Extra Space Storage Inc. - Quarter Report: 2016 March (Form 10-Q)

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2016

or

For the transition period from                      to                     .

Commission File Number: 001-32269

EXTRA SPACE STORAGE INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

2795 East Cottonwood Parkway, Suite 400

Salt Lake City, Utah 84121

(Address of principal executive offices)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (801) 365-4600

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ¨    No  x

The number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share, as of April 30, 2016, was 125,207,702.

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EXTRA SPACE STORAGE INC.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Certain information presented in this report contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning our plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events, future revenues or performance, capital expenditures, financing needs, plans or intentions relating to acquisitions and other information that is not historical information. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “believes,” “expects,” “estimates,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “anticipates” or “intends,” or the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy. We may also make additional forward-looking statements from time to time. All such subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, by us or on our behalf, are also expressly qualified by these cautionary statements.

All forward-looking statements, including without limitation, management’s examination of historical operating trends and estimates of future earnings, are based upon our current expectations and various assumptions. Our expectations, beliefs and projections are expressed in good faith and we believe there is a reasonable basis for them, but there can be no assurance that management’s expectations, beliefs and projections will result or be achieved. All forward-looking statements apply only as of the date made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements which may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

There are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in or contemplated by this report. Any forward-looking statements should be considered in light of the risks referenced in “Part II. Item 1A. Risk Factors” below and in “Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors” included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. Such factors include, but are not limited to:

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PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Extra Space Storage Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(amounts in thousands, except share data)

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

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Extra Space Storage Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

(amounts in thousands, except share data)

(unaudited)

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

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Extra Space Storage Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

(amounts in thousands)

(unaudited)

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

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Extra Space Storage Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Noncontrolling Interests and Equity

(amounts in thousands, except share data)

(unaudited)

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

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Extra Space Storage Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(amounts in thousands)

(unaudited)

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

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See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

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EXTRA SPACE STORAGE INC.

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (unaudited)

Amounts in thousands, except store and share data, unless otherwise stated

Extra Space Storage Inc. (the “Company”) is a fully-integrated, self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (“REIT”), formed as a Maryland corporation on April 30, 2004, to own, operate, manage, acquire, develop and redevelop professionally managed self-storage properties (“stores”) located throughout the United States. The Company continues the business of Extra Space Storage LLC and its subsidiaries, which had engaged in the self-storage business since 1977. The Company’s interests in its stores is held through its operating partnership, Extra Space Storage LP (the “Operating Partnership”), which was formed on May 5, 2004. The Company’s primary assets are general partner and limited partner interests in the Operating Partnership. This structure is commonly referred to as an umbrella partnership REIT, or UPREIT. The Company has elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. To the extent the Company continues to qualify as a REIT, it will not be subject to tax, with certain limited exceptions, on the taxable income that is distributed to its stockholders.

The Company invests in stores by acquiring wholly-owned stores or by acquiring an equity interest in real estate entities. At March 31, 2016, the Company had direct and indirect equity interests in 1,018 stores. In addition, the Company managed 353 stores for third parties, bringing the total number of stores which it owns and/or manages to 1,371. These stores are located in 37 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.

The Company operates in three distinct segments: (1) rental operations; (2) tenant reinsurance; and (3) property management, acquisition and development. The rental operations activities include rental operations of stores in which we have an ownership interest. No single tenant accounts for more than 5.0% of rental income. Tenant reinsurance activities include the reinsurance of risks relating to the loss of goods stored by tenants in the Company’s stores. The Company’s property management, acquisition and development activities include managing, acquiring, developing and selling stores.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company are presented on the accrual basis of accounting in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information, and in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they may not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (including normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2016, are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2016. The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2015 has been derived from the Company’s audited financial statements as of that date, but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. For further information refer to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers,” which amends the guidance for revenue recognition to replace numerous, industry-specific requirements and converges areas under this topic with those of the International Financial Reporting Standards. ASU 2014-09 outlines a five-step process for customer contract revenue recognition that focuses on transfer of control, as opposed to transfer of risk and rewards. The amendment also requires enhanced disclosures regarding the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenues and cash flows from contracts with customers. ASU 2014-09 was originally effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Entities can transition to the standard either retrospectively or as a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the date of adoption. In July 2015, the FASB approved a one-year deferral of the effective date of the standard. The new standard will now become effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017 with early adoption on the original effective date permitted. The Company has not yet selected a transition method. The Company is currently assessing the impact of the adoption of ASU 2014-09 on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-02, “Consolidation (Topic 810): Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis.” This guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, including interim periods within that reporting period. ASU 2015-02 amends the criteria for determining if a service provider possesses a variable interest in a variable interest entity (“VIE”), and eliminates the presumption that a general partner should consolidate a limited partnership. The Company adopted this guidance effective January 1, 2016. The adoption of this guidance did not have a significant impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

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In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-05, “Intangibles – Goodwill and Other – Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40) – Customers Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement,” which provides guidance regarding the accounting for fees paid by a customer in cloud computing arrangements. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, the payment of fees should be accounted for in the same manner as the acquisition of other software licenses. If there is no software license, the fees should be accounted for as a service contract. The guidance is effective in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015 and early adoption is permitted. An entity can elect to adopt the amendments either (1) prospectively to all arrangements entered into or materially modified after the effective date or (2) retrospectively. The Company adopted this guidance prospectively effective January 1, 2016. The adoption of this guidance did not have a significant impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842),” which requires lessees to recognize the following for all leases (with the exception of short-term leases) at the commencement date: (1) a lease liability, which is a lessee’s obligation to make lease payments arising from a lease, measured on a discounted basis; and (2) a right-of-use asset, which is an asset that represents the lessee’s right to use, or control the use of, a specified asset for the lease term. Lessor accounting is largely unchanged under ASU 2016-02. The guidance is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company is currently assessing the impact of the adoption of ASU 2016-02 on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, “Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting.” ASU 2016-09 simplifies several aspects of the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the new guidance to determine the impact it may have on its consolidated financial statements.

