UDR 10-K 2016-12-31

10-K 1 a201610-k.htm 10-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016

OR

Commission file number 1-10524 (UDR, Inc.)

Commission file number 333-156002-01 (United Dominion Realty, L.P.)

UDR, Inc.

United Dominion Realty, L.P.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

1745 Shea Center Drive, Suite 200, Highlands Ranch, Colorado 80129

(Address of principal executive offices) (zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (720) 283-6120

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

(Title of Class)

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. þ

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

The aggregate market value of the shares of common stock of UDR, Inc. held by non-affiliates on June 30, 2016 was approximately $3.3 billion. This calculation excludes shares of common stock held by the registrant’s officers and directors and each person known by the registrant to beneficially own more than 5% of the registrant’s outstanding shares, as such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This determination of affiliate status should not be deemed conclusive for any other purpose. As of February 17, 2017, there were 267,370,704 shares of UDR, Inc.’s common stock outstanding.

There is no public trading market for the partnership units of United Dominion Realty, L.P. As a result, an aggregate market value of the partnership units of United Dominion Realty, L.P. cannot be determined.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

The information required by Part III of this Report, to the extent not set forth herein, is incorporated by reference from UDR, Inc.’s definitive proxy statement for the 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes financial statements required under Rule 3-09 of Regulation S-X for UDR Lighthouse DownREIT L.P.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Report combines the annual reports on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 of UDR, Inc., a Maryland corporation, and United Dominion Realty, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, of which UDR, Inc. is the parent company and sole general partner. Unless the context otherwise requires, all references in this Report to “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company,” “UDR” or “UDR, Inc.” refer collectively to UDR, Inc., together with its consolidated subsidiaries and joint ventures, including United Dominion Realty, L.P. and UDR Lighthouse DownREIT L.P. (the “DownREIT Partnership”), both Delaware limited partnerships of which UDR is the sole general partner. Unless the context otherwise requires, the references in this Report to the “Operating Partnership” or the “OP” refer to United Dominion Realty, L.P., together with its consolidated subsidiaries. “Common stock” refers to the common stock of UDR and “stockholders” means the holders of shares of UDR’s common stock and preferred stock. The limited partnership interests of the Operating Partnership and the DownREIT Partnership are referred to as “OP Units” and “DownREIT Units” respectively, and the holders of the OP Units and DownREIT Units are referred to as “unitholders.” This combined Form 10-K is being filed separately by UDR and the Operating Partnership.

There are a number of differences between the Company and the Operating Partnership, which are reflected in our disclosure in this Report. UDR is a real estate investment trust (“REIT”), whose most significant asset is its ownership interest in the Operating Partnership. UDR also conducts business through other subsidiaries, including its taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”). UDR acts as the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, holds interests in subsidiaries and joint ventures, owns and operates properties, issues securities from time to time and guarantees debt of certain of our subsidiaries. The Operating Partnership conducts the operations of a substantial portion of the business and is structured as a partnership with no publicly traded equity securities. The Operating Partnership has guaranteed certain outstanding debt of UDR.

As of December 31, 2016, UDR owned 110,883 units (100%) of the general partnership interests of the Operating Partnership and 174,119,201 units (or approximately 95.1%) of the limited partnership interests of the Operating Partnership. UDR conducts a substantial amount of its business and holds a substantial amount of its assets through the Operating Partnership, and, by virtue of its ownership of the OP Units and being the Operating Partnership’s sole general partner, UDR has the ability to control all of the day-to-day operations of the Operating Partnership. Separate financial statements and accompanying notes, as well as separate discussions under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” “Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchasers of Equity Securities” and “Control and Procedures” are provided for each of UDR and the Operating Partnership. In addition, certain disclosures in “Business” are separated by entity to the extent that the discussion relates to UDR’s business outside of the Operating Partnership.

PART I

Forward-Looking Statements

This Report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements concerning property acquisitions and dispositions, development activity and capital expenditures, capital raising activities, rent growth, occupancy, and rental expense growth. Words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “likely,” “will,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results of operations or plans expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among other things, unfavorable changes in the apartment market, changing economic conditions, the impact of inflation/deflation on rental rates and property operating expenses, expectations concerning availability of capital and the stability of the capital markets, the impact of competition and competitive pricing, acquisitions, developments and redevelopments not achieving anticipated results, delays in completing developments, redevelopments and lease-ups on schedule, expectations on job growth, home affordability and demand/supply ratio for multifamily housing, expectations concerning development and redevelopment activities, expectations on occupancy levels and rental rates, expectations concerning the joint ventures with third parties, expectations that automation will help grow net operating income, and expectations on annualized net operating income.

