DIVERSIFIED HEALTHCARE TRUST (DHC) Business

Item 1.  Business.

Our Company

We are a real estate investment trust, or REIT, that was organized under Maryland law in 1998. We primarily own senior living communities, medical office and life science properties and other healthcare related properties throughout the United States. As of December 31, 2025, we owned 298 properties, including 13 properties classified as held for sale, located in 33 states and Washington, D.C.

As of December 31, 2025, we owned an equity interest in each of two unconsolidated joint ventures that own medical office and life science properties located in five states with an aggregate of approximately 2.2 million rentable square feet that were 99% leased with an average (by annualized rental income) remaining lease term of 14.2 years.

Our principal executive offices are located at Two Newton Place, 255 Washington Street, Suite 300, Newton, Massachusetts 02458-1634, and our telephone number is (617) 796-8350.

Our Business Strategy

The healthcare industry remains one of the most resilient commercial real estate sectors, in part due to the scale of the U.S. healthcare market, which collectively represents approximately 18% of the U.S. gross domestic product, or GDP, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS. The healthcare sector’s continued expansion has been driven by rising standards of care, increasing life expectancies and other demographic trends, as well as funding from both public and private sources.

We believe that the aging of the U.S. population benefits our portfolio of healthcare real estate. According to U.S. Census data, by 2030, more than 20% of the total U.S. population will be age 65 or older, with that demographic projected to grow thereafter by the equivalent of 10,000 people per day. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the age 75+ demographic is projected to be among the fastest growing age cohorts in the United States with an average annual growth of 4% between 2025 and 2035. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that the age 75+ demographic as a percentage of the total U.S. population will increase from an estimated 8.1% in 2025 to 11.1% in 2035. Also, as a result of medical advances, seniors are living longer, and CMS reports that healthcare spending is projected to grow at an average rate of 5.8% per year, and as a result, health spending as a percentage of GDP is projected to exceed 20% by 2033. We believe that this will increase demand for our senior living communities (including active adult communities) and for healthcare services and products supplied by the tenants in our medical office and life science properties.

We believe there is a favorable mix of increased demand and limited supply for senior living communities, which we expect will benefit us and our existing portfolio of senior living communities in the future. As a result of elevated financing and construction costs over recent years, inventory growth for senior living communities has been historically low. According to The National Investment Center for Seniors Housing and Care, or NIC, annual inventory growth was 0.5% across primary and secondary markets during the fourth quarter of 2025. Additionally, annual absorption was 2.8% for the fourth quarter of 2025, according to NIC. We expect improving market fundamentals and constrained supply to continue to result in increased occupancy at our senior living communities.

We plan to seek to profit from this demand in the future by, over time, investing in our properties, acquiring additional properties and entering into management and lease arrangements with qualified managers, operators and tenants which enhance our cash flow and generate returns that exceed our operating and capital costs to us, including structuring leases that provide for or permit periodic rent increases.

We also seek to selectively sell properties from time to time when we determine our continued ownership or ongoing required capital expenditures will not achieve desired returns, when we believe there is an opportunity to reduce leverage, when we believe we have maximized returns or when we believe we can successfully pursue more desirable opportunities than retaining these properties. We also may use future sales proceeds to invest in our properties and to acquire new properties that we believe will help us reduce the overall average age of our properties, increase our weighted average lease term, if applicable, reduce our ongoing capital requirements and/or increase our distributions to shareholders. Additionally, we seek to selectively develop, redevelop or reposition our properties when we believe the returns will be satisfactory.

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Senior Living Communities

Independent Living Communities.  Independent living communities provide high levels of privacy to residents and require residents to be capable of relatively high degrees of independence. An independent living community usually bundles several services as part of a regular monthly charge. For example, an independent living community may include one or two meals per day in a central dining room, daily or weekly maid service or social programming in the base charge. Additional services are generally available from staff employees on a fee for service basis. In some of our independent living communities, separate parts of the property are dedicated to assisted living, memory care and/or nursing services. We also own an active adult community, which we have classified as an independent living community.

Assisted Living Communities.  Assisted living communities typically have one bedroom or studio units which include private bathrooms and efficiency kitchens. Services bundled within one charge usually include three meals per day in a central dining room, daily housekeeping, laundry, medical reminders and 24 hour availability of assistance with the activities of daily living, such as dressing and bathing. Professional nursing and healthcare services are usually available at the property on call or at regularly scheduled times. In some of our assisted living communities, separate parts of the property are dedicated to independent living and/or nursing services.

Memory Care Communities. Memory care communities are a specialized assisted living option designed for individuals with memory loss, such as dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Services provided include a secure environment with tailored support for activities of daily living, medication management, specially trained staff to manage behavioral challenges and promote cognitive engagement through structured activities and family support. Bundled services are typically consistent with those offered at standard assisted living communities but provide additional frequency of housekeeping and laundry services. Apartments are generally studio units, with occasional one bedroom or shared companion units. Rates at memory care communities are typically higher as they include a base level of care and medication management, with additional levels of care available for a higher fee.

Skilled Nursing Facilities.  Skilled nursing facilities, or SNFs, generally provide extensive nursing and healthcare services similar to those available in hospitals, without the high costs associated with operating rooms, emergency rooms or intensive care units. A typical purpose built SNF includes mostly rooms with one or two beds, a separate bathroom and shared dining facilities. Licensed nursing professionals staff SNFs 24 hours per day.

Medical Office and Life Science Portfolio

Our portfolio of medical office and life science properties, or our Medical Office and Life Science Portfolio, consists of commercial properties constructed for use or operated as medical office space for physicians and other healthcare personnel and other businesses in medical related fields, including clinics and life science or laboratory uses. Some of our office properties are occupied as administrative facilities, such as hospitals and healthcare insurance companies or similar uses. As our lease expirations approach, we will seek to renew our leases with existing tenants or to enter into new leases with new tenants, in both circumstances at rental rates equal to or higher than current rental rates for the same space. Our ability to renew leases with our existing tenants or to enter into new leases with new tenants and the rents we are able to charge will depend in large part upon market and economic conditions, which are beyond our control.

Wellness Centers

Wellness centers typically have exercise classes, strength and cardiovascular equipment areas, tennis and racquet sports facilities, pools, spas and children's centers. Professional sports training and therapist services are often available. Wellness centers often market themselves as clubs for which members may pay monthly fees plus additional fees for specific services.

Other Types of Real Estate

In the past, we have considered investing in real estate different from our existing property types and some properties located outside the United States. We may explore these or other alternative investments in the future.

Lease Terms

Our medical office and life science property leases primarily include both “triple net” leases, where the tenant is generally responsible for the payment of property operating expenses and capital expenditures during the lease term, and “net” and “modified gross” leases, where we are responsible for operating and maintaining the properties and we charge the tenants

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for some or all of the property operating expenses. A portion of our medical office and life science property leases are “full service” leases where we receive fixed rent from the tenants and do not charge the tenants for any property operating expenses. Our leases for wellness centers and senior living communities are “triple net” leases.

Senior Housing Operating Portfolio Management Agreements

Because we are a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we generally may not operate our senior living communities. For nearly all of our senior living communities, we use a taxable REIT subsidiary, or TRS, structure authorized by the REIT Investment Diversification and Empowerment Act. Under this structure, we lease certain of our communities to our TRSs, and our TRSs enter into management agreements with third parties for the operation of such communities. These management agreements generally provide the managers with a management fee, which is a percentage of the gross revenues realized at the communities, plus reimbursement for the managers' direct costs and expenses related to the communities. The managers may also receive an annual incentive fee equal to a percentage of the amount by which the annual earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, of the applicable communities exceeds the target EBITDA for the applicable communities.

Our managed senior living communities are operated by third parties pursuant to management agreements. Beginning in September 2025, we transitioned the management of 116 of our senior living communities previously managed by Five Star Senior Living, or Five Star, which was an operating division of AlerisLife Inc., or AlerisLife, to seven different third party managers in connection with AlerisLife's sale of all of its assets and the wind-down of its business. As of December 31, 2025, we completed the transition of all of the Five Star managed senior living communities to these managers. As of December 31, 2025, our 212 senior living communities were managed by 14 new and existing third party managers. We lease nearly all of our senior living communities to our TRSs. The senior living communities in our SHOP segment managed by Sinceri Senior Living, Discovery Senior Living, Tutera Senior Living, Charter Senior Living and Phoenix Senior Living represented 30.8%, 23.7%, 8.9%, 7.0% and 5.7%, respectively, of our gross real estate value as of December 31, 2025.

We rely on our third party managers to perform substantially all operational functions at our senior living communities. Under the terms of our management agreements, these managers are responsible for hiring, training and supervising personnel; implementing and maintaining technology platforms and systems for managing financial performance, sales and resident retention; and setting rents and related resident fees in accordance with market conditions and our strategic objectives. As a result, our ability to achieve desired operational and financial outcomes is dependent on the expertise, performance and integrity of these third party managers. We monitor their activities through regular reporting and oversight, but we do not directly control day-to-day operations at our communities.

Our management agreements with third party managers generally include provisions that allow us to terminate the agreements under certain circumstances, including if a community does not meet specified financial performance thresholds after a stabilization period. These rights provide us with flexibility to address underperforming communities and to ensure alignment with our operational and financial objectives.

Terminating our management agreements and transitioning to new managers would result in additional costs, including potential termination fees and expenses associated with the transition process.

For more information about the terms of the management agreements with our managers, see Note 6 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part IV, Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Our Investment and Operating Policies

Our investment objectives include increasing cash flows from operations from dependable and diverse sources in order to make distributions to our shareholders. To achieve these objectives, we seek to: maintain a strong capital base of shareholders' equity; invest in properties with strong market fundamentals and high credit quality managers and tenants; use leverage to fund additional investments which increase cash flow from operations because of positive spreads between our cost of capital and investment yields; make structured investments, including joint venture arrangements, which generate a minimum return and provide an opportunity to participate in operating growth at our properties; when market conditions permit, refinance maturing debt with new debt or equity; and pursue diversification so that our cash flow from operations comes from diverse properties and tenants.

Our Board of Trustees may change our investment and operating policies at any time without a vote of, or notice to, our shareholders.

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Our Acquisition Policies

Our acquisition strategy is to seek to acquire additional properties primarily for income and secondarily for appreciation potential. We may purchase individual properties or multiple properties in one portfolio. In implementing this acquisition strategy, we consider a range of factors relating to each proposed acquisition, including, but not limited to:

•our cost of capital compared to projected returns we may realize by owning the property;

•the use and size of the property;

•the location of the property;

•the price at which the property may be acquired as compared to the estimated replacement cost of the property;

•the existing or proposed management or lease terms;

•the existence of alternative sources, uses or needs for our capital and our leverage;

•the availability and reputation of experienced and financially qualified managers, tenants or guarantors;

•the historical and projected cash flows from the operations of the property;

•the expected capital expenditures that may be needed at the property;

•the competitive market environment of the property;

•the construction quality, physical condition and design of the property, including various environmental sustainability factors;

•the growth, tax and regulatory environments of the market in which the property is located;

•the price segment and payment sources in which the property is operated;

•the strategic fit of the property with the rest of our portfolio; and

•the level of permitted services and regulatory history of the property and its historical managers and tenants.

An important part of our acquisition strategy is to identify and select qualified, experienced and financially stable managers and tenants.

Our Disposition Policies

We plan to selectively sell certain properties from time to time to manage our leverage and improve our liquidity, to strategically update, rebalance and reposition our investment portfolio and to fund future acquisitions with a goal of (1) reducing our leverage, (2) improving the asset quality of our portfolio by reducing the overall average age of our properties and increasing the weighted average term of our leases and the likelihood of retaining both our residents and tenants and (3) increasing our distributions to shareholders.

Other than as described, we generally consider ourselves to be a long term owner of properties and are more interested in the long term earnings potential of our properties and stability of our portfolio than selling properties for short term gains. However, from time to time, we may consider the sale of all or a stake in one or more of our properties or other investments. We make disposition decisions based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the following:

•our ability to operate or lease the affected property on terms acceptable to us or have the affected property managed with our realizing acceptable returns;

•the existence of alternative sources, uses or needs for our capital and our leverage;

•the manager's or tenant's desire to dispose of or cease operating the affected property;

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•the estimated value and returns we may receive by selling the property;

•the remaining length of the lease relating to the property and its other terms;

•our evaluation of future cash flows which may be achieved from the property;

•the strategic fit of the property or investment with the rest of our portfolio;

•the age and capital required to maintain the property;

•our intended use of the proceeds we may realize from the sale of a property;

•the expected benefits that can be achieved from contributing additional properties to our existing or any new joint ventures; and

•the tax implications to us and our shareholders.

Our Investment Policies

We have no policies which specifically limit the percentage of our assets that may be invested in any individual property, in any one type of property, in properties leased to any one tenant or to an affiliated group of tenants or in properties operated by any one manager or tenant or by an affiliated group of managers or tenants or in securities of one or more persons.

Since February 2024, we, together with our applicable TRS, have owned approximately 34.0% of the outstanding AlerisLife common shares and ABP Trust owns the remaining approximate 66.0% of AlerisLife.

On February 14, 2025, AlerisLife paid an aggregate cash dividend of $50.0 million to its stockholders. Our pro rata share of this cash dividend was $17.0 million.

On July 15, 2025, AlerisLife paid an aggregate cash dividend of $10.0 million to its stockholders. Our pro rata share of this cash dividend was $3.4 million. In connection with AlerisLife's sale of all of its assets and the wind-down of its business, on January 9, 2026, AlerisLife paid an aggregate cash dividend of $80.0 million to its stockholders. Our pro rata share of this cash dividend was $27.2 million.

We may in the future acquire additional common shares or securities of other entities, including entities engaged in real estate activities. We may invest in the securities of other entities for the purpose of exercising control, or otherwise, make loans to other persons or entities, engage in the sale of investments, offer securities in exchange for property or repurchase or reacquire our securities.

Historically, we have primarily owned wholly owned investments in fee interests. However, circumstances may arise in which we may invest in leaseholds, joint ventures, mortgages and other real estate interests. We may invest or enter into additional real estate joint ventures if we conclude that by doing so we may benefit from the participation of joint venture partners or that our opportunity to participate in the investment is contingent on the use of a joint venture structure. As of December 31, 2025, we owned a 10% equity interest in an unconsolidated joint venture that owns a life science property located in Boston, Massachusetts, or the Seaport JV, and a 20% equity interest in an unconsolidated joint venture for 10 medical office and life science properties, or the LSMD JV. Further, we may acquire interests in joint ventures as part of an acquisition of properties or entities or we may contribute properties into our existing or new joint ventures. We also may invest in participating, convertible or other types of mortgages if we conclude that by doing so, we may benefit from the cash flow or appreciation in the value of a property which is not available for purchase.

Subject to the discussions below under the heading "Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations—REIT Qualification Requirements" included in Part I, Item 1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we have no limitations on the amount or percentage of our total assets that may be invested in any one property, in any one type of property, or in properties managed by or leased by any one entity, and no limits on the concentration of investments in any one location. However, we believe it is prudent to seek portfolio diversification, not concentration.

Our Board of Trustees may change our investment policies at any time without a vote of, or notice to, our shareholders.

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Our Financing Policies

Although there are no limitations in our organizational documents on the amount of indebtedness we may incur, our credit agreement and senior notes indentures and their supplements contain covenants which, among other things, restrict our ability to incur debts and generally require us to maintain certain financial ratios.