Derivative Financial Instruments

Currently, the Company uses interest rate swaps to manage its interest rate risk. The valuation of these instruments is determined using widely accepted valuation techniques, including discounted cash flow analysis on the expected cash flows of each derivative. This analysis reflects the contractual terms of the derivatives, including the period to maturity, and uses observable market-based inputs, including interest rate curves. The fair values of interest rate swaps are determined using the market standard methodology of netting the discounted future fixed cash payments and the discounted expected variable cash receipts. The variable cash receipts are based on an expectation of future interest rates (forward curves) derived from observable market interest rate forward curves.

The Company incorporates credit valuation adjustments to appropriately reflect both its own nonperformance risk and the respective counterparty’s nonperformance risk in the fair value measurements. In adjusting the fair value of its derivative contracts for the effect of nonperformance risk, the Company has considered the impact of netting and any applicable credit enhancements, such as collateral postings, thresholds, mutual puts and guarantees. In conjunction with the FASB’s fair value measurement guidance, the Company made an accounting policy election to measure the credit risk of its derivative financial instruments that are subject to master netting agreements on a net basis by counterparty portfolio.

Although the Company has determined that the majority of the inputs used to value its derivatives fall within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, the credit valuation adjustments associated with its derivatives utilize Level 3 inputs, such as estimates of current credit spreads to evaluate the likelihood of default by the Company and its counterparties. However, as of March 31, 2016, the Company had assessed the significance of the impact of the credit valuation adjustments on the overall valuation of its derivative positions and determined that the credit valuation adjustments were not significant to the overall valuation of its derivatives. As a result, the Company determined that its derivative valuations in their entirety were classified in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

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The table below presents the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2016, aggregated by the level in the fair value hierarchy within which those measurements fall.

The Company did not have any significant assets or liabilities that are re-measured on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs as of March 31, 2016 or December 31, 2015.

Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis

Long-lived assets held for use are evaluated for impairment when events or circumstances indicate there may be impairment. The Company reviews each store at least annually to determine if any such events or circumstances have occurred or exist. The Company focuses on stores where occupancy and/or rental income have decreased by a significant amount. For these stores, the Company determines whether the decrease is temporary or permanent, and whether the store will likely recover the lost occupancy and/or revenue in the short term. In addition, the Company carefully reviews stores in the lease-up stage and compares actual operating results to original projections.

When the Company determines that an event that may indicate impairment has occurred, the Company compares the carrying value of the related long-lived assets to the undiscounted future net operating cash flows attributable to the assets. An impairment loss is recorded if the net carrying value of the assets exceeds the undiscounted future net operating cash flows attributable to the assets. The impairment loss recognized equals the excess of net carrying value over the related fair value of the assets.

When real estate assets are identified by management as held for sale, the Company discontinues depreciating the assets and estimates the fair value of the assets, net of selling costs. If the estimated fair value, net of selling costs, of the assets that have been identified as held for sale is less than the net carrying value of the assets, the Company would recognize a loss on the assets held for sale. The operations of assets held for sale or sold during the period are presented as part of normal operations for all periods presented. As of March 31, 2016, the Company had eight stores classified as held for sale. The estimated fair value less selling costs of each of these assets is greater than the carrying value of the assets, and therefore no loss has been recorded.

The Company assesses whether there are any indicators that the value of the Company’s investments in unconsolidated real estate ventures may be impaired annually and when events or circumstances indicate that there may be impairment. An investment is impaired if management’s estimate of the fair value of the investment is less than its carrying value. To the extent impairment has occurred, and is considered to be other than temporary, the loss is measured as the excess of the carrying amount of the investment over the fair value of the investment.

In connection with the Company’s acquisition of stores, the purchase price is allocated to the tangible and intangible assets and liabilities acquired based on their fair values, which are estimated using significant unobservable inputs. The value of the tangible assets, consisting of land and buildings, is determined as if vacant. Intangible assets, which represent the value of existing tenant relationships, are recorded at their fair values based on the avoided cost to replace the current leases. The Company measures the value of tenant relationships based on the rent lost due to the amount of time required to replace existing customers, which is based on the Company’s historical experience with turnover in its stores. Debt assumed as part of an acquisition is recorded at fair value based on current interest rates compared to contractual rates. Acquisition-related transaction costs are expensed as incurred.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, receivables, other financial instruments included in other assets, accounts payable and accrued expenses, variable-rate notes payable, lines of credit and other liabilities reflected in the condensed consolidated balance sheets at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 approximate fair value.

The fair values of the Company’s notes receivable from Preferred Operating Partnership unit holders and other fixed rate notes receivable were based on the discounted estimated future cash flows of the notes (categorized within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy); the discount rate used approximated the current market rate for loans with similar maturities and credit quality. The fair values of the Company’s fixed-rate notes payable and notes payable to trusts were estimated using the discounted estimated future cash payments to be made on such debt (categorized within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy); the discount rates used approximated current market rates for loans, or groups of loans, with similar maturities and credit quality. The fair value of the Company’s exchangeable senior notes was estimated using an average market price for similar securities obtained from a third party.

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The fair values of the Company’s fixed-rate assets and liabilities were as follows for the periods indicated:

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Basic earnings per common share is computed using the two-class method by dividing net income attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. All outstanding unvested restricted stock awards contain rights to non-forfeitable dividends and participate in undistributed earnings with common stockholders; accordingly, they are considered participating securities that are included in the two-class method. Diluted earnings per common share measures the performance of the Company over the reporting period while giving effect to all potential common shares that were dilutive and outstanding during the period. The denominator includes the weighted average number of basic shares and the number of additional common shares that would have been outstanding if the potential common shares that were dilutive had been issued, and is calculated using either the two-class, treasury stock or as if-converted method, whichever is most dilutive. Potential common shares are securities (such as options, convertible debt, Series A Participating Redeemable Preferred Units (“Series A Units”), Series B Redeemable Preferred Units (“Series B Units”), Series C Convertible Redeemable Preferred Units (“Series C Units”), Series D Redeemable Preferred Units (“Series D Units”) and common Operating Partnership units (“OP Units”)) that do not have a current right to participate in earnings of the Company but could do so in the future by virtue of their option, redemption or conversion right.

