In addition, we may be obligated to pay or reimburse the expenses incurred by our present and former trustees and officers without requiring a preliminary determination of their ultimate entitlement to indemnification. As a result, we and our shareholders may have more limited rights against our present and former trustees and officers than might otherwise exist absent the current provisions in our declaration of trust and bylaws or that might exist with other companies, which could limit your recourse in the event of actions not in your best interest.

Our declaration of trust contains provisions that make removal of our trustees difficult, which could make it difficult for our shareholders to effect changes to our management.

Our declaration of trust provides that, subject to the rights of holders of one or more classes or series of preferred shares, a trustee may be removed with or without cause, by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast generally in the election of trustees. Vacancies on our board of trustees generally may be filled only by a majority of the remaining trustees in office, even if less than a quorum. These requirements make it more difficult to change our management by removing and replacing trustees and may prevent a change in our control that is in the best interests of our shareholders.

Restrictions on ownership and transfer of our shares may restrict change of control or business combination opportunities in which our shareholders might receive a premium for their shares.

In order for us to qualify as a REIT for each taxable year, no more than 50% in value of our outstanding shares may be owned, directly or constructively, by five or fewer individuals during the last half of any calendar year, and at least 100 persons must beneficially own our shares during at least 335 days of a taxable year of 12 months, or during a proportionate portion of a shorter taxable year. "Individuals" for this purpose include natural persons, private foundations, some employee benefit plans and trusts, and some charitable trusts. To assist us in preserving our REIT qualification, among other purposes, our declaration of trust generally prohibits, among other limitations, any person from beneficially or constructively owning more than 9.8% in value or in number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of our aggregate outstanding shares of all classes and series, the outstanding shares of any class or series of our preferred shares or our outstanding common shares. These ownership limits and the other restrictions on ownership and transfer of our shares contained in our declaration of trust could have the effect of discouraging a takeover or other transaction in which holders of our common shares might receive a premium for their shares over the then prevailing market price or which holders might believe to be otherwise in their best interests. Our board of trustees has established exemptions from these ownership limits which permits certain of our institutional investors to hold up to 20% of our common shares and up to 25% of our preferred shares.

There are risks associated with our indebtedness.

There is no assurance that we will succeed in securing expansions of our credit facility, 2023 Term Loan Facility or 2028 Term Loan Facility, if we desire to do so.

Our level of debt and the limitations imposed on us by our debt agreements could have significant adverse consequences, including the following:

Disruptions in the financial markets could affect our ability to obtain debt financing on reasonable terms or at all and have other adverse effects on us.

Uncertainty in the credit markets may negatively impact our ability to access additional debt financing or to refinance existing debt maturities on favorable terms (or at all), which may negatively affect our ability to make acquisitions. A downturn in the credit markets may cause us to seek alternative sources of potentially less attractive financing, and may require us to adjust our business plans accordingly. In addition, these factors may make it more

We depend on external sources of capital that are outside of our control, which could adversely affect our ability to acquire or develop properties, satisfy our debt obligations and/or make distributions to shareholders.

We depend on external sources of capital to acquire properties, to satisfy our debt obligations and to make distributions to our shareholders required to maintain our qualification as a REIT, and these sources of capital may not be available on favorable terms, or at all. Our access to external sources of capital depends on a number of factors, including the market's perception of our growth potential and our current and potential future earnings and our ability to continue to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If we are unable to obtain external sources of capital, we may not be able to acquire properties when strategic opportunities exist, satisfy our debt obligations or make cash distributions to our shareholders that would permit us to qualify as a REIT or avoid paying tax on all of our net taxable income.

Increases in interest rates may increase our interest expense and adversely affect our cash flow and our ability to service our indebtedness and make cash distributions to our shareholders, and our decision to hedge against interest rate risk might not be effective.

Although we have historically sought, and may in the future seek, to manage our exposure to interest rate volatility by using interest rate hedging arrangements, these arrangements may not be effective. Developing an effective interest rate risk strategy is complex and no strategy can completely insulate us from risks associated with interest rate fluctuations. Failure to hedge effectively against interest rate changes may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and ability to make cash distributions to our shareholders.

The terms and covenants relating to our indebtedness could adversely impact our economic performance.