We may seek additional capital through secured or unsecured debt financing or refinancing transactions, sales of properties or equity interests in properties, retention of cash flows in excess of distributions to shareholders, equity offerings or a combination of these methods or other transactions. We may seek to obtain lines of credit or to issue securities senior to our common shares, including preferred shares or debt securities, some of which may be convertible into our common shares or be accompanied by warrants to purchase our common shares. We may also finance acquisitions by assuming debt, through an exchange of properties or through the issuance of equity or other securities. The proceeds from any of our financings may be used to pay distributions, to make investments in our properties, to refinance existing indebtedness or to finance acquisitions, development, redevelopment or repositionings.

For more information regarding our financing sources and activities, see “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Our Financing Liquidity and Resources” in Part II, Item 7 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Our Board of Trustees may change our financing policies at any time without a vote of, or notice to, our shareholders.

Our Manager

The RMR Group Inc., or RMR Inc., is a holding company and substantially all of its business is conducted by its majority owned subsidiary, The RMR Group LLC, or RMR. The Chair of our Board of Trustees and one of our Managing Trustees, Adam D. Portnoy, is the sole trustee, an officer and the controlling shareholder of ABP Trust, which is the controlling shareholder of RMR Inc., chair of the board of directors, a managing director and the president and chief executive officer of RMR Inc. and an officer and employee of RMR and the sole director of AlerisLife. Christopher J. Bilotto, our other Managing Trustee and President and Chief Executive Officer is also an executive of RMR Inc., Matthew C. Brown, our Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, is also an executive vice president and the chief financial officer and treasurer of RMR Inc. and an officer of ABP Trust, and each of our officers is also an officer and employee of RMR. Jennifer B. Clark, our former Managing Trustee and former Secretary, also served as a managing director and the executive vice president, general counsel and secretary of RMR Inc., an officer and employee of RMR and an officer of ABP Trust until her retirement on December 31, 2025. Our day to day operations are conducted by RMR. RMR originates and presents investment and divestment opportunities to our Board of Trustees and provides management and administrative services to us. RMR has a principal place of business at Two Newton Place, 255 Washington Street, Suite 300, Newton, Massachusetts, 02458-1634, and its telephone number is (617) 796-8390.

RMR is an alternative asset management company that is focused on both residential and commercial real estate and related businesses. RMR or its subsidiaries also act as a manager to other publicly traded real estate companies, privately held real estate funds and real estate related operating businesses. In addition, RMR provides management services to joint ventures, including our existing joint ventures. As of February 23, 2026, the executive officers of RMR are: Adam D. Portnoy, president and chief executive officer; Christopher J. Bilotto, executive vice president; Matthew C. Brown, executive vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer; Yael Duffy, executive vice president; Lindsey A. Getz, executive vice president, general counsel and secretary; Matthew P. Jordan, executive vice president and chief operating officer; Jeffrey C. Leer, executive vice president; and John G. Murray, executive vice president. Mr. Bilotto also serves as our President and Chief Executive Officer and a managing trustee and officer of another company managed by RMR. Mr. Brown also serves as our Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer and an officer of another company managed by a subsidiary of RMR. Additionally, our Vice President, Anthony Paula, serves as a vice president of RMR. Other officers of RMR also serve as officers of other companies to which RMR or its subsidiaries provide management services.

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Government Regulation and Reimbursement

The senior living and healthcare industries are subject to extensive, frequently changing federal, state and local laws and regulations. Although most of these laws and regulations affect the manner in which our managers and tenants operate our properties, some of them also impact us and the values of our properties. Some of the laws that impact or may impact us or our managers or tenants include: state and local licensure laws; laws protecting consumers against deceptive practices; laws relating to the operation of our properties and how our managers and tenants conduct their operations, such as health, safety and fire laws and standards; federal and state laws relating to the privacy and security of personal information and health information; federal and state laws affecting assisted living communities that participate in Medicaid and federal and state laws affecting SNFs, clinics and other healthcare facilities that participate in both Medicaid and Medicare that mandate allowable costs, pricing, reimbursement procedures and limitations, quality of services and care, food service and physical plants; resident rights laws (including abuse and neglect laws) and fraud laws; anti-kickback and physician referral laws; the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, and similar state and local laws; and safety and health standards set by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA. Medicaid funding is available in some, but not all, states for assisted living services. State licensure standards for assisted living communities, SNFs, clinics and other healthcare facilities typically address facility policies, staffing, quality of services and care, resident rights, infection control, emergency preparedness, fire safety and physical plant matters, and related matters; there have also been recent, ongoing legislative and regulatory efforts to increase federal oversight of assisted living and SNF operations, including a federal minimum staffing rule for SNFs published on May 10, 2024. Changes in the regulatory framework could have a material adverse effect on the ability of our tenants to pay us rent, the profitability of our managed senior living communities and the values of our properties.

State and local health and social service agencies and other regulatory authorities regulate and license many senior living communities. State health authorities regulate and license clinics and other healthcare facilities. In most states in which we own properties, we and our managers and tenants are prohibited from providing certain services without first obtaining appropriate licenses. In addition, some states require a certificate of need, or CON, before an entity may open an assisted living community or SNF or expand services at an existing facility. In addition, some states that have eliminated CON laws have retained other means of limiting development of facilities, including moratoria, licensing laws and limitations upon participation in the state Medicaid program. Senior living communities and certain other healthcare facilities must also comply with applicable state and local building, zoning, fire and food service codes before licensing or Medicare and Medicaid certification are granted. These laws and regulatory requirements could affect our ability and that of our managers and tenants to expand into new markets or to expand communities in existing markets.

In addition, government authorities have been subjecting healthcare facilities such as those that we own to increasing numbers of inspections, surveys, investigations, audits and other potential enforcement actions. We and our managers and tenants expend considerable resources to respond to such actions. Unannounced inspections or surveys may occur annually or biannually, or even more regularly, such as following a regulatory body's receipt of a complaint about a facility. From time to time in the ordinary course of business, we and our managers and tenants receive deficiency reports from state regulatory bodies resulting from those inspections and surveys. We and our managers and tenants seek to resolve most inspection deficiencies through a plan of corrective action relating to the affected facility's operations. If we or our managers or tenants fail to comply with any applicable legal requirements, or are unable to cure deficiencies, certain sanctions may be imposed and, if imposed, may adversely affect the ability of our tenants to pay their rent to us, the profitability of our managed senior living communities and the values of our properties. In addition, government agencies typically have the authority to take or seek further action against a licensed or certified facility, including the ability to impose civil money penalties or fines; suspend, modify, or revoke a license or Medicare or Medicaid participation; suspend or deny admissions of residents; deny payments in full or in part; institute state oversight, temporary management or receivership; and impose criminal penalties. Loss, suspension or modification of a license or certification or the imposition of other sanctions or penalties could adversely affect the values of our properties, the ability of our tenants to pay their rents and the profitability of our managed senior living communities.

CMS of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, has increased its oversight of state survey agencies in recent years, focusing its enforcement efforts on SNFs and chains of SNF operators with findings of substandard care or repeat and continuing deficiencies and violations. Moreover, state Attorneys General typically enforce consumer protection laws relating to senior living services, clinics and other healthcare facilities. In addition, state Medicaid fraud control agencies may investigate and prosecute assisted living communities and SNFs, clinics and other healthcare facilities under fraud and patient abuse and neglect laws.

Current state laws and regulations allow enforcement officials to make determinations as to whether the care provided by our managers or by or on behalf of our tenants at our facilities exceeds the level of care for which a particular facility is licensed, which could result in closure of the community and the immediate discharge and transfer of residents, which could adversely affect the ability of that tenant to pay rent to us, the profitability of our managed senior living communities and the

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values of our properties. Citations or revocation of a license could impact the ability for us or our managers to obtain new licenses or certifications or maintain or renew existing licenses and certifications which would trigger defaults under management agreements and leases with us and adversely affect our ability to operate. Furthermore, some states and the federal government allow certain citations of one facility to impact other facilities owned or operated by the same entity or a related entity, including facilities in other states. Revocation of a license or certification at one facility could therefore impact our or a tenant's or manager's ability to obtain new licenses or certifications or to maintain or renew existing licenses at other facilities, which could adversely affect the ability of that tenant to pay rent to us, the profitability of that manager, the profitability and values of our properties and trigger defaults under our managers' management agreements and tenants' leases and our or our managers' or tenants' credit arrangements, or adversely affect our or our managers' or tenants' ability to obtain financing in the future. In addition, an adverse finding by state officials could serve as the basis for lawsuits by private plaintiffs and lead to investigations under federal and state laws, which could result in civil and/or criminal penalties against the facility as well as a related entity.

For the year ended December 31, 2025, substantially all of our net operating income, or NOI, from our senior living communities was generated from properties where a majority of the revenues are derived from our tenants' and residents' private resources, and a small amount of our NOI was generated from our senior living communities where a majority of the revenue is dependent upon Medicare and Medicaid programs. Our managers and tenants operate facilities in many states and they and we participate in federal and state healthcare payment programs, including the federal Medicare and state Medicaid benefit programs for services in SNFs and other similar facilities and state Medicaid programs for services in assisted living communities.

Government Payers. Reimbursement levels under the Medicare and Medicaid programs may not remain at levels comparable to present levels or may not be sufficient to cover the costs allocable to residents eligible for reimbursement. Medicare reimbursement for skilled nursing services is subject to fixed payments under the Medicare prospective payment systems. In accordance with Medicare laws, CMS makes annual adjustments to Medicare payment rates.

Medicaid reimbursement rates for many of our assisted living and memory care communities also are based upon fixed payment systems. Generally, these rates are adjusted annually for inflation. However, those adjustments may not reflect actual increases of the cost of providing healthcare services. In addition, Medicaid reimbursement can be impacted negatively by state budgetary pressures, which may lead to reduced reimbursement or delays in receiving payments. On July 4, 2025, the U.S. government enacted Public Law No. 119-21, commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which, among other things, included significant funding cuts and policy changes to Medicaid, which could have a material adverse effect on the ability of our tenants to pay us rent, the profitability of our managed senior living communities and the values of our properties.

It is unclear whether any adjustments in Medicare and Medicaid rates will compensate for the increased costs our managers and tenants may incur for services to residents whose services are paid for by Medicare and Medicaid. Current and future programmatic changes to Medicaid eligibility and rates may also impact us.

Enforcement. Federal and state efforts to target false claims, fraud and abuse and violations of anti-kickback, and physician referral laws by providers under Medicare, Medicaid and other public and private programs have increased in recent years, as have civil monetary penalties, treble damages, repayment requirements and criminal sanctions for noncompliance, loss of licensure, termination of government payments, exclusion from any government health care program and damage assessments. The federal False Claims Act, as amended and expanded by the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009 and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, or the ACA, provides significant civil monetary penalties and treble damages for false claims and authorizes individuals to bring claims on behalf of the federal government for false claims and earn a percentage of the government's recovery should the government intervene. These incentives have led to a steady increase in whistleblower actions. The federal Civil Monetary Penalties Law authorizes the Secretary of HHS to impose substantial civil penalties, treble damages and program exclusions administratively for false claims or violations of the federal anti-kickback statute. In addition, the ACA increased penalties under federal sentencing guidelines between 20% and 50% for healthcare fraud offenses involving more than $1.0 million.

Government authorities are devoting increasing attention and resources to the prevention, detection and prosecution of healthcare fraud and abuse. CMS contractors are also expanding the retroactive audits of Medicare claims submitted by SNFs and other providers and recouping alleged overpayments for services determined by auditors not to have been appropriately billed (e.g., not medically necessary or not meeting Medicare coverage criteria). State Medicaid programs and other third party payers are conducting similar medical necessity and compliance audits. The ACA facilitates the Department of Justice's, or the DOJ's, ability to investigate allegations of wrongdoing or fraud at healthcare facilities, in part because of increased cooperation and data sharing among CMS, HHS, Office of the Inspector General, or the OIG, the DOJ and the states.

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In addition, the ACA requires all states to terminate the Medicaid participation of any provider that has been terminated under Medicare or any Medicaid state plan. We and our managers and tenants expend significant resources to comply with these laws and regulations.

Data Privacy and Security. Federal and state laws designed to protect the confidentiality and security of individually identifiable information apply to us, our managers and our tenants. Under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or the HITECH Act, we, our managers and our tenants that are covered entities or business associates within the meaning of HIPAA must comply with rules adopted by HHS governing the privacy, security, use and disclosure of individually identifiable information, including financial information and protected health information, or PHI, and also with security rules for electronic PHI. There may be both civil monetary penalties and criminal sanctions for noncompliance with such federal laws. HIPAA enforcement efforts have increased considerably over the past few years, with HHS, through its Office for Civil Rights, or OCR, entering into several multi-million dollar HIPAA settlements in prior years. OCR has also demonstrated a continuing commitment to enforce the obligation to provide individuals with timely access to their health information upon request. Finally, OCR and other regulatory bodies have become increasingly focused on cybersecurity risks, including the emerging threat of ransomware and similar cyberattacks. The increasing sophistication of cybersecurity threats presents challenges to the entire healthcare industry.

In addition, many states have enacted their own security and privacy laws relating to individually identifiable information and consumer health information, including the California Consumer Privacy Act, the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act and the New York SHIELD Act. Failure to comply with these laws could result in the imposition of fines and penalties. A number of other states have enacted similar laws related to the protection and security of individually identifiable information and consumer health information, and we expect additional federal and state legislative and regulatory efforts to regulate consumer privacy in the future. These laws generally create consumer rights protections and impose obligations on businesses to which they apply, including requirements to conduct data processing risk assessments, to enter into data processing agreements with vendors and other third-parties with whom a business shares personal information, and to make detailed disclosures to residents of those states about the business’ data collection, use and sharing practices. Some states have also enacted laws that are specific to the protection of “consumer health data”: Washington state enacted the My Health, My Data Act, a health-focused consumer privacy law, which took effect in March 2024; Connecticut and Nevada have also enacted similar consumer health data privacy laws. These laws impose obligations related to the collection and sharing of certain health-related information that is not subject to HIPAA and that does not fall within certain other exceptions in the law. To the extent these state laws are applicable to our business and operations, they may increase compliance costs and potential liability with respect to other personal information we maintain about residents of these states. These legislative and regulatory developments will continue to influence the design and operation of our business and our privacy and security efforts.

Other Matters. We require our managers and tenants to comply with all laws that regulate the operation of our senior living communities. The costs to comply with these laws may adversely affect the profitability of our managed senior living communities and the ability of our tenants to pay their rent to us. If we, our managers or any of our tenants were subject to an action alleging violations of such laws or to any adverse determination concerning any of our or our managers' or tenants' licenses or eligibility for Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement or any substantial penalties, repayments or sanctions, these actions could materially and adversely affect the ability of our tenants to pay rent to us, the profitability of our managed senior living communities and the values of our properties. If our managers or any of our tenants becomes unable to operate our properties, or if any of our tenants becomes unable to pay its rent because it has violated government regulations or payment laws, we may experience difficulty in finding a substitute tenant or manager or selling the affected property at a price that provides us with a desirable return, and the value of the affected property may decline materially.

Federal, state and local agencies regulate our medical office and life science property tenants that provide healthcare services. Many states require medical clinics, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories and other outpatient healthcare facilities to be licensed and inspected for compliance with licensure regulations concerning professional staffing, services, patient rights and physical plant requirements, among other matters. Our tenants must comply with the ADA and similar state and local laws to the extent that such facilities are “public accommodations” as defined in those statutes. The obligation to comply with the ADA and similar laws is an ongoing obligation, and our tenants expend significant resources to comply with such laws.