The following factors, among others, could cause our future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements:

A discussion of these and other factors affecting our business and prospects is set forth in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors. We encourage investors to review these risk factors.

Although we believe that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, and therefore such statements included in this Report may not prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that the results or conditions described in such statements or our objectives and plans will be achieved.

Forward-looking statements and such risks, uncertainties and other factors speak only as of the date of this Report, and we expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained herein, to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto, or any other change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except to the extent otherwise required by law.

General

UDR is a self-administered real estate investment trust, or REIT, that owns, operates, acquires, renovates, develops, redevelops, disposes of and manages multifamily apartment communities generally located in high barrier-to-entry markets throughout the United States. The high barrier-to-entry markets are characterized by limited land for new construction, difficult and lengthy entitlement processes, low single-family home affordability and strong employment growth potential. At December 31, 2016, our consolidated real estate portfolio included 127 communities located in 18 markets, with a total of 39,454 completed apartment homes, which are held directly or through our subsidiaries, including the Operating Partnership and the DownREIT Partnership, and consolidated joint ventures. In addition, we have an ownership interest in 27 communities containing 6,849 apartment homes through unconsolidated joint ventures or partnerships. As of December 31, 2016, the Company was developing two wholly-owned communities with 1,101 apartment homes, none of which have been completed, and four unconsolidated joint venture communities with 1,069 apartment homes, 99 of which have been completed.

At December 31, 2016, the Operating Partnership’s consolidated real estate portfolio included 54 communities located in 14 markets, with a total of 16,698 completed apartment homes. The Operating Partnership owns, operates, acquires, renovates, develops, redevelops, and manages multifamily apartment communities generally located in high barrier-to-entry markets located throughout the United States. During the year ended December 31, 2016, revenues of the Operating Partnership represented approximately 43% of our total rental revenues.

UDR has elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, which we refer to in this Report as the “Code.” To continue to qualify as a REIT, we must continue to meet certain tests which, among other things, generally require that our assets consist primarily of real estate assets, our income be derived primarily from real estate assets, and that we distribute at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (other than our net capital gains) to our stockholders annually. As a REIT, we generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes at the corporate level on our net income to the extent we distribute such net income to our stockholders annually. In 2016, we declared total distributions of $1.18 per common share and paid dividends of $1.1625 per common share.

UDR was formed in 1972 as a Virginia corporation. In June 2003, we changed our state of incorporation from Virginia to Maryland. The Operating Partnership is the successor-in-interest to United Dominion Realty, L.P., a limited partnership formed under the laws of Virginia, which commenced operations in 1995. The Operating Partnership was redomiciled in 2004 as a Delaware limited partnership. Our corporate offices are located at 1745 Shea Center Drive, Suite 200, Highlands Ranch, Colorado and our telephone number is (720) 283-6120. Our website is www.udr.com. The information contained on our website, including any information referred to in this Report as being available on our website, is not a part of or incorporated into this Report.

As of February 17, 2017, we had 1,550 full-time associates and 37 part-time associates, all of whom were employed by UDR.

Reporting Segments

We report in two segments: Same-Store Communities and Non-Mature Communities/Other.

Our Same-Store Communities segment includes those communities acquired, developed, and stabilized prior to January 1, 2015, and held as of December 31, 2016. These communities were owned and had stabilized occupancy and operating expenses as of the beginning of the prior year, there is no plan to conduct substantial redevelopment activities, and the community is not classified as held for disposition at year end. A community is considered to have stabilized occupancy once it achieves 90% occupancy for at least three consecutive months.

Our Non-Mature Communities/Other segment represents those communities that do not meet the criteria to be included in Same-Store Communities, including, but not limited to, recently acquired, developed and redeveloped communities, and the non-apartment components of mixed use properties. For additional information regarding our operating segments, see Note 16, Reportable Segments, in the Notes to the UDR Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Report and Note 11, Reportable Segments, in the Notes to the Operating Partnership’s Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Report.