Our credit facility, 2023 Term Loan Facility and 2028 Term Loan Facility contain (and any new or amended facility we may enter into from time to time will likely contain) customary affirmative and negative covenants, including financial covenants that, among other things, cap our total leverage at 60% of our gross asset value (as defined in our credit facility, 2023 Term Loan Facility and 2028 Term Loan Facility), require us to have a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio of 1.5 to 1, and require us to have a minimum net worth (as defined in our credit facility) of at least $682.6 million plus 75% of the net proceeds of equity issuances. In the event that we fail to satisfy our covenants, we would be in default under our credit agreements and may be required to repay such debt with capital from other sources. Under such circumstances, other sources of debt or equity capital may not be available to us, or may be available only on unattractive terms. Moreover, the presence of such covenants could cause us to operate our business with a view toward compliance with such covenants, which might not produce optimal returns for shareholders.

Our failure to remain qualified as a REIT would subject us to U.S. federal income tax and applicable state and local taxes, which would reduce the amount of operating cash flow to our shareholders.

We have elected and we believe that we have qualified to be taxed as a REIT commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2015. We have not requested, and do not intend to request a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS"), that we qualify as a REIT. Qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex Code provisions and Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder for which there are limited judicial and administrative interpretations. The complexity of these provisions and of applicable Treasury Regulations is greater in the case of a REIT that, like us, holds its assets through partnerships, and judicial and administrative interpretations of the U.S. federal income tax laws governing REIT qualification are limited. To qualify as a REIT, we must meet, on an ongoing basis through actual operating results, various tests regarding the nature and diversification of our assets and our income, the ownership of our outstanding shares and the amount of our distributions. Our compliance with the REIT income and quarterly asset requirements also depends upon our ability to manage successfully the composition

If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, and we do not qualify for certain statutory relief provisions, we would be required to pay U.S. federal income tax on our taxable income at regular corporate rates, and distributions to our shareholders would not be deductible by us in determining our taxable income. In such a case, we might need to borrow money, sell assets, or reduce or even cease making distributions in order to pay our taxes. Our payment of income tax would reduce significantly the amount of operating cash flow to our shareholders. Furthermore, if we fail to maintain our qualification as a REIT, we no longer would be required to make distributions to our shareholders. In addition, unless we were eligible for certain statutory relief provisions, we could not re-elect to be taxed as a REIT until the fifth calendar year following the year in which we failed to qualify.

Even if we qualify as a REIT, we may face other tax liabilities that reduce our cash flow.

Even if we qualify for taxation as a REIT, we may be subject to certain U.S. federal, state and local taxes on our income and assets, including taxes on any undistributed income, state or local income and property and transfer taxes, including real property 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 operating cash flow to our shareholders. In addition, in order to meet the REIT qualification requirements, or to avert the imposition of a 100% tax that applies to certain gains derived by a REIT from dealer property or inventory, we may hold some of our assets or provide certain services to our tenants through one or more TRSs, or other subsidiary corporations that will be subject to corporate-level income tax at regular corporate rates. Any TRSs or other taxable corporations in which we invest will be subject to U.S. federal, state and local corporate taxes. Furthermore, if we acquire appreciated assets from a corporation that is or has been a subchapter C corporation in a transaction in which the adjusted tax basis of such assets in our hands is less than the fair market value of the assets, determined at the time we acquired such assets, and if we subsequently dispose of any such assets during the 5-year period following the acquisition of the assets from the C corporation, we will be subject to tax at the highest corporate tax rates on any gain from the disposition of such assets to the extent of the excess of the fair market value of the assets on the date that we acquired such assets over the basis of such assets on such date, which we refer to as built-in gains. Payment of these taxes generally could materially and adversely affect our income, cash flow, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and prospects, and could adversely affect the value of our common shares and our ability to make distributions to our shareholders.

Failure to make required distributions would subject us to tax, which would reduce the operating cash flow to our shareholders.

In order to qualify as a REIT, we must distribute to our shareholders each calendar year at least 90% of our net taxable income (excluding net capital gain). To the extent that we satisfy the 90% distribution requirement, but distribute less than 100% of our net taxable income (including net capital gain), we would be subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax on our undistributed net taxable income. In addition, we will incur a 4% non-deductible excise tax on the amount, if any, by which our distributions in any calendar year are less than a minimum amount specified under U.S. federal income tax laws. Although we intend to distribute our net taxable income to our shareholders in a manner intended to satisfy the REIT 90% distribution requirement and to avoid the 4% non-deductible excise tax, it is possible that we, from time to time, may not have sufficient cash to distribute 100% of our net taxable income. There may be timing differences between our actual receipt of cash and the inclusion of items in our income for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that we will be able to distribute net taxable income to shareholders in a manner that satisfies the REIT distribution requirements and avoids the 4% non-deductible excise tax.