Healthcare providers and suppliers, including physicians and other licensed medical practitioners, that receive federal or state reimbursement under Medicare, Medicaid or other federal or state programs must comply with the requirements for their participation in those programs. Our tenants that are healthcare providers or suppliers are subject to reimbursement rates that are increasingly subject to cost control pressures and may be reduced or may not be increased sufficiently to cover their increasing costs, including our rents. Further, healthcare providers are experiencing heightened scrutiny under antitrust laws in

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the United States as integration and consolidation of health care delivery increase and affect competition. In addition, there has been a movement toward increased scrutiny of private equity and REIT interest in the healthcare industry, including the long-term care sector. For example, CMS issued a final rule, effective January 16, 2024, that requires SNFs and Medicaid-participating nursing facilities to disclose certain additional data on their owners, operators and management in an effort to increase transparency of nursing facility ownership and to promote competition among nursing facilities by allowing patients to choose facilities based on publicly available data of their owners and operators. Further, federal legislation has been introduced that, if enacted, would impose significant transparency requirements, federal oversight, and restrictions on private equity and REIT investment in the health care space, including the ability of federal regulators to review and block certain transactions. Similar laws in some states have also recently been enacted. To the extent these laws apply to our business, they may impact our ability to enter into transactions involving the sale or acquisition of our properties.

The United States Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, and other federal, state and local authorities extensively regulate our biotechnology laboratory tenants that develop, manufacture, market or distribute new drugs, biologicals or medical devices for human use. The FDA and such other authorities regulate the clinical development, testing, manufacture, quality control, safety, effectiveness, labeling, storage, record keeping, advertising and promotion of those products. Before a new pharmaceutical product or medical device may be marketed and distributed in the United States, the FDA must approve it as safe and effective for human use. Preclinical and clinical studies and documentation in connection with FDA approval of new pharmaceuticals or medical devices involve significant time, expense and risks of failure. Once a product is approved, the FDA maintains oversight of the product and its developer and can withdraw its approval, recall products or suspend their production, impose or seek to impose civil or criminal penalties on the developer or take other actions for the developer's failure to comply with regulatory requirements, including anti-fraud, false claims, anti-kickback or physician referral laws. Other concerns affecting our biotechnology laboratory tenants include the potential for subsequent discovery of safety concerns and related litigation, ensuring that the product qualifies for reimbursement under Medicare, Medicaid or other federal or state programs, cost control initiatives of payment programs, the potential for litigation over the validity or infringement of intellectual property rights related to the product, the eventual expiration of relevant patents and the need to raise additional capital. The cost of compliance with these regulations and the risks described in this paragraph, among others, could adversely affect the ability of our biotechnology laboratory tenants to pay rent to us. In addition, if these laws and regulations are altered, additional regulatory risks may arise. Depending upon what aspects of the laws and regulations are altered, the ability of our biotechnology laboratory tenants to pay rent to us could be adversely and materially affected.

Competition

Owning and operating senior living communities, medical office and life science properties and other healthcare related properties is a highly competitive business. We compete against other REITs, numerous financial institutions, individuals and other public and private companies that are actively engaged in this business. Also, we compete for tenants and residents and for investments based on a number of factors including location, rents, rates, financings offered, underwriting criteria and reputation. Our ability to successfully compete is also impacted by current economic and industry conditions, demographic trends, availability of attractive investment opportunities, our ability to negotiate beneficial investment terms, the availability and cost of capital and new and existing laws and regulations. Some of our competitors are dominant in selected geographic or property markets, including in markets we operate. Some of our competitors may have greater financial and other resources than we have. We believe the quality and diversity of our investments, the financial strength of many of our tenants and the experience and capabilities of our managers may afford us some competitive advantages and allow us to operate our business successfully despite the competitive nature of our business.

Our managers and tenants compete on a local and regional basis with operators of facilities that provide comparable services. Operators compete for residents and patients based on quality of care, reputation, physical appearance of properties, services offered, family preferences, physicians, staff, price and location. We and our managers and tenants also face competition from other healthcare facilities for qualified personnel, such as physicians and other healthcare providers that provide comparable facilities and services.

For additional information on competition and the risks associated with our business, see “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Corporate Sustainability

Our manager, RMR, periodically publishes its Sustainability Report, which summarizes the environmental, social and governance, or ESG, initiatives employed by RMR and its client companies, including us. RMR’s Sustainability Report may be

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accessed on the RMR Inc. website at www.rmrgroup.com/corporate-sustainability/default.aspx. The information on or accessible through RMR Inc.’s website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We believe corporate sustainability is a strategic part of our focus on operational practices, enhancing our competitive position, development and redevelopment efforts and economic performance. Our sustainability practices, which align with those of our manager, RMR — minimizing our impact on the environment, embracing the communities where we operate and attracting top professionals — are critical elements supporting our long-term success.

We recognize our responsibility to minimize the impact of our business on the environment and seek to preserve natural resources and maximize efficiencies in order to reduce the impact our properties have on the planet. Our environmental sustainability strategies and best practices help to mitigate our properties’ environmental footprint, optimize operational efficiency and enhance our competitiveness in the marketplace. Our sustainability and community engagement strategies focus on a complementary set of objectives, including the following:

•Responsible Investment. We seek to invest capital in our properties that both improves environmental performance and enhances asset value. During the property acquisition due diligence and annual budgeting processes, RMR assesses, among other things, environmental sustainability opportunities and physical and policy driven climate related risks.

•Environmental Stewardship. We seek to improve the environmental footprint of our properties, including by reducing carbon emissions, energy consumption and water usage, especially when doing so may reduce operating costs and exposure to policies that call for a carbon tax or other emissions-based penalties and enhance the properties’ competitive position. Our existing business practices are intended to align with the Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosures framework across both the physical and transition risks and opportunities. With respect to our development and redevelopment activities, RMR considers how to best incorporate sustainability goals as part of the overall goal of any development or redevelopment project at our properties.

We and our manager, RMR, drive value, manage risk and benchmark the performance of our properties by effectively capturing and managing data through real-time energy monitoring, or RTM. RTM facilitates advanced data analytics and access to detect faults and inefficiencies in equipment operations faster while enhancing building system control in a cost-effective and scalable way. RMR's RTM program captures 14 of our properties and generated $4.5 million in cumulative savings to date, of which $0.9 million was generated in 2025.

Furthermore, properties that reach specified levels of sustainability and energy efficiency may receive potential environmental designations and certifications, such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED®, designations and/or “ENERGY STAR” certifications. LEED® designations are administered by the U.S. Green Building Council. The ENERGY STAR program is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy which is focused on promoting energy efficient products and properties. The U.S. Government’s “green lease” policies permit government tenants to require LEED® designation in selecting new premises or renewing leases at existing premises and the General Services Administration gives preference to properties for lease that have received an ENERGY STAR certification. Our property manager, RMR, is a member of the ENERGY STAR program. Certain properties are not eligible for ENERGY STAR certification. For example, lab uses, medical office properties and properties less than 50% occupied cannot be ENERGY STAR certified. As of December 31, 2025, our LEED® designations and ENERGY STAR certifications were as follows:

•LEED®: 18 of our Medical Office and Life Science Portfolio properties containing 1.8 million rentable square feet (10.5% and 16.2% of our Medical Office and Life Science Portfolio properties and rentable square feet, respectively).

•Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) 360: 9 of our properties containing approximately 0.8 million rentable square feet (9.9% and 13.5% of our eligible properties and eligible rentable square feet, respectively).

•ENERGY STAR: 24 of our properties containing 3.6 million square feet (12.5% and 18.2% of our eligible properties and rentable square feet, respectively).

For more information, see “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business—Ownership of real estate is subject to environmental risks and liabilities” and “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business—We are subject to risks from adverse weather, natural disasters and adverse impacts from global climate change, and we incur significant costs and invest significant

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amounts with respect to these matters” in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Impact of Climate Change” in Part II, Item 7 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Environmental Matters

Ownership of real estate is subject to risks associated with environmental hazards. Under various laws, owners as well as tenants and operators of real estate may be required to investigate and clean up or remove hazardous substances present at or migrating from properties they own, lease or operate and may be held liable for property damage or personal injuries that result from hazardous substances. These laws also expose us to the possibility that we may become liable to government agencies or third parties for costs and damages they incur in connection with hazardous substances. In addition, these laws also impose various requirements regarding the operation and maintenance of properties and recordkeeping and reporting requirements relating to environmental matters that require us or the managers or tenants of our properties to incur costs to comply with.

We reviewed environmental surveys of the properties we own prior to their purchase. Based upon those surveys, other studies we may have since reviewed and our understanding of the operations of these properties by our managers and tenants, we do not believe that there are environmental conditions at any of our properties that have had or will have a material adverse effect on us. However, we cannot be sure that conditions are not present at our properties or that costs we may be required to incur in the future to remediate contamination will not have a material adverse effect on our business or financial condition or results of operations.

When adverse weather, natural disasters and adverse impacts from global climate change, such as hurricanes, floods or wildfires, occur near our properties, we, our managers or our tenants may relocate the residents at our senior living properties to alternative locations for their safety and we, our managers or our tenants may close or limit the operations of the impacted senior living community or office property until the event has ended and the property is then ready for operation. We or the managers or tenants of our properties may incur significant costs and losses as a result of these activities, both in terms of operating, preparing and repairing our properties in anticipation of, during and after adverse weather, natural disasters and adverse impacts from global climate change and in terms of potential lost business due to the interruption in operating our properties. Our insurance and our managers' and tenants' insurance may not adequately compensate us or them for these costs and losses.

Concerns about climate change have resulted in various treaties, laws and regulations that are intended to limit carbon emissions and address other environmental concerns. These and other laws may cause energy or other costs at our properties to increase. We do not expect the direct impact of these increases to be material to our results of operations, because the increased costs either would be the responsibility of our tenants directly or in the longer term, passed through and paid by tenants of our leased properties and residents at our managed senior living communities. Although we do not believe it is likely in the foreseeable future, laws enacted to mitigate climate change may make some of our buildings obsolete or cause us to make material investments in our properties, which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition or the financial condition of our managers or tenants and their ability to pay rent or returns to us. For more information regarding climate change and other environmental matters and their possible adverse impacts on us, see “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business—Ownership of real estate is subject to environmental risks and liabilities” and “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business—We are subject to risks from adverse weather, natural disasters and adverse impacts from global climate change, and we incur significant costs and invest significant amounts with respect to these matters” in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Impact of Climate Change” in Part II, Item 7 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Investments in Human Capital

We have no employees. We rely on our manager, RMR, to hire, train and develop a workforce that meets the needs of our business, contributes positively to our society and helps reduce our impact on the natural environment.

Corporate Citizenship

We seek to be a responsible corporate citizen and to strengthen the communities in which we own properties. Our manager, RMR, regularly encourages its employees to engage in a variety of charitable and community programs, including participation in a company-wide service day and a charitable giving matching program.

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Diversity and Inclusion

As of December 31, 2025, our Board of Trustees was comprised of seven Trustees, of which five were independent trustees. Our Board of Trustees is comprised of 43% women and approximately 29% members of marginalized minorities.

Insurance

We or our tenants are generally responsible for the costs of insurance coverage for our properties and the operations conducted on them, including for casualty, liability, fire, extended coverage and rental or business interruption losses. Either we purchase the insurance ourselves and, except in the case of our managed senior living communities, our tenants are required to reimburse us, or the tenants buy the insurance directly and are required to list us as an insured party.

Internet Website

Our internet website address is www.dhcreit.com. Copies of our governance guidelines, our code of business conduct and ethics, or our Code of Conduct, and the charters of our audit, compensation and nominating and governance committees are posted on our website and also may be obtained free of charge by writing to our Secretary, Diversified Healthcare Trust, Two Newton Place, 255 Washington Street, Suite 300, Newton, Massachusetts 02458-1634. We also have a policy outlining procedures for handling concerns or complaints about accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters and a governance hotline accessible on our website that shareholders can use to report concerns or complaints about accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters or violations or possible violations of our Code of Conduct. We make available, free of charge, through the "Investors" section of our website, our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to these reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, as soon as reasonably practicable after these forms are filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. Any material we file with or furnish to the SEC is also maintained on the SEC website, www.sec.gov. Security holders may send communications to our Board of Trustees or individual Trustees by writing to the party for whom the communication is intended at c/o Secretary, Diversified Healthcare Trust, Two Newton Place, 255 Washington Street, Suite 300, Newton, Massachusetts 02458-1634 or by email at secretary@dhcreit.com. Our website address is included several times in this Annual Report on Form 10-K as a textual reference only. The information on or accessible through our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K or other documents we file with, or furnish to, the SEC. We intend to use our website as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Those disclosures will be included on our website in the “Investors” section. Accordingly, investors should monitor our website, in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts.

Segment Information

As of December 31, 2025, we had two reportable segments: SHOP and Medical Office and Life Science Portfolio. For further information, see “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part IV, Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

MATERIAL UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

The following summary of material United States federal income tax considerations is based on existing law and is limited to investors who own our shares as investment assets rather than as inventory or as property used in a trade or business. The summary does not discuss all of the particular tax considerations that might be relevant to you if you are subject to special rules under federal income tax law, for example if you are:

•a bank, insurance company or other financial institution;

•a regulated investment company or REIT;

•a subchapter S corporation;

•a broker, dealer or trader in securities or foreign currencies;

•a person who marks-to-market our shares for U.S. federal income tax purposes;

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•a U.S. shareholder (as defined below) that has a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar;

•a person who acquires or owns our shares in connection with employment or other performance of services;

•a person subject to alternative minimum tax;

•a person who acquires or owns our shares as part of a straddle, hedging transaction, constructive sale transaction, constructive ownership transaction or conversion transaction, or as part of a “synthetic security” or other integrated financial transaction;

•a person who owns 10% or more (by vote or value, directly or constructively under the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the IRC) of any class of our shares;

•a U.S. expatriate;

•a non-U.S. shareholder (as defined below) whose investment in our shares is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States;

•a nonresident alien individual present in the United States for 183 days or more during an applicable taxable year;

•a “qualified shareholder” (as defined in Section 897(k)(3)(A) of the IRC);

•a “qualified foreign pension fund” (as defined in Section 897(l)(2) of the IRC) or any entity wholly owned by one or more qualified foreign pension funds;

•a non-U.S. shareholder that is a passive foreign investment company or controlled foreign corporation;

•a person subject to special tax accounting rules as a result of their use of applicable financial statements (within the meaning of Section 451(b)(3) of the IRC); or

•except as specifically described in the following summary, a trust, estate, tax-exempt entity, governmental organization or foreign person.

The sections of the IRC that govern the federal income tax qualification and treatment of a REIT and its shareholders are complex. This presentation is a summary of applicable IRC provisions, related rules and regulations, and administrative and judicial interpretations, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. Future legislative, judicial or administrative actions or decisions could also affect the accuracy of statements made in this summary. We have not received a ruling from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, with respect to any matter described in this summary, and we cannot be sure that the IRS or a court will agree with all of the statements made in this summary. The IRS could, for example, take a different position from that described in this summary with respect to our acquisitions, operations, valuations, restructurings or other matters, which, if a court agreed, could result in significant tax liabilities for applicable parties. In addition, this summary is not exhaustive of all possible tax considerations and does not discuss any estate, gift, state, local or foreign tax considerations. For all these reasons, we urge you and any holder of or prospective acquiror of our shares to consult with a tax advisor about the federal income tax and other tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our shares. Our intentions and beliefs described in this summary are based upon our understanding of applicable laws and regulations that are in effect as of February 23, 2026. If new laws or regulations are enacted which impact us directly or indirectly, we may change our intentions or beliefs.