Business Objectives

Our principal business objective is to maximize the economic returns of our apartment communities to provide our stockholders with the greatest possible total return and value. To achieve this objective, we intend to continue to pursue the following goals and strategies:

2016 Highlights

Refer to Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, for further information on the Company’s and the Operating Partnership’s activities in 2016.

Our Strategies and Vision

Our vision is to be the innovative multifamily public REIT of choice. Our strategic priorities are:

1. Strengthen the Quality of Our Diversified Portfolio

2. Flexible/Strong Balance Sheet

3. Increase Cash Flow to Support Dividend Growth through Operating Excellence

4. A Great Place to Work and Live

Quality of Our Diversified Portfolio

We are focused on increasing our presence in markets with favorable job formation, high propensity to rent, low single-family home affordability, and a favorable demand/supply ratio for multifamily housing. Portfolio investment decisions consider internal analyses and third-party research.

Acquisitions and Dispositions

When evaluating potential acquisitions, we consider:

We regularly monitor our assets to increase the quality and performance of our portfolio. Factors we consider in deciding whether to dispose of a property include:

The following table summarizes our apartment community acquisitions and dispositions and our consolidated year-end ownership position for the past five years (dollars in thousands):

The following table summarizes our apartment community acquisitions and dispositions and our year-end ownership position of the Operating Partnership for the past five years (dollars in thousands):

(a) Includes 3,107 homes deconsolidated in 2015 upon contribution of communities by the Operating Partnership to the DownREIT Partnership.

Development Activities

Our objective in developing a community is to create value while improving the quality of our portfolio. Demographic trends, economic drivers, and how multifamily fundamentals/valuations have trended over the long-term govern our review process on where to allocate development capital. At December 31, 2016, our development pipeline included two wholly-owned communities located in Huntington Beach, California and Boston, Massachusetts with 1,101 homes and a budget of $708.5 million, in which we have a carrying value of $342.3 million.

Redevelopment Activities

Our objective in redeveloping a community is twofold: we aim to meaningfully grow rental rates while also producing a higher yielding and more valuable asset through asset quality improvement. During 2016, we continued to redevelop properties in primary markets where we concluded there was an opportunity to add value. At December 31, 2016, the Company was redeveloping 425 apartment homes, 351 of which have been completed, at three wholly-owned communities located in San Francisco, California, Austin, Texas, and Dallas, Texas. During the year ended December 31, 2016, we incurred $21.3 million in major renovations, which include major structural changes and/or architectural revisions to existing buildings.

Joint Venture and Partnership Activities

We have entered into, and may continue in the future to enter into, joint ventures (including limited liability companies or partnerships) through which we would own an indirect economic interest of less than 100% of the community or communities owned directly by such joint ventures. Our decision to either hold an apartment community in fee simple or have an indirect interest in the community through a joint venture is based on a variety of factors and considerations, including: (i) the economic and tax terms required by the seller of land or a community; (ii) our desire to diversify our portfolio of communities by market, submarket and product type; (iii) our desire at times to preserve our capital resources to maintain liquidity or balance sheet strength; and (iv) our projections, in some circumstances, that we will achieve higher returns on our invested capital or reduce our risk if a joint venture vehicle is used. Each joint venture agreement is individually negotiated, and our ability to operate and/or dispose of a community in our sole discretion may be limited to varying degrees depending on the terms of the joint venture agreement.

Balance Sheet Management

We maintain a capital structure that we believe allows us to proactively source potential investment opportunities in the marketplace. We have structured our debt maturity schedule to be able to opportunistically access both secured and unsecured debt markets when appropriate.

Financing Activities

As part of our plan to finance our activities, we utilize proceeds from debt and equity offerings and refinancings to extend maturities, pay down existing debt, fund development and redevelopment activities, and acquire apartment communities.

Operational Excellence, Cash Flow and Dividend Growth

Investment in new technologies continues to drive operating efficiencies in our business and help us to better meet the changing needs of our residents. Our residents have the ability to conduct business with us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and complete online leasing applications and renewals throughout our portfolio using our web-based resident internet portal.

As a result of transforming our operations through technology, residents’ satisfaction improved, and our operating teams have become more efficient. Web-based technologies have also resulted in declining marketing and advertising costs, improved cash management, and better pricing management of our available apartment homes.