To maintain our REIT qualification, we may be forced to borrow funds during unfavorable market conditions.

In order to maintain our REIT qualification and avoid the payment of income and excise taxes, we may need to borrow funds to meet the REIT distribution requirements even if the then prevailing market conditions are not favorable for these borrowings. These borrowing needs could result from, among other things, timing differences between the actual receipt of cash and inclusion of income for federal income tax purposes, or the effect of non-deductible capital expenditures, the creation of reserves or required debt or amortization payments. These sources, however, may not be available on favorable terms or at all. Our access to third-party sources of capital depends on a number of factors, including the market's perception of our growth potential, our current debt levels, the per share trading price of our common shares, and our current and potential future earnings. We cannot assure you that we will have access to such capital on favorable terms at the desired times, or at all, which may cause us to curtail our investment activities and/or to dispose of assets at inopportune times, and could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and our ability to pay distributions on, and the per share trading price of, our common shares.

Complying with the REIT requirements may cause us to forgo and/or liquidate otherwise attractive investments.

To qualify as a REIT, we must ensure that at least 75% of our gross income for each taxable year, excluding certain amounts, is derived from certain real property-related sources, and at least 95% of our gross income for each taxable year, excluding certain amounts, is derived from certain real property-related sources and passive income such as dividends and interest. 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, U.S. government securities and qualified real estate assets. The remainder of our investment in securities generally cannot include more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities, securities of corporations that are treated as TRSs and qualified real estate assets) or more than 10% of the total value of the outstanding securities of any one issuer (other than government securities, securities of corporations that are treated as TRSs and qualified real estate assets). In addition, in general, no more than 5% of the value of our assets can consist of the securities of any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities, securities of corporations that are treated as TRSs and qualified real estate assets), no more than 20% (25% for taxable years beginning prior to January 1, 2018) of the value of our total assets can be represented by securities of one or more TRSs and no more than 25% of the value of our assets can consist of debt instruments issued by publicly offered REITs that are not otherwise secured by real property. 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 forgo investments that we otherwise would make. Furthermore, we may be required to liquidate from our portfolio 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 reduce our income and amounts available for distribution to our shareholders. Thus, compliance with the REIT requirements may hinder our investment performance.

We may be subject to a 100% tax on income from "prohibited transactions," and this tax may limit our ability to sell assets or require us to restructure certain of our activities in order to avoid being subject to the tax.

We will be subject to a 100% tax on any income from a prohibited transaction. "Prohibited transactions" generally include sales or other dispositions of property (other than property treated as foreclosure property under the Code) that is held as inventory or primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business by a REIT, either directly or indirectly through certain pass-through subsidiaries. The characterization of an asset sale as a prohibited transaction depends on the particular facts and circumstances.

The 100% tax will not apply to gains from the sale of inventory that is held through a TRS or other taxable corporation, although such income will be subject to tax in the hands of the corporation at regular corporate income tax rates.

Our TRSs will be subject to U.S. federal income tax and will be required to pay a 100% penalty tax on certain income or deductions if our transactions with our TRSs are not conducted on arm's length terms.

We may conduct certain activities (such as facilitating sales by our PROs of tenant insurance, of which we receive a portion of the proceeds, selling packing supplies and locks and renting trucks or other moving equipment) through one or more TRSs.

A TRS is a corporation other than a REIT in which a REIT directly or indirectly holds stock, and that has made a joint election with such REIT to be treated as a TRS. If a TRS owns more than 35% of the total voting power or value of the outstanding securities of another corporation, such other corporation will also be treated as a TRS. Other than some activities relating to lodging and health care properties, a TRS may generally engage in any business, including the provision of customary or non-customary services to tenants of its parent REIT. A TRS is subject to U.S. federal income tax as a regular C corporation.

No more than 20% (25% for taxable years beginning prior to January 1, 2018) of the value of a REIT's total assets may consist of stock or securities of one or more TRSs. This requirement limits the extent to which we can conduct our activities through TRSs. The values of some of our assets, including assets that we hold through TRSs, may not be subject to precise determination, and values are subject to change in the future. Furthermore, if a REIT lends money to a TRS, the TRS may be unable to deduct all or a portion of the interest paid to the REIT, which could increase the tax liability of the TRS. In addition, the Code imposes a 100% tax on certain transactions between a TRS and its parent REIT that are not conducted on an arm's length basis. We intend to structure transactions with any TRS on terms that we believe are arm's length to avoid incurring the 100% excise tax described above. There can be no assurances, however, that we will be able to avoid application of the 100% tax.