Your federal income tax consequences generally will differ depending on whether or not you are a “U.S. shareholder.” For purposes of this summary, a “U.S. shareholder” is a beneficial owner of our shares that is:

•an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States, including an alien individual who is a lawful permanent resident of the United States or meets the substantial presence residency test under the federal income tax laws;

•an entity treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes that is created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia;

•an estate the income of which is subject to federal income taxation regardless of its source; or

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•a trust if a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust, or, to the extent provided in Treasury regulations, a trust in existence on August 20, 1996 that has elected to be treated as a domestic trust;

whose status as a U.S. shareholder is not overridden by an applicable tax treaty. Conversely, a “non-U.S. shareholder” is a beneficial owner of our shares that is not an entity (or other arrangement) treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes and is not a U.S. shareholder.

If any entity (or other arrangement) treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes holds our shares, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership generally will depend upon the tax status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. Any entity (or other arrangement) treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes that is a holder of our shares and the partners in such a partnership (as determined for federal income tax purposes) are urged to consult their own tax advisors about the federal income tax consequences and other tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our shares.

Taxation as a REIT

We have elected to be taxed as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the IRC, commencing with our 1999 taxable year. Our REIT election, assuming continuing compliance with the then applicable qualification tests, has continued and will continue in effect for subsequent taxable years. Although we cannot be sure, we believe that from and after our 1999 taxable year we have been organized and have operated, and will continue to be organized and to operate, in a manner that qualified us and will continue to qualify us to be taxed as a REIT under the IRC.

As a REIT, we generally are not subject to federal income tax on our net income distributed as dividends to our shareholders. Distributions to our shareholders generally are included in our shareholders’ income as dividends to the extent of our available current or accumulated earnings and profits. Our dividends are not generally entitled to the preferential tax rates on qualified dividend income, but a portion of our dividends may be treated as capital gain dividends or as qualified dividend income, all as explained below. In addition, pursuant to the deduction-without-outlay mechanism of Section 199A of the IRC, our noncorporate U.S. shareholders that meet specified holding period requirements are generally eligible for lower effective tax rates on our dividends that are not treated as capital gain dividends or as qualified dividend income. No portion of any of our dividends is eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders. Distributions in excess of our current or accumulated earnings and profits generally are treated for federal income tax purposes as returns of capital to the extent of a recipient shareholder’s basis in our shares, and will reduce this basis. Our current or accumulated earnings and profits are generally allocated first to distributions made on our preferred shares, of which there are none outstanding at this time, and thereafter to distributions made on our common shares. To the extent that such distributions exceed the basis of a U.S. shareholder’s shares, the U.S. shareholder generally must include such distributions in income as long-term capital gain, or short-term capital gain if the shares have been held for one year or less. For all these purposes, our distributions include cash distributions, any in kind distributions of property that we might make, and deemed or constructive distributions resulting from capital market activities (such as some redemptions), as described below.

Our counsel, Sullivan & Worcester LLP, is of the opinion that we have been organized and have qualified for taxation as a REIT under the IRC for our 1999 through 2025 taxable years, and that our current and anticipated investments and plan of operation will enable us to continue to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the IRC. Our counsel’s opinions are conditioned upon the assumption that our leases, our declaration of trust, and all other legal documents to which we have been or are a party have been and will be complied with by all parties to those documents, upon the accuracy and completeness of the factual matters described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and upon representations made by us to our counsel as to certain factual matters relating to our organization and operations and our expected manner of operation. If this assumption or a description or representation is inaccurate or incomplete, our counsel’s opinions may be adversely affected and may not be relied upon. The opinions of our counsel are based upon the law as it exists today, but the law may change in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Given the highly complex nature of the rules governing REITs, the ongoing importance of factual determinations, and the possibility of future changes in our circumstances, neither Sullivan & Worcester LLP nor we can be sure that we will qualify as or be taxed as a REIT for any particular year. Any opinion of Sullivan & Worcester LLP as to our qualification or taxation as a REIT will be expressed as of the date issued. Our counsel will have no obligation to advise us or our shareholders of any subsequent change in the matters stated, represented or assumed, or of any subsequent change in the applicable law. Also, the opinions of our counsel are not binding on either the IRS or a court, and either could take a position different from that expressed by our counsel.

Our continued qualification and taxation as a REIT will depend upon our compliance with various qualification tests imposed under the IRC and summarized below. While we believe that we have satisfied and will satisfy these tests, our counsel

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does not review compliance with these tests on a continuing basis. If we fail to qualify for taxation as a REIT in any year, then we will be subject to federal income taxation as if we were a corporation taxed under subchapter C of the IRC, or a C corporation, and our shareholders will be taxed like shareholders of a regular C corporation, meaning that federal income tax generally will be applied at both the corporate and shareholder levels. In this event, we could be subject to significant tax liabilities, and the amount of cash available for distribution to our shareholders could be reduced or eliminated.

If we continue to qualify for taxation as a REIT and meet the tests described below, then we generally will not pay federal income tax on amounts that we distribute to our shareholders. However, even if we continue to qualify for taxation as a REIT, we may still be subject to federal tax in the following circumstances, as described below:

•We will be taxed at regular corporate income tax rates on any undistributed “real estate investment trust taxable income,” including our undistributed ordinary income and net capital gains, if any. We may elect to retain and pay income tax on our net capital gain, as well as on certain amounts attributable to cancellation of indebtedness income, if any. In addition, if we so elect by making a timely designation to our shareholders, a shareholder would be taxed on its proportionate share of our undistributed capital gain and would generally be expected to receive a credit or refund for its proportionate share of the federal corporate income tax we paid on our retained net capital gain.

•If we have net income from the disposition of “foreclosure property,” as described in Section 856(e) of the IRC, that is held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business or other nonqualifying income from foreclosure property, we will be subject to tax on this income at the highest regular corporate income tax rate.

•If we have net income from “prohibited transactions,” that is, dispositions at a gain of inventory or property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business other than dispositions of foreclosure property and other than dispositions excepted by statutory safe harbors, we will be subject to tax on this income at a 100% rate.

•If we fail to satisfy the 75% gross income test or the 95% gross income test discussed below, due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect, but nonetheless maintain our qualification for taxation as a REIT because of specified cure provisions, we will be subject to tax at a 100% rate on the greater of the amount by which we fail the 75% gross income test or the 95% gross income test, with adjustments, multiplied by a fraction intended to reflect our profitability for the taxable year.

•If we fail to satisfy any of the REIT asset tests described below (other than a de minimis failure of the 5% or 10% asset tests) due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect, but nonetheless maintain our qualification for taxation as a REIT because of specified cure provisions, we will be subject to a tax equal to the greater of $50,000 or the highest regular corporate income tax rate multiplied by the net income generated by the nonqualifying assets that caused us to fail the test.

•If we fail to satisfy any provision of the IRC that would result in our failure to qualify for taxation as a REIT (other than violations of the REIT gross income tests or violations of the REIT asset tests described below) due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect, we may retain our qualification for taxation as a REIT but will be subject to a penalty of $50,000 for each failure.

•If we fail to distribute for any calendar year at least the sum of 85% of our REIT ordinary income for that year, 95% of our REIT capital gain net income for that year and any undistributed taxable income from prior periods, we will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the excess of the required distribution over the amounts actually distributed.

•If we acquire a REIT asset where our adjusted tax basis in the asset is determined by reference to the adjusted tax basis of the asset in the hands of a C corporation, under specified circumstances we may be subject to federal income taxation on all or part of the built-in gain (calculated as of the date the property ceased being owned by the C corporation) on such asset. We generally do not expect to sell assets if doing so would result in the imposition of a material built-in gains tax liability; but if and when we do sell assets that may have associated built-in gains tax exposure, then we expect to make appropriate provision for the associated tax liabilities on our financial statements.

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•If we acquire a corporation in a transaction where we succeed to its tax attributes, to preserve our qualification for taxation as a REIT we must generally distribute all of the C corporation earnings and profits inherited in that acquisition, if any, no later than the end of our taxable year in which the acquisition occurs. However, if we fail to do so, relief provisions would allow us to maintain our qualification for taxation as a REIT provided we distribute any subsequently discovered C corporation earnings and profits and pay an interest charge in respect of the period of delayed distribution.

•Our subsidiaries that are C corporations, including our “taxable REIT subsidiaries”, as defined in Section 856(l) of the IRC, or TRSs, generally will be required to pay federal corporate income tax on their earnings, and a 100% tax may be imposed on any transaction between us and one of our TRSs that does not reflect arm’s length terms.

•As discussed below, we are invested in real estate through subsidiaries that we believe qualify for taxation as REITs. If it is determined that one of these entities failed to qualify for taxation as a REIT, we may fail one or more of the REIT asset tests. In such case, we expect that we would be able to avail ourselves of the relief provisions described below, but would be subject to a tax equal to the greater of $50,000 or the highest regular corporate income tax rate multiplied by the net income we earned from this subsidiary.

If we fail to qualify for taxation as a REIT in any year, then we will be subject to federal income tax in the same manner as a regular C corporation. Further, as a regular C corporation, distributions to our shareholders will not be deductible by us, nor will distributions be required under the IRC. Also, to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits, all distributions to our shareholders will generally be taxable as ordinary dividends potentially eligible for the preferential tax rates discussed below under the heading “—Taxation of Taxable U.S. Shareholders” and, subject to limitations in the IRC, will be potentially eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders. Finally, we will generally be disqualified from taxation as a REIT for the four taxable years following the taxable year in which the termination of our REIT status is effective. Our failure to qualify for taxation as a REIT for even one year could result in us reducing or eliminating distributions to our shareholders, or in us incurring substantial indebtedness or liquidating substantial investments in order to pay the resulting corporate-level income taxes. Relief provisions under the IRC may allow us to continue to qualify for taxation as a REIT even if we fail to comply with various REIT requirements, all as discussed in more detail below. However, it is impossible to state whether in any particular circumstance we would be entitled to the benefit of these relief provisions.

REIT Qualification Requirements

General Requirements. Section 856(a) of the IRC defines a REIT as a corporation, trust or association:

(1)that is managed by one or more trustees or directors;

(2)the beneficial ownership of which is evidenced by transferable shares or by transferable certificates of beneficial interest;

(3)that would be taxable, but for Sections 856 through 859 of the IRC, as a domestic C corporation;

(4)that is not a financial institution or an insurance company subject to special provisions of the IRC;

(5)the beneficial ownership of which is held by 100 or more persons;

(6)that is not “closely held,” meaning that during the last half of each taxable year, not more than 50% in value of the outstanding shares are owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer “individuals” (as defined in the IRC to include specified tax-exempt entities); and

(7)that meets other tests regarding the nature of its income and assets and the amount of its distributions, all as described below.

Section 856(b) of the IRC provides that conditions (1) through (4) must be met during the entire taxable year and that condition (5) must be met during at least 335 days of a taxable year of 12 months, or during a proportionate part of a taxable year of less than 12 months. Although we cannot be sure, we believe that we have met conditions (1) through (7) during each of the requisite periods ending on or before the close of our most recently completed taxable year, and that we will continue to meet these conditions in our current and future taxable years. To help comply with condition (6), our declaration of trust and bylaws restrict transfers of our shares that would otherwise result in concentrated ownership positions. These restrictions, however, do not ensure that we have previously satisfied, and may not ensure that we will in all cases be able to continue to

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satisfy, the share ownership requirements described in condition (6). If we comply with applicable Treasury regulations to ascertain the ownership of our outstanding shares and do not know, or by exercising reasonable diligence would not have known, that we failed condition (6), then we will be treated as having met condition (6). Accordingly, we have complied and will continue to comply with these regulations, including by requesting annually from holders of significant percentages of our shares information regarding the ownership of our shares. Under our declaration of trust and bylaws, our shareholders are required to respond to these requests for information. A shareholder that fails or refuses to comply with the request is required by Treasury regulations to submit a statement with its federal income tax return disclosing its actual ownership of our shares and other information.

For purposes of condition (6), an “individual” generally includes a natural person, a supplemental unemployment compensation benefit plan, a private foundation, or a portion of a trust permanently set aside or used exclusively for charitable purposes, but does not include a qualified pension plan or profit-sharing trust. As a result, REIT shares owned by an entity that is not an “individual” are considered to be owned by the direct and indirect owners of the entity that are individuals (as so defined), rather than to be owned by the entity itself. Similarly, REIT shares held by a qualified pension plan or profit-sharing trust are treated as held directly by the individual beneficiaries in proportion to their actuarial interests in such plan or trust. Consequently, five or fewer such trusts could own more than 50% of the interests in an entity without jeopardizing that entity’s qualification for taxation as a REIT.

The IRC provides that we will not automatically fail to qualify for taxation as a REIT if we do not meet conditions (1) through (6), provided we can establish that such failure was due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect. Each such excused failure will result in the imposition of a $50,000 penalty instead of REIT disqualification. This relief provision may apply to a failure of the applicable conditions even if the failure first occurred in a year prior to the taxable year in which the failure was discovered.

Our Wholly Owned Subsidiaries and Our Investments Through Partnerships. Except in respect of a TRS as discussed below, Section 856(i) of the IRC provides that any corporation, 100% of whose stock is held by a REIT and its disregarded subsidiaries, is a qualified REIT subsidiary and shall not be treated as a separate corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The assets, liabilities and items of income, deduction and credit of a qualified REIT subsidiary are treated as the REIT’s. We believe that each of our direct and indirect wholly owned subsidiaries, other than the TRSs discussed below (and entities whose equity is owned in whole or in part by such TRSs), will be either a qualified REIT subsidiary within the meaning of Section 856(i)(2) of the IRC or a noncorporate entity that for federal income tax purposes is not treated as separate from its owner under Treasury regulations issued under Section 7701 of the IRC, each such entity referred to as a QRS. Thus, in applying all of the REIT qualification requirements described in this summary, all assets, liabilities and items of income, deduction and credit of our QRSs are treated as ours, and our investment in the stock and other securities of such QRSs will be disregarded.

We have invested and may in the future invest in real estate through one or more entities that are treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes. In the case of a REIT that is a partner in a partnership, Treasury regulations under the IRC provide that, for purposes of the REIT qualification requirements regarding income and assets described below, the REIT is generally deemed to own its proportionate share, based on respective capital interests (including any preferred equity interests in the partnership), of the income and assets of the partnership (except that for purposes of the 10% value test, described below, the REIT’s proportionate share of the partnership’s assets is based on its proportionate interest in the equity and specified debt securities issued by the partnership). In addition, for these purposes, the character of the assets and items of gross income of the partnership generally remains the same in the hands of the REIT. In contrast, for purposes of the distribution requirements discussed below, we must take into account as a partner our share of the partnership’s income as determined under the general federal income tax rules governing partners and partnerships under Subchapter K of the IRC.