In computing the dilutive effect of convertible securities, net income is adjusted to add back any changes in earnings in the period associated with the convertible security. The numerator also is adjusted for the effects of any other non-discretionary changes in income or loss that would result from the assumed conversion of those potential common shares. In computing diluted earnings per common share, only potential common shares that are dilutive (those that reduce earnings per common share) are included. For the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, options to purchase approximately 67,812 and 19,762 shares of common stock, respectively, were excluded from the computation of earnings per share as their effect would have been anti-dilutive.

The following table presents the number of Preferred Operating Partnership units, and the potential common shares, that were excluded from the computation of earnings per share as their effect would have been anti-dilutive, assuming full conversion at the average share price for the quarter of $86.91.

The Operating Partnership had $65,725 of its 2.375% Exchangeable Senior Notes due 2033 (the “2013 Notes”) issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2016. The 2013 Notes could potentially have a dilutive impact on the Company’s earnings per share calculations. The 2013 Notes are exchangeable by holders into shares of the Company’s common stock under certain circumstances per the terms of the indenture governing the 2013 Notes. The exchange price of the 2013 Notes was $54.87 per share as of March 31, 2016, and could change over time as described in the indenture. The Company has irrevocably agreed to pay only cash for the accreted principal amount of the 2013 Notes relative to its exchange obligations, but retained the right to satisfy the exchange obligation in excess of the accreted principal amount in cash and/or common stock.

The Operating Partnership had $575,000 of its 3.125% Exchangeable Senior Notes due 2035 (the “2015 Notes”) issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2016. The 2015 Notes could potentially have a dilutive impact on the Company’s earnings per share calculations. The 2015 Notes are exchangeable by holders into shares of the Company’s common stock under certain circumstances per the terms of the indenture governing the 2015 Notes. The exchange price of the 2015 Notes was $95.40 per share as of March 31, 2016, and could change over time as described in the indenture. The Company has irrevocably agreed to pay only cash for the accreted principal amount of the 2015 Notes relative to its exchange obligations, but retained the right to satisfy the exchange obligation in excess of the accreted principal amount in cash and/or common stock.

Although the Company has retained the right to satisfy the exchange obligation in excess of the accreted principal amount of the 2013 Notes and 2015 Notes in cash and/or common stock, Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 260, “Earnings per Share,” requires an assumption that shares would be used to pay such exchange obligation, and requires that those shares be included in the Company’s calculation of weighted average common shares outstanding for the diluted earnings per share computation. For the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, 441,598 and 682,502 shares, respectively, related to the 2013 Notes were included in the computation for diluted earnings per share. For the three months ended March 31, 2016, no shares related to the 2015 Notes were included in the computation for diluted earnings per share as the exchange price exceeded the per share price of the Company’s common stock during this period. For the three months ended March 31, 2015, no shares related to the 2015 Notes were included in the computation for diluted earnings per share as the 2015 Notes were not outstanding during that time period.

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For the purposes of computing the diluted impact on earnings per share of the potential exchange of Series A Units for common shares upon redemption, where the Company has the option to redeem in cash or shares and where the Company has stated the positive intent and ability to settle at least $115,000 of the instrument in cash (or net settle a portion of the Series A Units against the related outstanding note receivable), only the amount of the instrument in excess of $115,000 is considered in the calculation of shares contingently issuable for the purposes of computing diluted earnings per share as allowed by ASC 260-10-45-46.

For the purposes of computing the diluted impact on earnings per share of the potential exchange of Series B Units for common shares upon redemption, where the Company has the option to redeem in cash or shares and where the Company has stated the intent and ability to settle the redemption in shares, the Company divided the total value of the Series B Units outstanding as of March 31, 2016 of $41,902 by the closing price of the Company’s common stock as of March 31, 2016 of $93.46 per share. Assuming full exchange for common shares as of March 31, 2016, 448,342 shares would have been issued to the holders of the Series B Units.

For the purposes of computing the diluted impact on earnings per share of the potential exchange of Series C Units for common shares upon redemption, where the Company has the option to redeem in cash or shares and where the Company has stated the intent and ability to settle the redemption in shares, the Company divided the total value of the Series C Units outstanding as of March 31, 2016 of $29,639 by the closing price of the Company’s common stock as of March 31, 2016 of $93.46 per share. Assuming full exchange for common shares as of March 31, 2016, 317,130 shares would have been issued to the holders of the Series C Units.

For the purposes of computing the diluted impact on earnings per share of the potential exchange of Series D Units for common shares upon redemption, where the Company has the option to redeem in cash or shares and where the Company has stated the intent and ability to settle the redemption in shares, the Company divided the total value of the Series D Units outstanding as of March 31, 2016 of $13,710 by the closing price of the Company’s common stock as of March 31, 2016 of $93.46 per share. Assuming full exchange for common shares as of March 31, 2016, 146,694 shares would have been issued to the holders of the Series D Units.

The computation of earnings per common share was as follows for the periods presented:

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The following table shows the Company’s acquisitions of operating stores for the three months ended March 31, 2016, and does not include purchases of raw land or improvements made to existing assets:

Losses on Earnout from Prior Acquisition

In December 2014, the Company acquired a portfolio of five stores located in New Jersey and Virginia. As part of this acquisition, the Company agreed to make an additional cash payment to the sellers if the acquired stores exceeded a specified amount of net operating income for the years ending December 31, 2015 and 2016. At the acquisition date, the Company recorded an estimated liability related to this earnout provision. The operating income of these stores during the earnout period has been higher than expected, resulting in an increase in the estimate of the amount due to the sellers of $1,544, which was recorded as a loss and included in loss earnout from prior acquisitions in the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of operations for three months ended March 31, 2016.

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On March 31, 2016, the Company entered into a new joint venture, ESS-H Baychester Investments LLC (“Baychester”). Baychester owns a single store in New York. The Company contributed $4,794 for a 44.4% interest in Baychester. The Company accounts for its investment in Baychester under the equity method of accounting.

