Item 4. Controls and Procedures

Essex Property Trust, Inc.

As of September 30, 2021, Essex carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of management, including Essex’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of Essex's disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act). Based upon that evaluation, Essex’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that as of September 30, 2021, Essex's disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure that the information required to be disclosed by Essex in the reports that Essex files or submits under the Exchange Act was recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC's rules and forms and that such disclosure controls and procedures were also effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports that Essex files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to Essex’s management, including Essex’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

There were no changes in Essex's internal control over financial reporting, that occurred during the quarter ended September 30, 2021, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, Essex’s internal control over financial reporting.

Essex Portfolio, L.P.

As of September 30, 2021, the Operating Partnership carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of management, including Essex's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Operating Partnership's disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act). Based upon that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that as of September 30, 2021, the Operating Partnership's disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure that the information required to be disclosed by the Operating Partnership in the reports that the Operating Partnership files or submits under the Exchange Act was recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC's rules and forms and that such disclosure controls and procedures were also effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports that the Operating Partnership files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the Operating Partnership’s management, including Essex's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

There were no changes in the Operating Partnership's internal control over financial reporting, that occurred during the quarter ended September 30, 2021, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Operating Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting.

Part II -- Other Information

Item 1: Legal Proceedings

Table of Contents

The Company is subject to various lawsuits in the normal course of its business operations. While the resolution of any such matter cannot be predicted with certainty, the Company is not currently a party to any legal proceedings nor is any legal proceeding currently threatened against the Company that the Company believes, individually or in the aggregate, would have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.