Subsidiary REITs. We indirectly own real estate through subsidiaries that we believe have qualified and will remain qualified for taxation as REITs under the IRC, and we may in the future invest in real estate through one or more other subsidiary entities that are intended to qualify for taxation as REITs. When a subsidiary qualifies for taxation as a REIT separate and apart from its REIT parent, the subsidiary’s shares are qualifying real estate assets for purposes of the REIT parent’s 75% asset test described below. However, failure of the subsidiary to separately satisfy the various REIT qualification requirements described in this summary or that are otherwise applicable (and failure to qualify for the applicable relief provisions) would generally result in (a) the subsidiary being subject to regular U.S. corporate income tax, as described above, and (b) the REIT parent’s ownership in the subsidiary (i) ceasing to be qualifying real estate assets for purposes of the 75% asset test and (ii) becoming subject to the 5% asset test, the 10% vote test and the 10% value test, each as described below, generally applicable to a REIT’s ownership in corporations other than REITs and TRSs. In such a situation, the REIT parent’s own qualification and taxation as a REIT could be jeopardized on account of the subsidiary’s failure cascading up to the REIT parent, all as described below under the heading “—Asset Tests”.

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We have joined with our subsidiary REITs in filing protective TRS elections, and we may continue to annually make such elections unless and until our ownership of these subsidiaries falls below 10%. Pursuant to these protective TRS elections, we believe that if one of these subsidiaries is not a REIT for some reason, then that subsidiary would instead be considered one of our TRSs, and as such its value would fit within our REIT gross asset tests described below. We expect to make similar protective TRS elections with respect to any other subsidiary REIT that we form or acquire and may implement other protective arrangements intended to avoid a cascading REIT failure if any of our intended subsidiary REITs were not to qualify for taxation as a REIT, but we cannot be sure that such protective elections or other arrangements will be effective to avoid or mitigate the resulting adverse consequences to us. We do not expect protective TRS elections to impact our compliance with the 75% and 95% gross income tests described below, because we do not expect our gains and dividends from a subsidiary REIT’s shares to jeopardize compliance with these tests even if for some reason the subsidiary is not a REIT.

Taxable REIT Subsidiaries. As a REIT, we are permitted to own any or all of the securities of a TRS, provided that no more than 20% (25% with respect to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025) of the total value of our assets, at the close of each quarter, is comprised of our investments in the stock or other securities of our TRSs. Very generally, a TRS is a subsidiary 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. A TRS is taxed as a regular C corporation, separate and apart from any affiliated REIT. Our ownership of stock and other securities in our TRSs is exempt from the 5% asset test, the 10% vote test and the 10% value test discussed below. Among other requirements, a TRS of ours must:

(1)not directly or indirectly operate or manage a health care facility or lodging facility; and

(2)not directly or indirectly provide to any person, under a franchise, license or otherwise, rights to any brand name under which any health care facility or lodging facility is operated, except that in limited circumstances a subfranchise, sublicense or similar right can be granted to an independent contractor to operate or manage a health care facility or lodging facility.

In addition, any corporation (other than a REIT and other than a QRS) in which a TRS directly or indirectly owns more than 35% of the voting power or value of the outstanding securities is automatically a TRS (excluding, for this purpose, certain “straight debt” securities). Subject to the discussion below, we believe that we and each of our TRSs have complied with, and will continue to comply with, the requirements for TRS status at all times during which the subsidiary’s TRS election is intended to be in effect, and we believe that the same will be true for any TRS that we later form or acquire.

As discussed below, TRSs can perform services for our tenants without disqualifying the rents we receive from those tenants under the 75% gross income test or the 95% gross income test discussed below. Moreover, because our TRSs are taxed as C corporations that are separate from us, their assets, liabilities and items of income, deduction and credit generally are not imputed to us for purposes of the REIT qualification requirements described in this summary. Therefore, our TRSs may generally conduct activities that would be treated as prohibited transactions or would give rise to nonqualified income if conducted by us directly. Additionally, while a REIT is generally limited in its ability to earn qualifying rental income from a TRS, a REIT can earn qualifying rental income from the lease of a qualified health care property to a TRS if an eligible independent contractor operates the property, as discussed more fully below.

Restrictions and sanctions are imposed on TRSs and their affiliated REITs to ensure that the TRSs will be subject to an appropriate level of federal income taxation. For example, if a TRS pays interest, rent or other amounts to its affiliated REIT in an amount that exceeds what an unrelated third party would have paid in an arm’s length transaction, then the REIT generally will be subject to an excise tax equal to 100% of the excessive portion of the payment. Further, if in comparison to an arm’s length transaction, a third-party tenant has overpaid rent to the REIT in exchange for underpaying the TRS for services rendered, and if the REIT has not adequately compensated the TRS for services provided to or on behalf of the third-party tenant, then the REIT may be subject to an excise tax equal to 100% of the undercompensation to the TRS. A safe harbor exception to this excise tax applies if the TRS has been compensated at a rate at least equal to 150% of its direct cost in furnishing or rendering the service. Finally, the 100% excise tax also applies to the underpricing of services provided by a TRS to its affiliated REIT in contexts where the services are unrelated to services for REIT tenants. We cannot be sure that arrangements involving our TRSs will not result in the imposition of one or more of these restrictions or sanctions, but we do not believe that we or our TRSs are or will be subject to these impositions.

Income Tests. We must satisfy two gross income tests annually to maintain our qualification for taxation as a REIT. First, at least 75% of our gross income for each taxable year must be derived from investments relating to real property, including “rents from real property” within the meaning of Section 856(d) of the IRC, interest and gain from mortgages on real property or on interests in real property, income and gain from foreclosure property, gain from the sale or other disposition of real property (including specified ancillary personal property treated as real property under the IRC), or dividends on and gain

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from the sale or disposition of shares in other REITs (but excluding in all cases any gains subject to the 100% tax on prohibited transactions). When we receive new capital in exchange for our shares or in a public offering of our five-year or longer debt instruments, income attributable to the temporary investment of this new capital in stock or a debt instrument, if received or accrued within one year of our receipt of the new capital, is generally also qualifying income under the 75% gross income test. Second, at least 95% of our gross income for each taxable year must consist of income that is qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test, other types of interest and dividends, gain from the sale or disposition of stock or securities, or any combination of these. Gross income from our sale of property that we hold primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business, income and gain from specified “hedging transactions” that are clearly and timely identified as such, and income from the repurchase or discharge of indebtedness is excluded from both the numerator and the denominator in both gross income tests. In addition, specified foreign currency gains will be excluded from gross income for purposes of one or both of the gross income tests.

In order to qualify as “rents from real property” within the meaning of Section 856(d) of the IRC, several requirements must be met:

•The amount of rent received generally must not be based on the income or profits of any person, but may be based on a fixed percentage or percentages of receipts or sales.

•Rents generally do not qualify if the REIT owns 10% or more by vote or value of stock of the tenant (or 10% or more of the interests in the assets or net profits of the tenant, if the tenant is not a corporation), whether directly or after application of attribution rules. We generally do not intend to lease property to any party if rents from that property would not qualify as “rents from real property,” but application of the 10% ownership rule is dependent upon complex attribution rules and circumstances that may be beyond our control. Our declaration of trust and bylaws generally disallow transfers or purported acquisitions, directly or by attribution, of our shares to the extent necessary to maintain our qualification for taxation as a REIT under the IRC. Nevertheless, we cannot be sure that these restrictions will be effective to prevent our qualification for taxation as a REIT from being jeopardized under the 10% affiliated tenant rule. Furthermore, we cannot be sure that we will be able to monitor and enforce these restrictions, nor will our shareholders necessarily be aware of ownership of our shares attributed to them under the IRC’s attribution rules.

•There is a limited exception to the above prohibition on earning “rents from real property” from a 10% affiliated tenant where the tenant is a TRS. If at least 90% of the leased space of a property is leased to tenants other than TRSs and 10% affiliated tenants, and if the TRS’s rent to the REIT for space at that property is substantially comparable to the rents paid by nonaffiliated tenants for comparable space at the property, then otherwise qualifying rents paid by the TRS to the REIT will not be disqualified on account of the rule prohibiting 10% affiliated tenants.

•There is an additional exception to the above prohibition on earning “rents from real property” from a 10% affiliated tenant. For this additional exception to apply, a real property interest in a “qualified health care property” must be leased by the REIT to its TRS, and the property must be operated on behalf of the TRS by a person who is an “eligible independent contractor,” all as described in Sections 856(d)(8)-(9) and 856(e)(6)(D) of the IRC. As described below, we believe our leases with our TRSs have satisfied and will continue to satisfy these requirements.

•In order for rents to qualify, a REIT generally must not manage the property or furnish or render services to the tenants of the property, except through an independent contractor from whom it derives no income or through one of its TRSs. There is an exception to this rule permitting a REIT to perform customary management and tenant services of the sort that a tax-exempt organization could perform without being considered in receipt of “unrelated business taxable income” as defined in Section 512(b)(3) of the IRC, or UBTI. In addition, a de minimis amount of noncustomary services provided to tenants will not disqualify income as “rents from real property” as long as the value of the impermissible tenant services does not exceed 1% of the gross income from the property.

•If rent attributable to personal property leased in connection with a lease of real property is 15% or less of the total rent received under the lease, then the rent attributable to personal property will qualify as “rents from real property;” if this 15% threshold is exceeded, then the rent attributable to personal property will not so qualify. The portion of rental income treated as attributable to personal property is determined according to the ratio of the fair market value of the personal property to the total fair market value of the real and personal property that is rented.

•In addition, “rents from real property” includes both charges we receive for services customarily rendered in connection with the rental of comparable real property in the same geographic area, even if the charges are separately stated, as well as charges we receive for services provided by our TRSs when the charges are not separately stated. Whether separately stated charges received by a REIT for services that are not geographically customary and provided

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by a TRS are included in “rents from real property” has not been addressed clearly by the IRS in published authorities; however, our counsel, Sullivan & Worcester LLP, is of the opinion that, although the matter is not free from doubt, “rents from real property” also includes charges we receive for services provided by our TRSs when the charges are separately stated, even if the services are not geographically customary. Accordingly, we believe that our revenues from TRS-provided services, whether the charges are separately stated or not, qualify as “rents from real property” because the services satisfy the geographically customary standard, because the services have been provided by a TRS, or for both reasons.

We believe that all or substantially all of our rents and related service charges have qualified and will continue to qualify as “rents from real property” for purposes of Section 856 of the IRC.

Absent the “foreclosure property” rules of Section 856(e) of the IRC, a REIT’s receipt of active, nonrental gross income from a property would not qualify under the 75% and 95% gross income tests. But as foreclosure property, the active, nonrental gross income from the property would so qualify. Foreclosure property is generally any real property, including interests in real property, and any personal property incident to such real property:

•that is acquired by a REIT as a result of the REIT having bid on such property at foreclosure, or having otherwise reduced such property to ownership or possession by agreement or process of law, after there was a default or when default was imminent on a lease of such property or on indebtedness that such property secured;

•for which any related loan acquired by the REIT was acquired at a time when the default was not imminent or anticipated; and

•for which the REIT makes a proper election to treat the property as foreclosure property.

Any gain that a REIT recognizes on the sale of foreclosure property held as inventory or primarily for sale to customers, plus any income it receives from foreclosure property that would not otherwise qualify under the 75% gross income test in the absence of foreclosure property treatment, reduced by expenses directly connected with the production of those items of income, would be subject to federal income tax at the highest regular corporate income tax rate under the foreclosure property income tax rules of Section 857(b)(4) of the IRC. Thus, if a REIT should lease foreclosure property in exchange for rent that qualifies as “rents from real property” as described above, then that rental income is not subject to the foreclosure property income tax.

Property generally ceases to be foreclosure property at the end of the third taxable year following the taxable year in which the REIT acquired the property, or longer if an extension is obtained from the IRS. However, this grace period terminates and foreclosure property ceases to be foreclosure property on the first day:

•on which a lease is entered into for the property that, by its terms, will give rise to income that does not qualify for purposes of the 75% gross income test (disregarding income from foreclosure property), or any nonqualified income under the 75% gross income test is received or accrued by the REIT, directly or indirectly, pursuant to a lease entered into on or after such day;

•on which any construction takes place on the property, other than completion of a building or any other improvement where more than 10% of the construction was completed before default became imminent and other than specifically exempted forms of maintenance or deferred maintenance; or

•which is more than 90 days after the day on which the REIT acquired the property and the property is used in a trade or business which is conducted by the REIT, other than through an independent contractor from whom the REIT itself does not derive or receive any income or a TRS.

Other than sales of foreclosure property, any gain that we realize on the sale of property held as inventory or other property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business, together known as dealer gains, may be treated as income from a prohibited transaction that is subject to a penalty tax at a 100% rate. The 100% tax does not apply to gains from the sale of property that is held through a TRS, although such income will be subject to tax in the hands of the TRS at regular corporate income tax rates; we may therefore utilize our TRSs in transactions in which we might otherwise recognize dealer gains. Whether property is held as inventory or primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business is a question of fact that depends on all the facts and circumstances surrounding each particular transaction. Sections 857(b)(6)(C) and (E) of the IRC provide safe harbors pursuant to which limited sales of real property held for at least two years and meeting specified additional requirements will not be treated as prohibited transactions. However, compliance

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with the safe harbors is not always achievable in practice. We attempt to structure our activities to avoid transactions that are prohibited transactions, or otherwise conduct such activities through TRSs; but, we cannot be sure whether or not the IRS might successfully assert that we are subject to the 100% penalty tax with respect to any particular transaction. Gains subject to the 100% penalty tax are excluded from the 75% and 95% gross income tests, whereas real property gains that are not dealer gains or that are exempted from the 100% penalty tax on account of the safe harbors are considered qualifying gross income for purposes of the 75% and 95% gross income tests.

We believe that any gain that we have recognized, or will recognize, in connection with our disposition of assets and other transactions, including through any partnerships, will generally qualify as income that satisfies the 75% and 95% gross income tests, and will not be dealer gains or subject to the 100% penalty tax. This is because our general intent has been and is to: (a) own our assets for investment (including through joint ventures) with a view to long-term income production and capital appreciation; (b) engage in the business of developing, owning, leasing and managing our existing properties and acquiring, developing, owning, leasing and managing new properties; and (c) make occasional dispositions of our assets consistent with our long-term investment objectives.

If we fail to satisfy one or both of the 75% gross income test or the 95% gross income test in any taxable year, we may nevertheless qualify for taxation as a REIT for that year if we satisfy the following requirements: (a) our failure to meet the test is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect; and (b) after we identify the failure, we file a schedule describing each item of our gross income included in the 75% gross income test or the 95% gross income test for that taxable year. Even if this relief provision does apply, a 100% tax is imposed upon the greater of the amount by which we failed the 75% gross income test or the amount by which we failed the 95% gross income test, with adjustments, multiplied by a fraction intended to reflect our profitability for the taxable year. This relief provision may apply to a failure of the applicable income tests even if the failure first occurred in a year prior to the taxable year in which the failure was discovered.

Based on the discussion above, we believe that we have satisfied, and will continue to satisfy, the 75% and 95% gross income tests outlined above on a continuing basis beginning with our first taxable year as a REIT.

Asset Tests. At the close of each calendar quarter of each taxable year, we must also satisfy the following asset percentage tests in order to qualify for taxation as a REIT for federal income tax purposes:

•At least 75% of the value of our total assets must consist of “real estate assets,” defined as real property (including interests in real property and interests in mortgages on real property or on interests in real property), ancillary personal property to the extent that rents attributable to such personal property are treated as rents from real property in accordance with the rules described above, cash and cash items, shares in other REITs, debt instruments issued by “publicly offered REITs” as defined in Section 562(c)(2) of the IRC, government securities and temporary investments of new capital (that is, any stock or debt instrument that we hold that is attributable to any amount received by us (a) in exchange for our shares or (b) in a public offering of our five-year or longer debt instruments, but in each case only for the one-year period commencing with our receipt of the new capital).