The Operating Partnership has three wholly-owned unconsolidated subsidiaries (“Trust,” “Trust II” and “Trust III,” together, the “Trusts”) that have issued trust preferred securities to third parties and common securities to the Operating Partnership. The proceeds from the sale of the preferred and common securities were loaned in the form of notes to the Operating Partnership. The Trusts are VIEs because the holders of the equity investment at risk (the trust preferred securities) do not have the power to direct the activities of the entities that most significantly affect the entities’ economic performance because of their lack of voting or similar rights. Because the Operating Partnership’s investment in the Trusts’ common securities was financed directly by the Trusts as a result of its loan of the proceeds to the Operating Partnership, that investment is not considered an equity investment at risk. The Operating Partnership’s investment in the Trusts is not a variable interest because equity interests are variable interests only to the extent that the investment is considered to be at risk, and therefore the Operating Partnership cannot be the primary beneficiary of the Trusts. Since the Company is not the primary beneficiary of the Trusts, they have not been consolidated. A debt obligation has been recorded in the form of notes for the proceeds as discussed above, which are owed to the Trusts. The Company has also included its investment in the Trusts’ common securities in other assets on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

The Company has not provided financing or other support during the periods presented to the Trusts that it was not previously contractually obligated to provide. The Company’s maximum exposure to loss as a result of its involvement with the Trusts is equal to the total amount of the notes discussed above less the amounts of the Company’s investments in the Trusts’ common securities. The net amount is equal to the notes payable that the Trusts owe to third parties for their investments in the Trusts’ preferred securities.

Following is a tabular comparison of the assets and liabilities the Company has recorded as a result of its involvement with the Trusts to the maximum exposure to loss the Company is subject to as a result of such involvement as of March 31, 2016:

The Company had no consolidated VIEs during the three months ended March 31, 2016.

The Company is exposed to certain risks arising from both its business operations and economic conditions. The Company principally manages its exposures to a wide variety of business and operational risks through management of its core business activities. The Company manages economic risks, including interest rate, liquidity and credit risk, primarily by managing the amount, sources and duration of its debt funding and by using derivative financial instruments. Specifically, the Company enters into derivative financial instruments to manage exposure that arises from business activities that result in the receipt or payment of future known and uncertain cash amounts, the value of which are determined by interest rates. The Company’s derivative financial instruments are used to manage differences in the amount, timing and duration of the Company’s known or expected cash receipts and its known or expected cash payments principally related to the Company’s investments and borrowings.

Cash Flow Hedges of Interest Rate Risk

The Company’s objectives in using interest rate derivatives are to add stability to interest expense and to manage its exposure to interest rate movements. To accomplish these objectives, the Company primarily uses interest rate swaps as part of its interest rate risk management strategy. Interest rate swaps designated as cash flow hedges involve the receipt of variable amounts from a counterparty in exchange for the Company making fixed-rate payments over the life of the agreements without exchange of the underlying notional amount.

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The effective portion of changes in the fair value of derivatives designated and that qualify as cash flow hedges is recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (“OCI”) and is subsequently reclassified into earnings in the period that the hedged forecasted transaction affects earnings. A portion of these changes is excluded from accumulated other comprehensive income as it is allocated to noncontrolling interests. During the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, such derivatives were used to hedge the variable cash flows associated with existing variable-rate debt. During the remainder of 2016, the Company estimates that an additional $16,403 will be reclassified as an increase to interest expense.

The Company held 29 derivative financial instruments which had a total combined notional amount of $1,850,111 as of March 31, 2016.

Fair Values of Derivative Instruments

The table below presents the fair value of the Company’s derivative financial instruments as well as their classification on the condensed consolidated balance sheets:

Effect of Derivative Instruments

The tables below present the effect of the Company’s derivative financial instruments on the condensed consolidated statements of operations for the periods presented. No tax effect has been presented as the derivative instruments are held by the Company:

Credit-risk-related Contingent Features

The Company has agreements with some of its derivative counterparties that contain provisions pursuant to which the Company could be declared in default of its derivative obligations if the Company defaults on any of its indebtedness, including default where repayment of the indebtedness has not been accelerated by the lender.

The Company also has an agreement with some of its derivative counterparties that incorporates the loan covenant provisions of the Company’s indebtedness with a lender affiliate of the derivative counterparty. Failure to comply with the loan covenant provisions would result in the Company being in default on any derivative instrument obligations covered by the agreement.

As of March 31, 2016, the fair value of derivatives in a net liability position, which includes accrued interest but excludes any adjustment for nonperformance risk, related to these agreements was $34,708. As of March 31, 2016, the Company had not posted any collateral related to these agreements. If the Company had breached any of these provisions as of March 31, 2016, it could have been required to settle its obligations under the agreements at their termination value of $37,240 including accrued interest.

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In September 2015, the Operating Partnership issued $575,000 of its 3.125% Exchangeable Senior Notes due 2035. Costs incurred to issue the 2015 Notes were approximately $11,992, consisting primarily of a 2% underwriting fee. These costs are being amortized as an adjustment to interest expense over five years, which represents the estimated term based on the first available redemption date, and are included in exchangeable senior notes, net, in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The 2015 Notes are general unsecured senior obligations of the Operating Partnership and are fully guaranteed by the Company. Interest is payable on April 1 and October 1 of each year beginning April 1, 2016, until the maturity date of October 1, 2035. The Notes bear interest at 3.125% per annum and contain an exchange settlement feature, which provides that the 2015 Notes may, under certain circumstances, be exchangeable for cash (for the principal amount of the 2015 Notes) and, with respect to any excess exchange value, for cash, shares of the Company’s common stock, or a combination of cash and shares of the Company’s common stock, at the Company’s option. The exchange rate of the 2015 Notes as of March 31, 2016 was approximately 10.48 shares of the Company’s common stock per $1,000 principal amount of the 2015 Notes.