If our operating partnership is treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we will cease to qualify as a REIT.

We believe our operating partnership qualifies as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, our operating partnership will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on its income. Instead, each of its partners, including us, will be required to pay tax on its allocable share of our operating partnership's income. No assurance can be provided, however, that the IRS will not challenge our operating partnership's status as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, or that a court would not sustain such a challenge. If the IRS were successful in treating our operating partnership as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we would fail to meet the gross income tests and certain of the asset tests applicable to REITs. As a result, we would cease to qualify as a REIT and both we and our operating partnership would become subject to U.S. federal, state and local income tax. The payment by our operating partnership of income tax would reduce significantly the amount of cash available to our operating partnership to satisfy obligations to make principal and interest payments on its debt and to make distribution to its partners, including us.

Dividends payable by REITs generally do not qualify for the reduced tax rates on dividend income from regular corporations, which could adversely affect the value of our shares.

The maximum U.S. federal income tax rate for certain qualified dividends payable to domestic shareholders that are individuals, trusts and estates is 20%. Dividends payable by REITs, however, are generally not eligible for these reduced qualified dividend rates. However, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026, under the recently enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ("TCJA"), noncorporate taxpayers may deduct up to 20% of certain qualified business income, including "qualified REIT dividends" (generally, REIT dividends received by a shareholder that are not designated as capital gain dividends or qualified dividend income), subject to certain limitations, resulting in an effective maximum U.S. federal income tax rate of 29.6% on such income. Although the reduced U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to dividend income from regular corporate dividends does not adversely affect the taxation of REITs or dividends paid by REITs, the more favorable rates applicable to qualified dividends from C corporations could cause investors who are individuals, trusts and estates to perceive investments in REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in the stocks of non-REIT corporations that pay dividends, which could adversely affect the value of the shares of REITs, including our shares.

Complying with REIT requirements may limit our ability to hedge effectively and may cause us to incur tax liabilities.

The REIT provisions of the Code may limit our ability to hedge our assets and operations. Under these provisions, any income that we generate from transactions intended to hedge our interest rate risk will be excluded from gross income for purposes of the REIT 75% and 95% gross income tests if (i) the instrument (a) hedges interest rate risk on

The ability of our board of trustees to revoke our REIT election without shareholder approval may cause adverse consequences to our shareholders.

Our declaration of trust provides that the board of trustees may revoke or otherwise terminate our REIT election, without the approval of our shareholders, if the board determines that it is no longer in our best interest to attempt to, or continue to, qualify as a REIT. If we cease to qualify as a REIT, we would become subject to U.S. federal income tax on our net taxable income and we 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.

Legislative or regulatory tax changes related to REITs could materially and adversely affect our business.

At any time, the U.S. federal income tax laws or regulations governing REITs or the administrative interpretations of those laws or regulations may be changed, possibly with retroactive effect. We cannot predict if or when any new U.S. federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation, or any amendment to any existing U.S. federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation, will be adopted, promulgated or become effective or whether any such law, regulation or interpretation may take effect retroactively. We and our shareholders could be adversely affected by any such change in, or any new, U.S. federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation.

Common shares and preferred shares eligible for future sale may have adverse effects on our share price.

Pursuant to the registration rights agreements, we have filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 to register the offer and resale of the common shares issuable upon exchange of OP units (or securities convertible into or exchangeable for OP units and we expect to file a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 to register the offer and resale of the Series A Preferred Shares issuable upon the exchange of our 6.000% Series A-1 cumulative redeemable preferred units of limiting partnership interest ("Series A-1 preferred units") in the Company's operating partnership). We have the right to include common shares to be sold for our own account or other holders in the shelf registration statement. We are required to use all commercially reasonable efforts to keep such shelf registration statement continuously effective for a period ending when all common shares covered by the shelf registration statement are no longer Registrable Shares, as defined in the shelf registration statement.

We intend to bear the expenses incident to these registration requirements except that we will not bear the costs of (i) any underwriting fees, discounts or commissions, (ii) out-of-pocket expenses of the persons exercising the registration rights or (iii) transfer taxes.