•Not more than 25% of the value of our total assets may be represented by securities other than those securities that count favorably toward the preceding 75% asset test.

•Of the investments included in the preceding 25% asset class, the value of any one non-REIT issuer’s securities that we own may not exceed 5% of the value of our total assets. In addition, we may not own more than 10% of the vote or value of any one non-REIT issuer’s outstanding securities, unless the securities are “straight debt” securities or otherwise excepted as discussed below. Our stock and other securities in a TRS are exempted from these 5% and 10% asset tests.

•Not more than 20% (25% with respect to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025) of the value of our total assets may be represented by stock or other securities of our TRSs.

•Not more than 25% of the value of our total assets may be represented by “nonqualified publicly offered REIT debt instruments” as defined in Section 856(c)(5)(L)(ii) of the IRC.

Our counsel, Sullivan & Worcester LLP, is of the opinion that, although the matter is not free from doubt, our investments in the equity or debt of a TRS of ours, to the extent that and during the period in which they qualify as temporary investments of new capital, will be treated as real estate assets, and not as securities, for purposes of the above REIT asset tests.

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The above REIT asset tests must be satisfied at the close of each calendar quarter of each taxable year as a REIT. After a REIT meets the asset tests at the close of any quarter, it will not lose its qualification for taxation as a REIT in any subsequent quarter solely because of fluctuations in the values of its assets. This grandfathering rule may be of limited benefit to a REIT such as us that makes periodic acquisitions of both qualifying and nonqualifying REIT assets. When a failure to satisfy the above asset tests results from an acquisition of securities or other property during a quarter, the failure can be cured by disposition of sufficient nonqualifying assets within thirty days after the close of that quarter.

In addition, if we fail the 5% asset test, the 10% vote test or the 10% value test at the close of any quarter and we do not cure such failure within thirty days after the close of that quarter, that failure will nevertheless be excused if (a) the failure is de minimis and (b) within six months after the last day of the quarter in which we identify the failure, we either dispose of the assets causing the failure or otherwise satisfy the 5% asset test, the 10% vote test and the 10% value test. For purposes of this relief provision, the failure will be de minimis if the value of the assets causing the failure does not exceed the lesser of (a) 1% of the total value of our assets at the end of the relevant quarter or (b) $10,000,000. If our failure is not de minimis, or if any of the other REIT asset tests have been violated, we may nevertheless qualify for taxation as a REIT if (a) we provide the IRS with a description of each asset causing the failure, (b) the failure was due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, (c) we pay a tax equal to the greater of (1) $50,000 or (2) the highest regular corporate income tax rate imposed on the net income generated by the assets causing the failure during the period of the failure, and (d) within six months after the last day of the quarter in which we identify the failure, we either dispose of the assets causing the failure or otherwise satisfy all of the REIT asset tests. These relief provisions may apply to a failure of the applicable asset tests even if the failure first occurred in a year prior to the taxable year in which the failure was discovered.

The IRC also provides an excepted securities safe harbor to the 10% value test that includes among other items (a) “straight debt” securities, (b) specified rental agreements in which payment is to be made in subsequent years, (c) any obligation to pay “rents from real property,” (d) securities issued by governmental entities that are not dependent in whole or in part on the profits of or payments from a nongovernmental entity, and (e) any security issued by another REIT. In addition, any debt instrument issued by an entity classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, and not otherwise excepted from the definition of a security for purposes of the above safe harbor, will not be treated as a security for purposes of the 10% value test if at least 75% of the partnership’s gross income, excluding income from prohibited transactions, is qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test.

We have maintained and will continue to maintain records of the value of our assets to document our compliance with the above asset tests and intend to take actions as may be required to cure any failure to satisfy the tests within thirty days after the close of any quarter or within the six month periods described above.

Based on the discussion above, we believe that we have satisfied, and will continue to satisfy, the REIT asset tests outlined above on a continuing basis beginning with our first taxable year as a REIT.

Our Relationship with AlerisLife. We currently own (directly and indirectly through one of our TRSs) less than 35% of the outstanding common shares of AlerisLife. We have not elected to treat AlerisLife as a TRS, and it is not otherwise an automatic TRS because no TRS of ours owns more than 35% of AlerisLife. This structure for our AlerisLife ownership permitted our prior engagement of a corporate subsidiary of AlerisLife to manage health care properties leased to our TRSs, as described below in greater detail.

Upon concluding its business dispositions, AlerisLife adopted a plan of complete liquidation under Sections 331 and 336 of the IRC. Accordingly, we (and also our TRS that owns common stock of AlerisLife) began to receive liquidating distributions of cash from AlerisLife in 2026. As a result of the foregoing, we may in 2026 or future taxable years receive capital gain income or (via cash distributions from our TRS that owns common stock of AlerisLife) dividend income, both of which are expected to qualify for the 95% gross income test but neither of which will qualify for the 75% gross income test. The amounts involved are not material to our 75% gross income test compliance. As of February 23, 2026, we have received $27.2 million of our pro rata share of cash dividends paid to AlerisLife's stockholders in connection with the wind-down of AlerisLife's business.

For further information regarding our relationship with AlerisLife, see Note 8 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part IV, Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Our Relationship with Our Taxable REIT Subsidiaries. We currently own properties that we purchased to be leased to our TRSs or which are being leased to our TRSs as a result of modifications to, or expirations of, a prior lease, all as agreed to by applicable parties. For example, in connection with past lease defaults and expirations, we have terminated occupancy of some of our health care properties by the defaulting or expiring tenants and immediately leased these properties to our TRSs

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and entered into third-party management agreements for these properties. We may from time to time lease additional health care properties to our TRSs.

In lease transactions involving our TRSs, our general intent is for the rents paid to us by the TRS to qualify as “rents from real property” under the REIT gross income tests summarized above. In order for this to be the case, the manager operating the leased property on behalf of the applicable TRS must be an “eligible independent contractor” within the meaning of Section 856(d)(9)(A) of the IRC, and the properties leased to the TRS must be “qualified health care properties” within the meaning of Section 856(e)(6)(D) of the IRC. Qualified health care properties are defined as health care facilities and other properties necessary or incidental to the use of a health care facility.

For these purposes, a contractor qualifies as an “eligible independent contractor” if it is less than 35% affiliated with the REIT and, at the time the contractor enters into the agreement with the TRS to operate the qualified health care property, that contractor or any person related to that contractor is actively engaged in the trade or business of operating qualified health care properties for persons unrelated to the TRS or its affiliated REIT. For these purposes, an otherwise eligible independent contractor is not disqualified from that status on account of (a) the TRS bearing the expenses of the operation of the qualified health care property, (b) the TRS receiving the revenues from the operation of the qualified health care property, net of expenses for that operation and fees payable to the eligible independent contractor, or (c) the REIT receiving income from the eligible independent contractor pursuant to a preexisting or otherwise grandfathered lease of another property.

For 2025 and prior taxable years, we engaged as an intended eligible independent contractor a particular corporate subsidiary of AlerisLife. This contractor and its affiliates were actively engaged in the trade or business of operating qualified health care properties for their own accounts, including pursuant to management contracts among themselves; however, this contractor and its affiliates had few if any management contracts for qualified health care properties with third parties other than us and our TRSs. Based on a plain reading of the statute as well as applicable legislative history, our counsel, Sullivan & Worcester LLP, opined that this intended eligible independent contractor should in fact have so qualified. If the IRS or a court determines that this opinion was incorrect, then the rental income we received from our TRSs in respect of properties managed by this particular contractor would have been nonqualifying income for purposes of the 75% and 95% gross income tests, possibly jeopardizing our past compliance with one or both of these gross income tests. Under those circumstances, however, we expect we would qualify for the gross income tests’ relief provision described above, and thereby would preserve our qualification for taxation as a REIT. If the relief provision were to apply to us, we would be subject to tax at a 100% rate upon the greater of the amount by which we failed the 75% gross income test or the amount by which we failed the 95% gross income test, with adjustments, multiplied by a fraction intended to reflect our profitability for the taxable year; even though we had little nonqualifying income from other sources in past taxable years, imposition of this 100% tax in this circumstance would be material because a significant number of the properties leased to our TRSs were managed for the TRSs by this contractor.

As explained above, we will be subject to a 100% tax on the rents paid to us by any of our TRSs if the IRS successfully asserts that those rents exceed an arm’s length rental rate. Although there is no clear precedent to distinguish for federal income tax purposes among leases, management contracts, partnerships, financings, and other contractual arrangements, we believe that our leases and our TRSs’ management agreements will be respected for purposes of the requirements of the IRC discussed above. Accordingly, we expect that the rental income from our current and future TRSs will qualify as “rents from real property,” and that the 100% tax on excessive rents from a TRS will not apply.

Annual Distribution Requirements. In order to qualify for taxation as a REIT under the IRC, we are required to make annual distributions other than capital gain dividends to our shareholders in an amount at least equal to the excess of:

(1)the sum of 90% of our “real estate investment trust taxable income” and 90% of our net income after tax, if any, from property received in foreclosure, over

(2)the amount by which our noncash income (e.g., cancellation of indebtedness income, imputed rental income or income from transactions inadvertently failing to qualify as like-kind exchanges) exceeds 5% of our “real estate investment trust taxable income.”

For these purposes, our “real estate investment trust taxable income” is as defined under Section 857 of the IRC and is computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction and our net capital gain and will generally be reduced by specified corporate-level income taxes that we pay (e.g., taxes on built-in gains or foreclosure property income).

Beginning with the calendar taxable year 2018, the IRC generally limits the deductibility of net interest expense paid or accrued on debt properly allocable to a trade or business to 30% of “adjusted taxable income,” subject to specified exceptions. For calendar taxable years 2018 through 2021 and beginning with the calendar taxable year 2025, adjusted taxable

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income was (and is) an amount roughly equivalent to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization; provided, however, adjusted taxable income for calendar taxable years 2022 through 2024 was an amount roughly equivalent to earnings before interest and taxes (i.e., an amount after depreciation and amortization). For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025, the interest deduction limitation generally is calculated prior to the application of any interest capitalization provisions under the IRC. Any deduction in excess of the limitation is carried forward and may be used in a subsequent year, subject to that year’s 30% limitation. Provided a taxpayer makes an election (which is irrevocable), the limitation on the deductibility of net interest expense does not apply to a trade or business involving real property development, redevelopment, construction, reconstruction, acquisition, conversion, rental, operation, management, leasing, or brokerage, within the meaning of Section 469(c)(7)(C) of the IRC. Treasury regulations provide that a real property trade or business includes a trade or business conducted by a REIT. We have made an election to be treated as a real property trade or business and accordingly do not expect the foregoing interest deduction limitations to apply to us or to the calculation of our “real estate investment trust taxable income,” but the interest deduction limitations could apply to our subsidiary partnerships or REITs that are not eligible for or otherwise do not make the election for electing real property trades or businesses.

Distributions must be paid in the taxable year to which they relate, or in the following taxable year if declared before we timely file our federal income tax return for the earlier taxable year and if paid on or before the first regular distribution payment after that declaration. If a dividend is declared in October, November or December to shareholders of record during one of those months and is paid during the following January, then for federal income tax purposes such dividend will be treated as having been both paid and received on December 31 of the prior taxable year to the extent of any undistributed earnings and profits.

The 90% distribution requirements may be waived by the IRS if a REIT establishes that it failed to meet them by reason of distributions previously made to meet the requirements of the 4% excise tax discussed below. To the extent that we do not distribute all of our net capital gain and all of our “real estate investment trust taxable income,” as adjusted, we will be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate income tax rates on undistributed amounts. In addition, we will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax to the extent we fail within a calendar year to make required distributions to our shareholders of 85% of our ordinary income and 95% of our capital gain net income plus the excess, if any, of the “grossed up required distribution” for the preceding calendar year over the amount treated as distributed for that preceding calendar year. For this purpose, the term “grossed up required distribution” for any calendar year is the sum of our taxable income for the calendar year without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and all amounts from earlier years that are not treated as having been distributed under the provision. We will be treated as having sufficient earnings and profits to treat as a dividend any distribution by us up to the amount required to be distributed in order to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax.

If we do not have enough cash or other liquid assets to meet our distribution requirements, or if we so choose, we may find it necessary or desirable to arrange for new debt or equity financing to provide funds for required distributions in order to maintain our qualification for taxation as a REIT. We cannot be sure that financing would be available for these purposes on favorable terms, or at all.

We may be able to rectify a failure to pay sufficient dividends for any year by paying “deficiency dividends” to shareholders in a later year. These deficiency dividends may be included in our deduction for dividends paid for the earlier year, but an interest charge would be imposed upon us for the delay in distribution. While the payment of a deficiency dividend will apply to a prior year for purposes of our REIT distribution requirements and our dividends paid deduction, it will be treated as an additional distribution to the shareholders receiving it in the year such dividend is paid.

In addition to the other distribution requirements above, to preserve our qualification for taxation as a REIT we are required to timely distribute all C corporation earnings and profits that we inherit from acquired corporations, as described below.

We may elect to retain, rather than distribute, some or all of our net capital gain and certain of our cancellation of indebtedness income, if any, and pay income tax on such retained amounts. In addition, if we so elect by making a timely designation to our shareholders, our shareholders would include their proportionate share of such undistributed capital gain in their taxable income, and they would receive a corresponding credit for their share of the federal corporate income tax that we pay thereon. Our shareholders would then increase the adjusted tax basis of their shares by the difference between (a) the amount of capital gain dividends that we designated and that they included in their taxable income, and (b) the tax that we paid on their behalf with respect to that capital gain.

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Acquisitions of C Corporations

We have engaged in and may in the future engage in transactions where we acquire all of the outstanding stock of a C corporation. Upon these acquisitions, except to the extent we have made or do make an applicable TRS election, each of our acquired entities and their various wholly-owned corporate and noncorporate subsidiaries generally became or will become our QRSs. Thus, after such acquisitions, all assets, liabilities and items of income, deduction and credit of the acquired and then disregarded entities have been and will be treated as ours for purposes of the various REIT qualification tests described above. In addition, we generally have been and will be treated as the successor to the acquired (and then disregarded) entities’ federal income tax attributes, such as those entities’ (a) adjusted tax bases in their assets and their depreciation schedules; and (b) earnings and profits for federal income tax purposes, if any. The carryover of these attributes creates REIT implications such as built-in gains tax exposure and additional distribution requirements, as described below. However, when we make an election under Section 338(g) of the IRC with respect to corporations that we acquire, as we have done from time to time in the past, we generally will not be subject to such attribute carryovers in respect of attributes existing prior to such election.