The Operating Partnership may redeem the 2015 Notes at any time to preserve the Company’s status as a REIT. In addition, on or after October 5, 2020, the Operating Partnership may redeem the 2015 Notes for cash, in whole or in part, at 100% of the principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, upon at least 30 days but not more than 60 days prior written notice to the holders of the 2015 Notes. The holders of the 2015 Notes have the right to require the Operating Partnership to repurchase the 2015 Notes for cash, in whole or in part, on October 1 of the years 2020, 2025 and 2030 (unless the Operating Partnership has called the 2015 Notes for redemption), and upon the occurrence of certain designated events, in each case for a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 2015 Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest. Certain events are considered “Events of Default,” as defined in the indenture governing the 2015 Notes, which may result in the accelerated maturity of the 2015 Notes.

On June 21, 2013, the Operating Partnership issued $250,000 of its 2.375% Exchangeable Senior Notes due 2033 at a 1.5% discount, or $3,750. Costs incurred to issue the 2013 Notes were approximately $1,672. These costs are being amortized as an adjustment to interest expense over five years, which represents the estimated term based on the first available redemption date, and are included in exchangeable senior notes, net, in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The 2013 Notes are general unsecured senior obligations of the Operating Partnership and are fully guaranteed by the Company. Interest is payable on January 1 and July 1 of each year beginning January 1, 2014, until the maturity date of July 1, 2033. The 2013 Notes bear interest at 2.375% per annum and contain an exchange settlement feature, which provides that the 2013 Notes may, under certain circumstances, be exchangeable for cash (for the principal amount of the 2013 Notes) and, with respect to any excess exchange value, for cash, shares of the Company’s common stock, or a combination of cash and shares of the Company’s common stock, at the Company’s option. The exchange rate of the 2013 Notes as of March 31, 2016 was approximately 18.22 shares of the Company’s common stock per $1,000 principal amount of the 2013 Notes.

The Operating Partnership may redeem the 2013 Notes at any time to preserve the Company’s status as a REIT. In addition, on or after July 5, 2018, the Operating Partnership may redeem the 2013 Notes for cash, in whole or in part, at 100% of the principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, upon at least 30 days but not more than 60 days prior written notice to the holders of the 2013 Notes. The holders of the 2013 Notes have the right to require the Operating Partnership to repurchase the 2013 Notes for cash, in whole or in part, on July 1 of the years 2018, 2023 and 2028, and upon the occurrence of certain designated events, in each case for a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 2013 Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest. Certain events are considered “Events of Default,” as defined in the indenture governing the 2013 Notes, which may result in the accelerated maturity of the 2013 Notes.

Additionally, the 2013 Notes can be exchanged during any calendar quarter, if the last reported sale price of the common stock of the Company is greater than or equal to 130% of the exchange price for at least 20 trading days during a period of 30 consecutive trading days ending on the last trading day of the immediately preceding calendar quarter. The price of the Company’s common stock exceeded 130% of the exchange price for the required time period for the 2013 Notes during the quarter ended March 31, 2016. Therefore, holders of the 2013 Notes may elect to exchange such notes during the quarter ended June 30, 2016.

GAAP requires entities with convertible debt instruments that may be settled entirely or partially in cash upon conversion to separately account for the liability and equity components of the instrument in a manner that reflects the issuer’s economic interest cost. The Company therefore accounts for the liability and equity components of the 2013 Notes and 2015 Notes separately. The equity components are included in paid-in capital in stockholders’ equity in the condensed consolidated balance sheets, and the value of the equity components are treated as original issue discount for purposes of accounting for the debt components. The discounts are being amortized as interest expense over the remaining period of the debt through its first redemption date: July 1, 2018 for the 2013 Notes, and October 1, 2020 for the 2015 Notes. The effective interest rate on the liability components of both the 2013 Notes and the 2015 Notes is 4.0%, which approximates the market rate of interest of similar debt without exchange features (i.e. nonconvertible debt) at the time of issuance.

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Information about the Company’s 2013 Notes and 2015 Notes, including the total carrying amounts of the equity components, the principal amounts of the liability components, the unamortized discounts and the net carrying amounts was as follows for the periods indicated:

The amount of interest cost recognized relating to the contractual interest rates and the amortization of the discounts on the liability components of the Notes were as follows for the periods indicated:

Repurchases of 2013 Notes

During February 2016, the Company repurchased a total principal amount of $19,639 of the 2013 Notes. The Company paid cash for the principal amount, and issued a total of 130,909 shares of common stock valued at $11,380 for the exchange value in excess of the principal amount. The Company allocated the value of the consideration paid to repurchase the 2013 Notes (1) to the extinguishment of the liability component and (2) to the reacquisition of the equity component. The amount allocated to the extinguishment of the liability component is equal to the fair value of that component immediately prior to extinguishment. The difference between the consideration attributed to the extinguishment of the liability component and the sum of (a) the net carrying amount of the repurchased liability component, and (b) the related unamortized debt issuance costs, is recognized as a gain on debt extinguishment. The remaining settlement consideration is allocated to the reacquisition of the equity component of the repurchased 2013 Notes and recognized as a reduction of stockholders’ equity.

Information about the repurchase is as follows:

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On August 28, 2015, the Company filed a $400,000 “at the market” equity program with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and entered into separate equity distribution agreements with five sales agents. During the three months ended March 31, 2016, the Company sold 831,300 shares of common stock at an average sales price of $89.66 per share, resulting in net proceeds of $73,574.

Classification of Noncontrolling Interests

GAAP requires a company to present ownership interests in subsidiaries held by parties other than the company in the consolidated financial statements within the equity section, but separate from the company’s equity. It also requires the amount of consolidated net income attributable to the parent and to the noncontrolling interest to be clearly identified and presented on the face of the consolidated statement of operations and requires changes in ownership interest to be accounted for similarly as equity transactions. If noncontrolling interests are determined to be redeemable, they are to be carried at their redemption value as of the balance sheet date and reported as temporary equity.

The Company has evaluated the terms of the Operating Partnership’s preferred units and classifies the noncontrolling interest represented by such preferred units as stockholders’ equity in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. The Company will periodically evaluate individual noncontrolling interests for the ability to continue to recognize the noncontrolling interest as permanent equity in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. Any noncontrolling interests that fail to qualify as permanent equity will be reclassified as temporary equity and adjusted to the greater of (1) the carrying amount and (2) the redemption value as of the end of the period in which the determination is made.