Operating Partnership Strategies and Vision

The Operating Partnership’s long-term strategic plan is to achieve greater operating efficiencies by investing in fewer, more concentrated markets and enhance resident and associate service through technology. As a result, the Operating Partnership has sought to expand its interests in communities located in New York, New York; San Francisco Bay Area, California; Boston, Massachusetts; and Metropolitan D.C. over the past years. Prospectively, we plan to continue to channel new investments into those markets we believe will continue to provide the best investment returns. Markets will be targeted based upon defined criteria including above average job growth, household income, low single-family home affordability and limited new supply for multifamily housing, which are key drivers to strong rental growth.

Competitive Conditions

Competition for new residents is generally intense across all of our markets. Some competing communities offer features that our communities do not have. Competing communities can use rental concessions or lower rents to obtain temporary competitive advantages. Also, some competing communities are larger or newer than our communities. The competitive position of each community is different depending upon many factors, including sub-market supply and demand. In addition, other real estate investors compete with us to acquire existing properties, redevelop existing properties, and to develop new properties. These competitors include insurance companies, pension and investment funds, public and private real estate companies, investment companies and other public and private apartment REITs, some of which may have greater resources, or lower capital costs, than we do.

We believe that, in general, we are well-positioned to compete effectively for residents and investments. We believe our competitive advantages include:

Moving forward, we will continue to optimize lease management, improve expense control, increase resident retention efforts and align employee incentive plans with our bottom line performance. We believe this plan of operation, coupled with the portfolio’s strengths in targeting renters across a geographically diverse platform, should position us for continued operational upside.

Communities

At December 31, 2016, our consolidated real estate portfolio included 127 communities with a total of 39,454 completed apartment homes, which included the Operating Partnership’s consolidated real estate portfolio of 54 communities with a total of 16,698 completed apartment homes. The overall quality of our portfolio enables us to raise rents and to attract residents with higher levels of disposable income who are more likely to absorb such rents.

At December 31, 2016, the Company was developing two wholly-owned communities with 1,101 apartment homes, none of which have been completed. The communities being developed are not part of the Operating Partnership’s real estate portfolio.

At December 31, 2016, the Company was redeveloping 425 apartment homes, 351 of which have been completed, at three wholly-owned communities. One of these communities under redevelopment is held by the Operating Partnership.

Same-Store Community Comparison

We believe that one pertinent quantitative measurement of the performance of our portfolio is tracking the results of our Same-Store Communities’ NOI, which is total rental revenue, less rental and other operating expenses excluding property

management. Our Same-Store Community population is comprised of operating communities which we own and have stabilized occupancy, revenues and expenses as of the beginning of the prior year.

For the year ended December 31, 2016, our Same-Store NOI increased by $31.4 million compared to the prior year. Our Same-Store Community properties provided 76.9% of our total NOI for the year ended December 31, 2016. The increase in NOI for the 31,930 Same-Store apartment homes, or 80.9% of our portfolio, was driven by an increase in rental rates and fee and reimbursement income, partially offset by an increase in real estate taxes.

For the year ended December 31, 2016, the Operating Partnership’s Same-Store NOI increased by $15.8 million compared to the prior year. The Operating Partnership’s Same-Store Community properties provided 79.9% of its total NOI for the year ended December 31, 2016. The increase in NOI for the 14,001 Same-Store apartment homes, or 83.8% of the Operating Partnership’s portfolio, was driven by an increase in rental rates and a decrease in operating expenses.

Revenue growth in 2017 may be impacted by adverse developments affecting the general economy, reduced occupancy rates, increased rental concessions, new supply, increased bad debt and other factors which may adversely impact our ability to increase rents.

Tax Matters

UDR has elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Code. To continue to qualify as a REIT, UDR must continue to meet certain tests that, among other things, generally require that our assets consist primarily of real estate assets, our income be derived primarily from real estate assets, and that we distribute at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (other than net capital gains) to our stockholders annually. Provided we maintain our qualification as a REIT, we generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes at the corporate level on our net income to the extent such net income is distributed to our stockholders annually. Even if we continue to qualify as a REIT, we will continue to be subject to certain federal, state and local taxes on our income and property.