Built-in Gains from C Corporations. Notwithstanding our qualification and taxation as a REIT, under specified circumstances we may be subject to corporate income taxation if we acquire a REIT asset where our adjusted tax basis in the asset is determined by reference to the adjusted tax basis of the asset as owned by a C corporation. For instance, we may be subject to federal income taxation on all or part of the built-in gain that was present on the last date an asset was owned by a C corporation, if we succeed to a carryover tax basis in that asset directly or indirectly from such C corporation and if we sell the asset during the five year period beginning on the day the asset ceased being owned by such C corporation. To the extent of our income and gains in a taxable year that are subject to the built-in gains tax, net of any taxes paid on such income and gains with respect to that taxable year, our taxable dividends paid in the following year will be potentially eligible for taxation to noncorporate U.S. shareholders at the preferential tax rates for “qualified dividends” as described below under the heading “—Taxation of Taxable U.S. Shareholders”. We generally do not expect to sell assets if doing so would result in the imposition of a material built-in gains tax liability; but if and when we do sell assets that may have associated built-in gains tax exposure, then we expect to make appropriate provision for the associated tax liabilities on our financial statements.

Earnings and Profits. Following a corporate acquisition, we must generally distribute all of the C corporation earnings and profits inherited in that transaction, if any, no later than the end of our taxable year in which the transaction occurs, in order to preserve our qualification for taxation as a REIT. However, if we fail to do so, relief provisions would allow us to maintain our qualification for taxation as a REIT, provided we distribute any subsequently discovered C corporation earnings and profits and pay an interest charge in respect of the period of delayed distribution. C corporation earnings and profits that we inherit are, in general, specially allocated under a priority rule to the earliest possible distributions following the event causing the inheritance, and only then is the balance of our earnings and profits for the taxable year allocated among our distributions to the extent not already treated as a distribution of C corporation earnings and profits under the priority rule. The distribution of these C corporation earnings and profits is potentially eligible for taxation to noncorporate U.S. shareholders at the preferential tax rates for “qualified dividends” as described below under the heading “—Taxation of Taxable U.S. Shareholders”.

Depreciation and Federal Income Tax Treatment of Leases

Our initial tax bases in our assets will generally be our acquisition cost. We will generally depreciate our depreciable real property on a straight-line basis over forty years and our personal property over the applicable shorter periods. These depreciation schedules, and our initial tax bases, may vary for properties that we acquire through tax-free or carryover basis acquisitions, or that are the subject of cost segregation analyses.

We are entitled to depreciation deductions from our properties only if we are treated for federal income tax purposes as the owner of the properties. This means that the leases of our properties must be classified for U.S. federal income tax purposes as true leases, rather than as sales or financing arrangements, and we believe this to be the case.

Distributions to our Shareholders

As described above, we expect to make distributions to our shareholders from time to time. These distributions may include cash distributions, in kind distributions of property, and deemed or constructive distributions resulting from capital market activities. The U.S. federal income tax treatment of our distributions will vary based on the status of the recipient shareholder as more fully described below under the headings “—Taxation of Taxable U.S. Shareholders,” “—Taxation of Tax-Exempt U.S. Shareholders,” and “—Taxation of Non-U.S. Shareholders.”

Section 302 of the IRC treats a redemption of our shares for cash only as a distribution under Section 301 of the IRC, and hence taxable as a dividend to the extent of our available current or accumulated earnings and profits, unless the redemption

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satisfies one of the tests set forth in Section 302(b) of the IRC enabling the redemption to be treated as a sale or exchange of the shares. The redemption for cash only will be treated as a sale or exchange if it (a) is “substantially disproportionate” with respect to the surrendering shareholder’s ownership in us, (b) results in a “complete termination” of the surrendering shareholder’s entire share interest in us, or (c) is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” with respect to the surrendering shareholder, all within the meaning of Section 302(b) of the IRC. In determining whether any of these tests have been met, a shareholder must generally take into account shares considered to be owned by such shareholder by reason of constructive ownership rules set forth in the IRC, as well as shares actually owned by such shareholder. In addition, if a redemption is treated as a distribution under the preceding tests, then a shareholder’s tax basis in the redeemed shares generally will be transferred to the shareholder’s remaining shares in us, if any, and if such shareholder owns no other shares in us, such basis generally may be transferred to a related person or may be lost entirely. Because the determination as to whether a shareholder will satisfy any of the tests of Section 302(b) of the IRC depends upon the facts and circumstances at the time that our shares are redeemed, we urge you to consult your own tax advisor to determine the particular tax treatment of any redemption.

Taxation of Taxable U.S. Shareholders

For noncorporate U.S. shareholders, to the extent that their total adjusted income does not exceed applicable thresholds, the maximum federal income tax rate for long-term capital gains and most corporate dividends is generally 15%. For those noncorporate U.S. shareholders whose total adjusted income exceeds the applicable thresholds, the maximum federal income tax rate for long-term capital gains and most corporate dividends is generally 20%. However, because we are not generally subject to federal income tax on the portion of our “real estate investment trust taxable income” distributed to our shareholders, dividends on our shares generally are not eligible for these preferential tax rates, except that any distribution of C corporation earnings and profits and taxed built-in gain items will potentially be eligible for these preferential tax rates. As a result, our ordinary dividends generally are taxed at the higher federal income tax rates applicable to ordinary income (subject to the lower effective tax rates applicable to qualified REIT dividends via the deduction-without-outlay mechanism of Section 199A of the IRC, which is generally available to our noncorporate U.S. shareholders that meet specified holding period requirements). To summarize, the preferential federal income tax rates for long-term capital gains and for qualified dividends generally apply to:

(1)long-term capital gains, if any, recognized on the disposition of our shares;

(2)our distributions designated as long-term capital gain dividends (except to the extent attributable to real estate depreciation recapture, in which case the distributions are subject to a maximum 25% federal income tax rate);

(3)our dividends attributable to dividend income, if any, received by us from C corporations such as TRSs;

(4)our dividends attributable to earnings and profits that we inherit from C corporations; and

(5)our dividends to the extent attributable to income upon which we have paid federal corporate income tax (such as taxes on foreclosure property income or on built-in gains), net of the corporate income taxes thereon.

As long as we qualify for taxation as a REIT, a distribution to our U.S. shareholders that we do not designate as a capital gain dividend generally will be treated as an ordinary income dividend to the extent of our available current or accumulated earnings and profits (subject to the lower effective tax rates applicable to qualified REIT dividends via the deduction-without-outlay mechanism of Section 199A of the IRC, which is generally available to our noncorporate U.S. shareholders that meet specified holding period requirements). Distributions made out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits that we properly designate as capital gain dividends generally will be taxed as long-term capital gains, as discussed below, to the extent they do not exceed our actual net capital gain for the taxable year. However, corporate shareholders may be required to treat up to 20% of any capital gain dividend as ordinary income under Section 291 of the IRC.

If for any taxable year we designate capital gain dividends for our shareholders, then a portion of the capital gain dividends we designate will be allocated to the holders of a particular class of shares on a percentage basis equal to the ratio of the amount of the total dividends paid or made available for the year to the holders of that class of shares to the total dividends paid or made available for the year to holders of all outstanding classes of our shares. We will similarly designate the portion of any dividend that is to be taxed to noncorporate U.S. shareholders at preferential maximum rates (including any qualified dividend income and any capital gains attributable to real estate depreciation recapture that are subject to a maximum 25% federal income tax rate) so that the designations will be proportionate among all outstanding classes of our shares.

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We may elect to retain and pay income taxes on some or all of our net capital gain. In addition, if we so elect by making a timely designation to our shareholders:

(1)each of our U.S. shareholders will be taxed on its designated proportionate share of our retained net capital gains as though that amount were distributed and designated as a capital gain dividend;

(2)each of our U.S. shareholders will receive a credit or refund for its designated proportionate share of the tax that we pay;

(3)each of our U.S. shareholders will increase its adjusted basis in our shares by the excess of the amount of its proportionate share of these retained net capital gains over the U.S. shareholder’s proportionate share of the tax that we pay; and

(4)both we and our corporate shareholders will make commensurate adjustments in our respective earnings and profits for federal income tax purposes.

Distributions in excess of our current or accumulated earnings and profits will not be taxable to a U.S. shareholder to the extent that they do not exceed the shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in our shares, but will reduce the shareholder’s basis in such shares. To the extent that these excess distributions exceed a U.S. shareholder’s adjusted basis in such shares, they will be included in income as capital gain, with long-term gain generally taxed to noncorporate U.S. shareholders at preferential maximum rates. No U.S. shareholder may include on its federal income tax return any of our net operating losses or any of our capital losses. In addition, no portion of any of our dividends is eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.

If a dividend is declared in October, November or December to shareholders of record during one of those months and is paid during the following January, then for federal income tax purposes the dividend will be treated as having been both paid and received on December 31 of the prior taxable year.

A U.S. shareholder will generally recognize gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized and the shareholder’s adjusted basis in our shares that are sold or exchanged. This gain or loss will be capital gain or loss, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shareholder’s holding period in our shares exceeds one year. In addition, any loss upon a sale or exchange of our shares held for six months or less will generally be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gain dividends we paid on such shares during the holding period.

U.S. shareholders who are individuals, estates or trusts are generally required to pay a 3.8% Medicare tax on their net investment income (including dividends on our shares (without regard to any deduction allowed by Section 199A of the IRC) and gains from the sale or other disposition of our shares), or in the case of estates and trusts on their net investment income that is not distributed, in each case to the extent that their total adjusted income exceeds applicable thresholds. U.S. shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application of the 3.8% Medicare tax.

If a U.S. shareholder recognizes a loss upon a disposition of our shares in an amount that exceeds a prescribed threshold, it is possible that the provisions of Treasury regulations involving “reportable transactions” could apply, with a resulting requirement to separately disclose the loss-generating transaction to the IRS. These Treasury regulations are written quite broadly, and apply to many routine and simple transactions. A reportable transaction currently includes, among other things, a sale or exchange of our shares resulting in a tax loss in excess of (a) $10 million in any single year or $20 million in a prescribed combination of taxable years in the case of our shares held by a C corporation or by a partnership with only C corporation partners or (b) $2 million in any single year or $4 million in a prescribed combination of taxable years in the case of our shares held by any other partnership or an S corporation, trust or individual, including losses that flow through pass through entities to individuals. A taxpayer discloses a reportable transaction by filing IRS Form 8886 with its federal income tax return and, in the first year of filing, a copy of Form 8886 must be sent to the IRS’s Office of Tax Shelter Analysis. The annual maximum penalty for failing to disclose a reportable transaction is generally $10,000 in the case of a natural person and $50,000 in any other case.

Noncorporate U.S. shareholders who borrow funds to finance their acquisition of our shares could be limited in the amount of deductions allowed for the interest paid on the indebtedness incurred. Under Section 163(d) of the IRC, interest paid or accrued on indebtedness incurred or continued to purchase or carry property held for investment is generally deductible only to the extent of the investor’s net investment income. A U.S. shareholder’s net investment income will include ordinary income dividend distributions received from us and, only if an appropriate election is made by the shareholder, capital gain dividend

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distributions and qualified dividends received from us; however, distributions treated as a nontaxable return of the shareholder’s basis will not enter into the computation of net investment income.

Taxation of Tax-Exempt U.S. Shareholders

The rules governing the federal income taxation of tax-exempt entities are complex, and the following discussion is intended only as a summary of material considerations of an investment in our shares relevant to such investors. If you are a tax-exempt shareholder, we urge you to consult your own tax advisor to determine the impact of federal, state, local and foreign tax laws, including any tax return filing and other reporting requirements, with respect to your acquisition of or investment in our shares.

We expect that shareholders that are tax-exempt pension plans, individual retirement accounts or other qualifying tax-exempt entities, and that receive (a) distributions from us, or (b) proceeds from the sale of our shares, should not have such amounts treated as UBTI, provided in each case (x) that the shareholder has not financed its acquisition of our shares with “acquisition indebtedness” within the meaning of the IRC, (y) that the shares are not otherwise used in an unrelated trade or business of the tax-exempt entity, and (z) that, consistent with our present intent, we do not hold a residual interest in a real estate mortgage investment conduit or otherwise hold mortgage assets or conduct mortgage securitization activities that generate “excess inclusion” income.

Taxation of Non-U.S. Shareholders

The rules governing the U.S. federal income taxation of non-U.S. shareholders are complex, and the following discussion is intended only as a summary of material considerations of an investment in our shares relevant to such investors. If you are a non-U.S. shareholder, we urge you to consult your own tax advisor to determine the impact of U.S. federal, state, local and foreign tax laws, including any tax return filing and other reporting requirements, with respect to your acquisition of or investment in our shares.

We expect that a non-U.S. shareholder’s receipt of (a) distributions from us, and (b) proceeds from the sale of our shares, will not be treated as income effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business and a non-U.S. shareholder will therefore not be subject to the often higher federal tax and withholding rates, branch profits taxes and increased reporting and filing requirements that apply to income effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business. This expectation and a number of the determinations below are predicated on our shares being listed on a U.S. national securities exchange, such as The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC, or Nasdaq. Each class of our shares has been listed on a U.S. national securities exchange; however, we cannot be sure that our shares will continue to be so listed in future taxable years or that any class of our shares that we may issue in the future will be so listed.

Distributions. A distribution by us to a non-U.S. shareholder that is not designated as a capital gain dividend will be treated as an ordinary income dividend to the extent that it is made out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits. A distribution of this type will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax and withholding at the rate of 30%, or at a lower rate if the non-U.S. shareholder has in the manner prescribed by the IRS demonstrated to the applicable withholding agent its entitlement to benefits under a tax treaty. Because we cannot determine our current and accumulated earnings and profits until the end of the taxable year, withholding at the statutory rate of 30% or applicable lower treaty rate will generally be imposed on the gross amount of any distribution to a non-U.S. shareholder that we make and do not designate as a capital gain dividend. Notwithstanding this potential withholding on distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits, these excess portions of distributions are a nontaxable return of capital to the extent that they do not exceed the non-U.S. shareholder’s adjusted basis in our shares, and the nontaxable return of capital will reduce the adjusted basis in these shares. To the extent that distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits exceed the non-U.S. shareholder’s adjusted basis in our shares, the distributions will give rise to U.S. federal income tax liability only in the unlikely event that the non-U.S. shareholder would otherwise be subject to tax on any gain from the sale or exchange of these shares, as discussed below under the heading “—Dispositions of Our Shares.” A non-U.S. shareholder may seek a refund from the IRS of amounts withheld on distributions to it in excess of such shareholder’s allocable share of our current and accumulated earnings and profits.

For so long as a class of our shares is listed on a U.S. national securities exchange, capital gain dividends that we declare and pay to a non-U.S. shareholder on those shares, as well as dividends to such a non-U.S. shareholder on those shares attributable to our sale or exchange of “United States real property interests” within the meaning of Section 897 of the IRC, or USRPIs, will not be subject to withholding as though those amounts were effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business, and non-U.S. shareholders will not be required to file U.S. federal income tax returns or pay branch profits tax in respect of

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these dividends. Instead, these dividends will generally be treated as ordinary dividends and subject to withholding in the manner described above.

Tax treaties may reduce the withholding obligations on our distributions. Under some treaties, however, rates below 30% that are applicable to ordinary income dividends from U.S. corporations may not apply to ordinary income dividends from a REIT or may apply only if the REIT meets specified additional conditions. A non-U.S. shareholder must generally use an applicable IRS Form W-8, or substantially similar form, to claim tax treaty benefits. If the amount of tax withheld with respect to a distribution to a non-U.S. shareholder exceeds the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability with respect to the distribution, the non-U.S. shareholder may file for a refund of the excess from the IRS. Treasury regulations also provide special rules to determine whether, for purposes of determining the applicability of a tax treaty, our distributions to a non-U.S. shareholder that is an entity should be treated as paid to the entity or to those owning an interest in that entity, and whether the entity or its owners are entitled to benefits under the tax treaty.