Series A Participating Redeemable Preferred Units

On June 15, 2007, the Operating Partnership entered into a Contribution Agreement with various limited partnerships affiliated with AAAAA Rent-A-Space to acquire ten stores in exchange for 989,980 Series A Units of the Operating Partnership. The stores are located in California and Hawaii.

The partnership agreement of the Operating Partnership (as amended, the “Partnership Agreement”) provides for the designation and issuance of the Series A Units. The Series A Units will have priority over all other partnership interests of the Operating Partnership with respect to distributions and liquidation.

Under the Partnership Agreement, Series A Units in the amount of $115,000 bear a fixed priority return of 5% and have a fixed liquidation value of $115,000. The remaining balance participates in distributions with, and has a liquidation value equal to, that of the OP Units. The Series A Units are redeemable at the option of the holder, which redemption obligation may be satisfied, at the Company’s option, in cash or shares of its common stock.

On June 25, 2007, the Operating Partnership loaned the holders of the Series A Units $100,000. The note receivable bears interest at 4.85%. During 2013, a loan amendment was signed extending the maturity date to September 1, 2020. The loan is secured by the borrower’s Series A Units. The holders of the Series A Units could redeem up to 114,500 Series A Units prior to the maturity date of the loan. If any redemption in excess of 114,500 Series A Units occurs prior to the maturity date, the holder of the Series A Units is required to repay the loan as of the date of that redemption. On October 3, 2014, the holders of the Series A Units redeemed 114,500 Series A Units for $4,794 in cash and 280,331 shares of common stock. No additional redemption of Series A Units can be made without repayment of the loan. The Series A Units are shown on the balance sheet net of the $100,000 loan because the borrower under the loan receivable is also the holder of the Series A Units.

Series B Redeemable Preferred Units

On April 3, 2014, the Operating Partnership completed the purchase of a store located in Georgia. This store was acquired in exchange for $15,158 of cash and 333,360 Series B Units valued at $8,334.

On August 29, 2013, the Operating Partnership completed the purchase of 19 out of 20 stores affiliated with All Aboard Mini Storage, all of which are located in California. On September 26, 2013, the Operating Partnership completed the purchase of the remaining store. These stores were acquired in exchange for $100,876 of cash (including $98,960 of debt assumed and immediately defeased at closing), 1,342,727 Series B Units valued at $33,568, and 1,448,108 OP Units valued at $62,341.

The Partnership Agreement provides for the designation and issuance of the Series B Units. The Series B Units rank junior to the Series A Units, on parity with the Series C Units and Series D Units, and senior to all other partnership interests of the Operating Partnership with respect to distributions and liquidation.

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The outstanding Series B Units have a liquidation value of $25.00 per unit for a fixed liquidation value of $41,902. Holders of the Series B Units receive distributions at an annual rate of 6.0%. These distributions are cumulative. The Series B Units became redeemable at the option of the holder on the first anniversary of the date of issuance, which redemption obligation may be satisfied at the Company’s option in cash or shares of its common stock.

Series C Convertible Redeemable Preferred Units

On November 19, 2013, the Company entered into Contribution Agreements with various entities affiliated with Grupe Properties Co. Inc. (“Grupe”), under which the Company agreed to acquire twelve stores, all of which are located in California. The Company completed the purchase of these stores between December 2013 and May 2014. The Company previously held 35% interests in five of these stores and a 40% interest in one store through six separate joint ventures with Grupe. These stores were acquired in exchange for a total of approximately $45,722 of cash, the assumption of $37,532 in existing debt, and the issuance of 704,016 Series C Units valued at $30,960.

The Partnership Agreement provides for the designation and issuance of the Series C Units. The Series C Units rank junior to the Series A Units, on parity with the Series B Units and Series D Units, and senior to all other partnership interests of the Operating Partnership with respect to distributions and liquidation.

The outstanding Series C Units have a liquidation value of $42.10 per unit for a fixed liquidation value of $29,639. From issuance to the fifth anniversary of issuance, each Series C Unit holder will receive quarterly distributions equal to the quarterly distribution per OP Unit plus $0.18. Beginning on the fifth anniversary of issuance, each Series C Unit holder will receive a fixed quarterly distribution equal to the aggregate quarterly distribution payable in respect of such Series C Unit during the four quarters immediately preceding the fifth anniversary of issuance, divided by four. These distributions are cumulative. The Series C Units became redeemable at the option of the holder one year from the date of issuance, which redemption obligation may be satisfied at the Company’s option in cash or shares of its common stock. The Series C Units also became convertible into OP Units at the option of the holder one year from the date of issuance, at a rate of 0.9145 OP Units per Series C Unit converted. This conversion option expires upon the fifth anniversary of the date of issuance.

In December 2014, the Operating Partnership loaned certain holders of the Series C Units $20,230. The notes receivable, which are collateralized by the Series C Units, bear interest at 5.0% per annum and mature on December 15, 2024. The Series C Units are shown on the balance sheet net of the $20,230 loan because the borrower under the loan receivable is also the holder of the Series C units.

Series D Redeemable Preferred Units

In December 2014, the Operating Partnership completed the acquisition of a store located in Florida. This store was acquired in exchange for $5,621 in cash and 548,390 Series D Units valued at $13,710.

The Partnership Agreement provides for the designation and issuance of the Series D Units. The Series D Units rank junior to the Series A Units, on parity with the Series B Units and Series C Units, and senior to all other partnership interests of the Operating Partnership with respect to distributions and liquidation.

The Series D Units have a liquidation value of $25.00 per unit, for a fixed liquidation value of $13,710. Holders of the Series D Units receive distributions at an annual rate of 5.0%. These distributions are cumulative. The Series D Units became redeemable at the option of the holder on the first anniversary of the date of issuance, which redemption obligation may be satisfied at the Company’s option in cash or shares of its common stock.