We cannot predict the effect, if any, of future sales of our common or preferred shares or the availability of shares for future sales, on the market price of our common or preferred shares. The market price of our common shares may decline significantly when the restrictions on resale by certain of our shareholders lapse. Sales of substantial amounts of common or preferred shares or the perception that such sales could occur may adversely affect the prevailing market price for our common shares.

We cannot assure our ability to pay dividends in the future.

Historically, we have paid quarterly common share dividends to our shareholders and quarterly distributions to our operating partnership unitholders, and we intend to continue to pay quarterly dividends to our shareholders and to make quarterly distributions to our operating partnership unitholders in amounts such that all or substantially all of our net taxable income in each year is distributed, which, along with other factors, should enable us to continue to qualify for the tax benefits accorded to a REIT under the Code. We have not established a minimum dividends payment level, and all future distributions will be made at the discretion of our board of trustees. Our ability to pay dividends will depend upon, among other factors:

Certain of these matters are beyond our control and any significant difference between our expectations and actual results could have a material adverse effect on our cash flow and our ability to make distributions to shareholders.

Future offerings of debt or equity securities, which may rank senior to our common shares, may adversely affect the market price of our common shares.

If we decide to issue debt securities in the future, which would rank senior to our common shares, it is likely that they will be governed by an indenture or other instrument containing covenants restricting our operating flexibility. Additionally, any equity securities or convertible or exchangeable securities that we issue in the future may have rights, preferences and privileges more favorable than those of our common shares and may result in dilution to owners of our common shares. We and, indirectly, our shareholders will bear the cost of issuing and servicing such securities. Because our decision to issue debt or equity securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of our future offerings.

None.

Our portfolio consists of self storage properties that are designed to offer customers convenient, affordable, and secure storage units. Generally, our properties are in highly visible locations clustered in states or markets with strong population and job growth and are specifically designed to accommodate residential and commercial tenants with features such as security systems, electronic gate entry, easy access, climate control, and pest control. Our units typically range from 25 square feet to 300 square feet, and some of our properties also offer outside storage for vehicles, boats, and equipment. We provide 24-hour access to many storage units through computer controlled access systems, as well as alarm and sprinkler systems on many of our individual storage units. Almost all of the storage units in our portfolio are leased on a month-to-month basis providing us the flexibility to increase rental rates over time as market conditions permit. Additional information on our consolidated self storage properties is contained in "Schedule III - Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We are not currently subject to any legal proceedings that we consider to be material.

Not applicable.

Our common shares have been listed and traded on the NYSE under the symbol "NSA" since April 22, 2015. Prior to that time there was no public market for our common shares.

As of February 25, 2019, the Company had 66 record holders of its common shares. The 66 holders of record do not include the beneficial owners of common shares whose shares are held by a broker or bank. Such information was obtained from our transfer agent and registrar.

Since our initial quarter as a publicly-traded REIT, we have made regular quarterly distributions to our shareholders. Holders of common shares are entitled to receive distributions when declared by our board of trustees out of any assets legally available for that purpose. In order to maintain our status as a REIT, we are required to distribute at least 90% of our "REIT taxable income," which is generally equivalent to our net taxable ordinary income, determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gains to our shareholders annually in order to maintain our REIT qualification for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Information about our equity compensation plans is incorporated by reference to Item 12 of Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

As of February 25, 2019, other than those OP units held by the Company, 32,560,314 OP units were outstanding (including 945,770 outstanding Long-Term Incentive Plan Units ("LTIP units") and 1,848,261 outstanding OP units in certain consolidated subsidiaries of the operating partnership ("DownREIT OP units"), which are convertible into, or exchangeable for, OP units on a one-for-one basis, subject to certain conditions).

These issuances were exempt from registration under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

The foregoing item assumes $100.00 invested on April 23, 2015, with dividends reinvested. The Performance Graph will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing by NSA under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, except to the extent that NSA specifically incorporates the same by reference.

Item 6. Selected Financial Data

The following table sets forth our selected historical financial and operating data as of and for the periods indicated. You should read the information below in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" and Item 7. "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K or in previous filings with the SEC. Dollars in the following table are in thousands, except per share amounts.

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data" as well as Item 1. "Business," Item 1A. "Risk Factors," and Item 2. "Properties," respectively, in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

National Storage Affiliates Trust is a fully integrated, self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust organized in the state of Maryland on May 16, 2013. We have elected and we believe that we have qualified to be taxed as a REIT commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2015. We serve as the sole general partner of our operating partnership, a Delaware limited partnership formed on February 13, 2013 to conduct our business, which is focused on the ownership, operation, and acquisition of self storage properties located within the top 100 MSAs throughout the United States.