If, contrary to our expectation, a class of our shares was not listed on a U.S. national securities exchange and we made a distribution on those shares that was attributable to gain from the sale or exchange of a USRPI, then a non-U.S. shareholder holding those shares would be taxed as if the distribution was gain effectively connected with a trade or business in the United States conducted by the non-U.S. shareholder. In addition, the applicable withholding agent would be required to withhold from a distribution to such a non-U.S. shareholder, and remit to the IRS, up to 21% of the maximum amount of any distribution that was or could have been designated as a capital gain dividend. The non-U.S. shareholder also would generally be subject to the same treatment as a U.S. shareholder with respect to the distribution (subject to any applicable alternative minimum tax and a special alternative minimum tax in the case of a nonresident alien individual), would be subject to fulsome U.S. federal income tax return reporting requirements, and, in the case of a corporate non-U.S. shareholder, may owe the up to 30% branch profits tax under Section 884 of the IRC (or lower applicable tax treaty rate) in respect of these amounts.

Although the law is not entirely clear on the matter, it appears that amounts designated by us as undistributed capital gain in respect of our shares that are held by non-U.S. shareholders generally should be treated in the same manner as actual distributions by us of capital gain dividends. Under this approach, the non-U.S. shareholder would be able to offset as a credit against its resulting U.S. federal income tax liability its proportionate share of the tax paid by us on the undistributed capital gain treated as distributed to the non-U.S. shareholder, and receive from the IRS a refund to the extent its proportionate share of the tax paid by us were to exceed the non-U.S. shareholder’s actual U.S. federal income tax liability on such deemed distribution. If we were to designate any portion of our net capital gain as undistributed capital gain, a non-U.S. shareholder should consult its tax advisors regarding taxation of such undistributed capital gain.

Dispositions of Our Shares. If as expected our shares are not USRPIs, then a non-U.S. shareholder’s gain on the sale of these shares generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation or withholding. We expect that our shares will not be USRPIs because one or both of the following exemptions will be available at all times.

First, for so long as a class of our shares is listed on a U.S. national securities exchange, a non-U.S. shareholder’s gain on the sale of those shares will not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation as a sale of a USRPI. Second, our shares will not constitute USRPIs if we are a “domestically controlled” REIT. We will be a “domestically controlled” REIT if less than 50% of the value of our shares (including any future class of shares that we may issue) is held, directly or indirectly, by non-U.S. shareholders at all times during the preceding five years, after applying specified presumptions regarding the ownership of our shares as described in Section 897(h)(4)(E) of the IRC. For these purposes, we believe that the statutory ownership presumptions apply to validate our status as a “domestically controlled” REIT. Accordingly, we believe that we are and will remain a “domestically controlled” REIT.

If, contrary to our expectation, a gain on the sale of our shares is subject to U.S. federal income taxation (for example, because neither of the above exemptions were then available, i.e., that class of our shares were not then listed on a U.S. national securities exchange and we were not a “domestically controlled” REIT), then (a) a non-U.S. shareholder would generally be subject to the same treatment as a U.S. shareholder with respect to its gain (subject to any applicable alternative minimum tax and a special alternative minimum tax in the case of nonresident alien individuals), (b) the non-U.S. shareholder would also be subject to fulsome U.S. federal income tax return reporting requirements, and (c) a purchaser of that class of our shares from the non-U.S. shareholder may be required to withhold 15% of the purchase price paid to the non-U.S. shareholder and to remit the withheld amount to the IRS.

Information Reporting, Backup Withholding, and Foreign Account Withholding

Information reporting, backup withholding, and foreign account withholding may apply to distributions or proceeds paid to our shareholders under the circumstances discussed below. If a shareholder is subject to backup or other U.S. federal

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income tax withholding, then the applicable withholding agent will be required to withhold the appropriate amount with respect to a deemed or constructive distribution or a distribution in kind even though there is insufficient cash from which to satisfy the withholding obligation. To satisfy this withholding obligation, the applicable withholding agent may collect the amount of U.S. federal income tax required to be withheld by reducing to cash for remittance to the IRS a sufficient portion of the property that the shareholder would otherwise receive or own, and the shareholder may bear brokerage or other costs for this withholding procedure.

Amounts withheld under backup withholding are generally not an additional tax and may be refunded by the IRS or credited against the shareholder’s federal income tax liability, provided that such shareholder timely files for a refund or credit with the IRS. A U.S. shareholder may be subject to backup withholding when it receives distributions on our shares or proceeds upon the sale, exchange, redemption, retirement or other disposition of our shares, unless the U.S. shareholder properly executes, or has previously properly executed, under penalties of perjury an IRS Form W-9 or substantially similar form that:

•provides the U.S. shareholder’s correct taxpayer identification number;

•certifies that the U.S. shareholder is exempt from backup withholding because (a) it comes within an enumerated exempt category, (b) it has not been notified by the IRS that it is subject to backup withholding, or (c) it has been notified by the IRS that it is no longer subject to backup withholding; and

•certifies that it is a U.S. citizen or other U.S. person.

If the U.S. shareholder has not provided and does not provide its correct taxpayer identification number and appropriate certifications on an IRS Form W-9 or substantially similar form, it may be subject to penalties imposed by the IRS, and the applicable withholding agent may have to withhold a portion of any distributions or proceeds paid to such U.S. shareholder. Unless the U.S. shareholder has established on a properly executed IRS Form W-9 or substantially similar form that it comes within an enumerated exempt category, distributions or proceeds on our shares paid to it during the calendar year, and the amount of tax withheld, if any, will be reported to it and to the IRS.

Distributions on our shares to a non-U.S. shareholder during each calendar year and the amount of tax withheld, if any, will generally be reported to the non-U.S. shareholder and to the IRS. This information reporting requirement applies regardless of whether the non-U.S. shareholder is subject to withholding on distributions on our shares or whether the withholding was reduced or eliminated by an applicable tax treaty. Also, distributions paid to a non-U.S. shareholder on our shares will generally be subject to backup withholding, unless the non-U.S. shareholder properly certifies to the applicable withholding agent its non-U.S. shareholder status on an applicable IRS Form W-8 or substantially similar form. Information reporting and backup withholding will not apply to proceeds a non-U.S. shareholder receives upon the sale, exchange, redemption, retirement or other disposition of our shares, if the non-U.S. shareholder properly certifies to the applicable withholding agent its non-U.S. shareholder status on an applicable IRS Form W-8 or substantially similar form. Even without having executed an applicable IRS Form W-8 or substantially similar form, however, in some cases information reporting and backup withholding will not apply to proceeds that a non-U.S. shareholder receives upon the sale, exchange, redemption, retirement or other disposition of our shares if the non-U.S. shareholder receives those proceeds through a broker’s foreign office.

Non-U.S. financial institutions and other non-U.S. entities are subject to diligence and reporting requirements for purposes of identifying accounts and investments held directly or indirectly by U.S. persons. The failure to comply with these additional information reporting, certification and other requirements could result in a 30% U.S. withholding tax on applicable payments to non-U.S. persons, notwithstanding any otherwise applicable provisions of an income tax treaty. In particular, a payee that is a foreign financial institution that is subject to the diligence and reporting requirements described above must enter into an agreement with the U.S. Department of the Treasury requiring, among other things, that it undertake to identify accounts held by “specified United States persons” or “United States owned foreign entities” (each as defined in the IRC and administrative guidance thereunder), annually report information about such accounts, and withhold 30% on applicable payments to noncompliant foreign financial institutions and account holders. Foreign financial institutions located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the United States with respect to these requirements may be subject to different rules. The foregoing withholding regime generally applies to payments of dividends on our shares. In general, to avoid withholding, any non-U.S. intermediary through which a shareholder owns our shares must establish its compliance with the foregoing regime, and a non-U.S. shareholder must provide specified documentation (usually an applicable IRS Form W-8) containing information about its identity, its status, and if required, its direct and indirect U.S. owners. Non-U.S. shareholders and shareholders who hold our shares through a non-U.S. intermediary are encouraged to consult their own tax advisors regarding foreign account tax compliance.

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Other Tax Considerations

Our tax treatment and that of our shareholders may be modified by legislative, judicial or administrative actions at any time, which actions may have retroactive effect. The rules dealing with federal income taxation are constantly under review by the U.S. Congress, the IRS and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and statutory changes, new regulations, revisions to existing regulations and revised interpretations of established concepts are issued frequently. Likewise, the rules regarding taxes other than U.S. federal income taxes may also be modified. No prediction can be made as to the likelihood of passage of new tax legislation or other provisions, or the direct or indirect effect on us and our shareholders. Revisions to tax laws and interpretations of these laws could adversely affect our ability to qualify and be taxed as a REIT, as well as the tax or other consequences of an investment in our shares. We and our shareholders may also be subject to taxation by state, local or other jurisdictions, including those in which we or our shareholders transact business or reside. These tax consequences may not be comparable to the U.S. federal income tax consequences discussed above.

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ERISA PLANS, KEOGH PLANS AND INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS

General Fiduciary Obligations

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, or ERISA, the IRC and similar provisions to those described below under applicable foreign or state law, individually and collectively, impose certain duties on persons who are fiduciaries of any employee benefit plan subject to Title I of ERISA, or an ERISA Plan, or an individual retirement account or annuity, or an IRA, a Roth IRA, a tax-favored account (such as an Archer MSA, Coverdell education savings account or health savings account), a Keogh plan or other qualified retirement plan not subject to Title I of ERISA, each a Non-ERISA Plan. Under ERISA and the IRC, any person who exercises any discretionary authority or control over the administration of, or the management or disposition of the assets of, an ERISA Plan or Non-ERISA Plan, or who renders investment advice for a fee or other compensation to an ERISA Plan or Non-ERISA Plan, is generally considered to be a fiduciary of the ERISA Plan or Non-ERISA Plan.

Fiduciaries of an ERISA Plan must consider whether:

•their investment in our shares or other securities satisfies the diversification requirements of ERISA;

•the investment is prudent in light of possible limitations on the marketability of our shares;

•they have authority to acquire our shares or other securities under the applicable governing instrument and Title I of ERISA; and

•the investment is otherwise consistent with their fiduciary responsibilities.

Fiduciaries of an ERISA Plan may incur personal liability for any loss suffered by the ERISA Plan on account of a violation of their fiduciary responsibilities. In addition, these fiduciaries may be subject to a civil penalty of up to 20% of any amount recovered by the ERISA Plan on account of a violation. Fiduciaries of any Non-ERISA Plan should consider that the Non-ERISA Plan may only make investments that are authorized by the appropriate governing instrument and applicable law.

Fiduciaries considering an investment in our securities should consult their own legal advisors if they have any concern as to whether the investment is consistent with the foregoing criteria or is otherwise appropriate. The sale of our securities to an ERISA Plan or Non-ERISA Plan is in no respect a representation by us or any underwriter of the securities that the investment meets all relevant legal requirements with respect to investments by the arrangements generally or any particular arrangement, or that the investment is appropriate for arrangements generally or any particular arrangement.

Prohibited Transactions

Fiduciaries of ERISA Plans and persons making the investment decision for Non-ERISA Plans should consider the application of the prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA and the IRC in making their investment decision. Sales and other transactions between an ERISA Plan or a Non-ERISA Plan and disqualified persons or parties in interest, as applicable, are prohibited transactions and result in adverse consequences absent an exemption. The particular facts concerning the sponsorship, operations and other investments of an ERISA Plan or Non-ERISA Plan may cause a wide range of persons to be treated as disqualified persons or parties in interest with respect to it. A non-exempt prohibited transaction, in addition to imposing potential personal liability upon ERISA Plan fiduciaries, may also result in the imposition of an excise tax under the IRC or a penalty under ERISA upon the disqualified person or party in interest. If the disqualified person who engages in the transaction is the individual on behalf of whom an IRA, Roth IRA or other tax-favored account is maintained (or their beneficiary), the IRA, Roth IRA or other tax-favored account may lose its tax-exempt status and its assets may be deemed to have been distributed to the individual in a taxable distribution on account of the non-exempt prohibited transaction, but no excise tax will be imposed. Fiduciaries considering an investment in our securities should consult their own legal advisors as to whether the ownership of our securities involves a non-exempt prohibited transaction.

“Plan Assets” Considerations

The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a regulation defining “plan assets.” The regulation, as subsequently modified by ERISA, generally provides that when an ERISA Plan or a Non-ERISA Plan otherwise subject to Title I of ERISA and/or Section 4975 of the IRC acquires an interest in an entity that is neither a “publicly offered security” nor a security issued by an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the assets of the ERISA Plan or Non-ERISA Plan include both the equity interest and an undivided interest in each of the underlying assets of the entity, unless it is

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established either that the entity is an operating company or that equity participation in the entity by benefit plan investors is not significant. We are not an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

Each class of our equity (that is, our common shares and any other class of equity that we may issue) must be analyzed separately to ascertain whether it is a publicly offered security. The regulation defines a publicly offered security as a security that is “widely held,” “freely transferable” and either part of a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act, or sold under an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, provided the securities are registered under the Exchange Act within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year of the issuer during which the offering occurred. Each class of our outstanding shares has been registered under the Exchange Act within the necessary time frame to satisfy the foregoing condition.

The regulation provides that a security is “widely held” only if it is part of a class of securities that is owned by 100 or more investors independent of the issuer and of one another. However, a security will not fail to be “widely held” because the number of independent investors falls below 100 subsequent to the initial public offering as a result of events beyond the issuer’s control. Although we cannot be sure, we believe our common shares have been and will remain widely held, and we expect the same to be true of any future class of equity that we may issue.

The regulation provides that whether a security is “freely transferable” is a factual question to be determined on the basis of all relevant facts and circumstances. The regulation further provides that, where a security is part of an offering in which the minimum investment is $10,000 or less, some restrictions on transfer ordinarily will not, alone or in combination, affect a finding that the securities are freely transferable. The restrictions on transfer enumerated in the regulation as not affecting that finding include any restriction on or prohibition against any transfer or assignment that would result in a termination or reclassification for federal or state tax purposes, or would otherwise violate any state or federal law or court order. Additionally, limitations or restrictions on the transfer or assignment of a security that are created or imposed by persons other than the issuer of a security or persons acting for or on behalf of the issuer will ordinarily not prevent the security from being considered freely transferable.

We believe that the restrictions imposed under our declaration of trust and bylaws on the transfer of shares do not result in the failure of our shares to be “freely transferable.” In addition, we do not expect or intend to impose in the future, or to permit any person to impose on our behalf, on shares owned by an ERISA Plan or Non-ERISA Plan, any limitations or restrictions on transfer that would not be among the enumerated permissible limitations or restrictions in the regulation and that would otherwise result in the failure of our shares to be “freely transferable”. Assuming that each class of our shares will be “widely held” and that no facts and circumstances exist that prevent shares owned by an ERISA Plan or Non-ERISA Plan from being “freely transferable” for purposes of the regulation, our counsel, Sullivan & Worcester LLP, is of the opinion that under the regulation each class of our currently outstanding shares is publicly offered and our assets will not be deemed to be “plan assets” of any ERISA Plan or Non-ERISA Plan that acquires our shares in a public offering. This opinion is conditioned upon certain assumptions and representations, as discussed above under the heading “Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations—Taxation as a REIT.” Also, the opinion of our counsel is not binding on either the Department of Labor or a court, and either could take a position different from that expressed by our counsel.