The Company’s interest in its stores is held through the Operating Partnership. ESS Holding Business Trust I, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. ESS Holding Business Trust II, also a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, is a limited partner of the Operating Partnership. Between its general partner and limited partner interests, the Company held a 93.0% ownership interest in the Operating Partnership as of March 31, 2016. The remaining ownership interests in the Operating Partnership (including Preferred Operating Partnership units) of 7.0% are held by certain former owners of assets acquired by the Operating Partnership.

The noncontrolling interest in the Operating Partnership represents OP Units that are not owned by the Company. In conjunction with the formation of the Company, and as a result of subsequent acquisitions, certain persons and entities contributing interests in stores to the Operating Partnership received limited partnership interests in the form of OP Units. Limited partners who received OP Units in the formation transactions or in exchange for contributions for interests in stores have the right to require the Operating Partnership to

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redeem part or all of their OP Units for cash based upon the fair market value of an equivalent number of shares of the Company’s common stock (based on the ten-day average trading price) at the time of the redemption. Alternatively, the Company may, in its sole discretion, elect to acquire those OP Units in exchange for shares of its common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to anti-dilution adjustments provided in the Partnership Agreement. The ten-day average closing stock price at March 31, 2016 was $90.76 and there were 5,621,322 OP Units outstanding. Assuming that all of the OP Unit holders exercised their right to redeem all of their OP Units on March 31, 2016 and the Company elected to pay the OP Unit holders cash, the Company would have paid $510,191 in cash consideration to redeem the units.

GAAP requires a company to present ownership interests in subsidiaries held by parties other than the company in the consolidated financial statements within the equity section, but separate from the company’s equity. It also requires the amount of consolidated net income attributable to the parent and to the noncontrolling interest to be clearly identified and presented on the face of the consolidated statement of operations, and requires changes in ownership interest to be accounted for similarly as equity transactions. If noncontrolling interests are determined to be redeemable, they are to be carried at their redemption value as of the balance sheet date and reported as temporary equity.

The Company has evaluated the terms of the OP Units and classifies the noncontrolling interest represented by the OP Units as stockholders’ equity in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. The Company will periodically evaluate individual noncontrolling interests for the ability to continue to recognize the noncontrolling amount as permanent equity in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. Any noncontrolling interests that fail to qualify as permanent equity will be reclassified as temporary equity and adjusted to the greater of (1) the carrying amount and (2) the redemption value as of the end of the period in which the determination is made.

Other noncontrolling interests represent the ownership interest of third parties in two consolidated joint ventures as of March 31, 2016. One of these consolidated joint ventures owns a single operating store in California, and the other owns a store under development in Texas. The voting interests of the third-party owners range from 17.5% to 20.0%. Other noncontrolling interests are included in the stockholders’ equity section of the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets. The income or losses attributable to this third-party owner based on its ownership percentage are reflected in net income allocated to Operating Partnership and other noncontrolling interests in the condensed consolidated statements of operations.

On June 11, 2015, the Company purchased its joint venture partner’s remaining 1% interest in an existing joint venture for $1,267. The joint venture owned 19 properties in California, Florida, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, and as a result of this purchase, these properties became wholly-owned by the Company. Prior to this acquisition, the partner’s interest was reported in other noncontrolling interests. Since the Company retained its controlling interest in the subsidiary, this transaction was accounted for as an equity transaction. The carrying amount of the noncontrolling interest was reduced to zero to reflect the purchase, and the difference between the price paid by the Company and the carrying value of the noncontrolling interest was recorded as an adjustment to equity attributable to the Company.

On February 2, 2016, the Company acquired six operating stores from VRS in a step acquisition. The Company recognized a non-cash gain of $26,923 related to this transaction as a result of revaluing its existing equity interest upon the purchase of the remaining interest. See the Store Acquisitions footnote for more information.

In March 2015, ESS PRISA II LLC (“PRISA II”), a joint venture in which the Company holds a 2.0% interest, sold one store located in New York for $90,000. As a result of the sale, PRISA II recognized a gain of $60,496 and the Company recorded its 2.0% portion of the gain, or $1,228.

In March 2015, the Company acquired its joint venture partner’s 82.4% interest in Sacramento One, an existing joint venture which owned one store located in California, for $1,700. In addition, the Company held mortgage notes receivable from Sacramento One totaling $11,009, which were written off as part of the total consideration. Prior to the acquisition, the remaining 17.6% interest was owned by the Company, which accounted for its investment in Sacramento One using the equity method. The Company recorded a non-cash gain of $1,629 related to this transaction, which represents the increase in fair value of the Company’s interest in the joint venture from its formation to the acquisition date.

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The Company operates in three distinct segments: (1) rental operations; (2) tenant reinsurance; and (3) property management, acquisition and development. Management fees collected for wholly-owned stores are eliminated in consolidation. Financial information for the Company’s business segments is presented below:

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As of March 31, 2016, the Company is involved in various legal proceedings and is subject to various claims and complaints arising in the ordinary course of business. Because litigation is inherently unpredictable, the outcome of these matters cannot presently be determined with any degree of certainty. In accordance with applicable accounting guidance, management establishes an accrued liability for litigation when those matters present loss contingencies that are both probable and reasonably estimable. In such cases, there may be an exposure to loss in excess of any amounts accrued. The estimated loss, if any, is based upon currently available information and is subject to significant judgment, a variety of assumptions, and known and unknown uncertainties. Therefore, any estimate(s) of loss disclosed below represents what management believes to be an estimate of loss only for certain matters meeting these criteria and does not represent the Company’s maximum loss exposure. The Company could in the future incur judgments or enter into settlements of claims that could have a material adverse effect on its results of operations in any particular period, notwithstanding the fact that the Company is currently vigorously defending any legal proceedings against it.

The Company currently has a legal proceeding pending against it that includes causes of action alleging wrongful foreclosure, violations of various state specific self-storage statutes, and violations of various consumer fraud acts. As a result of this litigation matter, the Company recorded a liability of $4,000 during the three months ended March 31, 2016, which is included in other liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheet.