Our structure promotes operator accountability as subordinated performance units issued to our PROs in exchange for the contribution of their properties are entitled to distributions only after those properties satisfy minimum performance thresholds. In the event of a material reduction in operating cash flow, distributions on our subordinated performance units will be reduced before or disproportionately to distributions on our common shares held by our common shareholders. In addition, we expect our PROs will generally co-invest subordinated equity in the form of subordinated performance units in each acquisition that they source, and the value of these subordinated performance units will fluctuate with the performance of their managed portfolios. Therefore, our PROs are incentivized to select acquisitions that are expected to exceed minimum performance thresholds, thereby increasing the value of their subordinated equity stake. We expect that our shareholders will benefit from the higher levels of property performance that our PROs are incentivized to deliver.

We seek to further expand our platform by continuing to recruit additional established self storage operators, while integrating our operations through the implementation of centralized initiatives, including management information systems, revenue enhancement, and cost optimization programs. Our national platform allows us to capture cost savings by eliminating redundancies and utilizing economies of scale across the property management platforms of our PROs while also providing greater access to lower-cost capital.

We seek to own properties that are well located in high quality sub-markets with highly accessible street access and attractive supply and demand characteristics, providing our properties with strong and stable cash flows that are less sensitive to the fluctuations of the general economy. Many of these markets have multiple barriers to entry against increased supply, including zoning restrictions against new construction and new construction costs that we believe are higher than our properties' fair market value.

We seek to opportunistically partner with institutional funds and other institutional investors to acquire attractive portfolios utilizing a promoted return structure. We believe there is significant opportunity for continued external growth by partnering with institutional investors seeking to deploy capital in the self storage industry.

2018 Joint Venture

During the year ended December 31, 2018, we formed the 2018 Joint Venture, in which we have a 25% ownership interest, with an affiliate of Heitman America Real Estate REIT LLC. In September 2018, the 2018 Joint Venture completed the acquisition of a Portfolio of 112 self storage properties located across 17 states and Puerto Rico, consisting of approximately 8.2 million rentable square feet configured in over 68,000 storage units for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $1.325 billion.

2016 Joint Venture

Through our property management platform, we direct, manage and control the day-to-day operations and affairs of certain consolidated properties and our unconsolidated real estate ventures. We earn certain customary fees for managing and operating the properties in the unconsolidated real estate ventures and we facilitate tenant insurance and/or tenant warranty protection programs for tenants at these properties in exchange for half of all proceeds from such programs.

As of December 31, 2018, our property management platform managed and controlled 39 of our consolidated properties in select markets in California, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, Virginia and Puerto Rico. In January 2019, Southern began managing our six properties located in Puerto Rico.

To help analyze the operating performance of our self storage properties, we also discuss and analyze operating results relating to our same store portfolio. Our same store portfolio is defined as those properties owned and operated since the first day of the earliest year presented, excluding any properties sold, expected to be sold or subject to significant changes such as expansions or casualty events which cause the portfolio's year-over-year operating results to no longer be comparable.

The following discussion and analysis of the results of our operations and financial condition should be read in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements in Item 8. Certain figures, such as interest rates and other percentages, included in this section have been rounded for ease of presentation. Percentage figures included in this section have not in all cases been calculated on the basis of such rounded figures but on the basis of such amounts prior to rounding. For this reason, percentage amounts in this section may vary slightly from those obtained by performing the same calculations using the figures in our consolidated financial statements or in the associated text. Certain other amounts that appear in this section may similarly not sum due to rounding.

Overview

Total Revenue

Rental Revenue

Other Property-Related Revenue

Management Fees and Other Revenue

Total Operating Expenses

Property Operating Expenses

General and Administrative Expenses

Interest Expense

Equity In Losses Of Unconsolidated Real Estate Venture

Gain On Sale of Self Storage Properties

Income Tax Expense

Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests

Distributions to Preferred Shareholders

Net income was $46.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, compared to $24.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, an increase of $21.1 million. The increase was primarily due to an increase in NOI resulting from self storage properties acquired during 2016 and 2017, increases in management fees and other revenue, gains from the sale of self storage properties and decreases in acquisition costs, partially offset by increases in depreciation and amortization, interest expense and general and administrative expenses.

Overview