As of March 31, 2016, the Company was under contract to acquire 21 operating stores and nine stores to be acquired upon the completion of construction, for a total purchase price of $349,376. Of these stores, 26 are scheduled to close in 2016. The remaining stores will close upon completion of construction, expected to occur on various dates in 2017 and 2018. Additionally, the Company is under contract to acquire 10 stores with joint venture partners, for a total purchase price of $302,800. Seven of those stores are scheduled to close in 2016 while the remaining three stores are expected to close in 2017 and 2018.

Although there can be no assurance, the Company is not aware of any material environmental liability, for which it believes it will be ultimately responsible, that could have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or results of operations. However, changes in applicable environmental laws and regulations, the uses and conditions of properties in the vicinity of the Company’s properties, the activities of its tenants and other environmental conditions of which the Company is unaware with respect to its properties could result in future material environmental liabilities.

Subsequent to March 31, 2016, the Company has purchased 10 stores for a total purchase price of $88,048. These stores are located in Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Indiana and Texas.

On April 20, 2016, the Company sold seven stores located in Ohio and Indiana that had been classified as held for sale for $18,000.

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Amounts in thousands, except store and share data

CAUTIONARY LANGUAGE

The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our unaudited “Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements” and the “Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited)” appearing elsewhere in this report and the “Consolidated Financial Statements,” “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” contained in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015. We make statements in this section that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. For a complete discussion of forward-looking statements, see the section in this Form 10-Q entitled “Statement on Forward-Looking Information.”

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contained elsewhere in this report, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. Our notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contained elsewhere in this report and the audited financial statements contained in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 describe the significant accounting policies essential to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements. Preparation of our financial statements requires estimates, judgments and assumptions. We believe that the estimates, judgments and assumptions that we have used are appropriate and correct based on information available at the time they were made. These estimates, judgments and assumptions can affect our reported assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported revenues and expenses during the period presented. If there are material differences between these estimates, judgments and assumptions and actual facts, our financial statements may be affected.

In many cases, the accounting treatment of a particular transaction is specifically dictated by GAAP and does not require our judgment in its application. There are areas in which our judgment in selecting among available alternatives would not produce a materially different result, but there are some areas in which our judgment in selecting among available alternatives would produce a materially different result. See the notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements that contain additional information regarding our accounting policies and other disclosures.

OVERVIEW

We are a fully integrated, self-administered and self-managed REIT, formed to continue the business commenced in 1977 by Extra Space Storage LLC and its subsidiaries to own, operate, manage, acquire, develop and redevelop professionally managed self-storage stores.

We derive substantially all of our revenues from rents received from tenants under leases at each of our wholly-owned stores; from management fees on the stores we manage for joint venture partners and unaffiliated third parties; and from our tenant reinsurance program. Our management fee is equal to approximately 6% of cash collected from the managed stores. We also receive an asset management fee of 0.5% of the total asset value from one of our joint ventures.

We operate in competitive markets, often where consumers have multiple stores from which to choose. Competition has impacted, and will continue to impact, our store results. We experience seasonal fluctuations in occupancy levels, with occupancy levels generally higher in the summer months due to increased moving activity. Our operating results depend materially on our ability to lease available self-storage units and actively manage rental rates, and on the ability of our tenants to make required rental payments. We believe that we are able to respond quickly and effectively to changes in local, regional and national economic conditions by centrally adjusting rental rates through the combination of our revenue management team and our industry-leading technology systems.

We continue to evaluate a range of new initiatives and opportunities in order to enable us to maximize stockholder value. Our strategies to maximize stockholder value include the following:

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PROPERTIES

As of March 31, 2016, we owned, had ownership interests in, or managed 1,371 stores in 37 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Of these 1,371 stores, we owned 769 stores, we held joint venture interests in 249 stores, and our taxable REIT subsidiary, Extra Space Management, Inc., operated an additional 353 stores that are owned by third parties. These operating stores contain approximately 103 million square feet of rentable space in approximately 910,000 units.

Our stores are generally situated in convenient, highly visible locations clustered around large population centers such as Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, St. Petersburg/Tampa and San Francisco/Oakland. These markets contain above-average population growth and income demographics. The clustering of assets around these population centers enables us to reduce our operating costs through economies of scale. Our acquisitions and management business have given us an increased scale in many core markets as well as a foothold in many markets where we had no previous presence.

We consider a store to be in the lease-up stage after it has been issued a certificate of occupancy, but before it has achieved stabilization. We consider a store to be stabilized once it has achieved either an 80% average occupancy rate for a full year measured as of January 1, or has been open for three years.

As of March 31, 2016, approximately 815,000 tenants were leasing storage units at the 1,371 operating stores that we own and/or manage, primarily on a month-to-month basis, providing the flexibility to increase rental rates over time as market conditions permit. Existing tenants generally receive rate increases at least annually, for which no direct correlation has been drawn to our vacancy trends. Although leases are short-term in duration, the typical tenant tends to remain at our stores for an extended period of time. For stores that were stabilized as of March 31, 2016, the average length of stay was approximately 13.8 months for tenants that vacated during the preceeding twelve month period.

The average annual rent per square foot for our existing customers at stabilized stores, net of discounts and bad debt, was $14.98 for the three months ended March 31, 2016, compared to $13.99 for the three months ended March 31, 2015. Average annual rent per square foot for new leases was $15.72 for the three months ended March 31, 2016, compared to $14.51 for the three months ended March 31, 2015. The average discounts, as a percentage of rental revenues, during these periods were 3.9% and 4.1%, respectively.

Our store portfolio is made up of different types of construction and building configurations depending on the site and the municipality where it is located. Most often sites are what we consider “hybrid” stores, a mix of drive-up and multi-floor buildings. We have a number of multi-floor buildings with elevator access only, and a number of stores featuring ground-floor access only.

The following table presents additional information regarding the occupancy of our stabilized stores by state as of March 31, 2016 and 2015. The information as of March 31, 2015 is on a pro forma basis as though all the stores owned and/or managed at March 31, 2016 were under our control as of March 31, 2015.

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Stabilized Store Data Based on Location