We may utilize our taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”) to engage in activities that REITs may be prohibited from performing, including the provision of management and other services to third parties and the conduct of certain nonqualifying real estate transactions. Our TRS generally is taxable as a regular corporation, and therefore, subject to federal, state and local income taxes.

The Operating Partnership intends to qualify as a partnership for federal income tax purposes. As a partnership, the Operating Partnership generally is not a taxable entity and does not incur federal income tax liability. However, any state or local revenue, excise or franchise taxes that result from the operating activities of the Operating Partnership are incurred at the entity level.

Inflation

We believe that the direct effects of inflation on our operations have been immaterial. While the impact of inflation primarily impacts our results through wage pressures, property taxes, utilities and material costs, the majority of our apartment leases have terms of 12 months or less, which generally enables us to compensate for any inflationary effects by increasing rents on our apartment homes. Although an escalation in costs could have a negative impact on our residents and their ability to absorb rent increases, we do not believe this has had a material impact on our results for the year ended December 31, 2016.

Environmental Matters

Various environmental laws govern certain aspects of the ongoing operation of our communities. Such environmental laws include those regulating the existence of asbestos-containing materials in buildings, management of surfaces with lead-based paint (and notices to residents about the lead-based paint), use of active underground petroleum storage tanks, and waste-management activities. The failure to comply with such requirements could subject us to a government enforcement action and/or claims for damages by a private party.

To date, compliance with federal, state and local environmental protection regulations has not had a material effect on our capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position. We have a property management plan for hazardous materials. As part of the plan, Phase I environmental site investigations and reports have been completed for each property we acquire. In addition, all proposed acquisitions are inspected prior to acquisition. The inspections are conducted by qualified environmental consultants, and we review the issued report prior to the purchase or development of any property. Nevertheless, it is possible that the environmental assessments will not reveal all environmental liabilities, or that some material environmental liabilities exist of which we are unaware. In some cases, we have abandoned otherwise economically attractive acquisitions because the costs of removal or control of hazardous materials have been prohibitive or we have been unwilling to accept the potential risks

involved. We do not believe we will be required to engage in any large-scale abatement at any of our properties. We believe that through professional environmental inspections and testing for asbestos, lead paint and other hazardous materials, coupled with a relatively conservative posture toward accepting known environmental risk, we can minimize our exposure to potential liability associated with environmental hazards.

Federal legislation requires owners and landlords of residential housing constructed prior to 1978 to disclose to potential residents or purchasers of the communities any known lead paint hazards and imposes treble damages for failure to provide such notification. In addition, lead based paint in any of the communities may result in lead poisoning in children residing in that community if chips or particles of such lead based paint are ingested, and we may be held liable under state laws for any such injuries caused by ingestion of lead based paint by children living at the communities.

We are unaware of any environmental hazards at any of our properties that individually or in the aggregate may have a material adverse impact on our operations or financial position. We have not been notified by any governmental authority, and we are not otherwise aware, of any material non-compliance, liability, or claim relating to environmental liabilities in connection with any of our properties. We do not believe that the cost of continued compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations will have a material adverse effect on us or our financial condition or results of operations. Future environmental laws, regulations, or ordinances, however, may require additional remediation of existing conditions that are not currently actionable. Also, if more stringent requirements are imposed on us in the future, the costs of compliance could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and our financial condition.

Insurance

We carry comprehensive general liability coverage on our communities, with limits of liability customary within the multi family apartment industry to insure against liability claims and related defense costs. We are also insured, with limits of liability customary within the multi family apartment industry, against the risk of direct physical damage in amounts necessary to reimburse us on a replacement cost basis for costs incurred to repair or rebuild each property, including loss of rental income during the reconstruction period.

Available Information

Both UDR and the Operating Partnership file electronically with the Securities and Exchange Commission their respective annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K, pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. You may obtain a free copy of our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports on the day of filing with the SEC on our website at www.udr.com, or by sending an e-mail message to ir@udr.com.

There are many factors that affect the business and the results of operations of the Company and the Operating Partnership, some of which are beyond the control of the Company and the Operating Partnership. The following is a description of important factors that may cause the actual results of operations of the Company and the Operating Partnership in future periods to differ materially from those currently expected or discussed in forward-looking statements set forth in this Report relating to our financial results, operations and business prospects. Forward-looking statements and such risks, uncertainties and other factors speak only as of the date of this Report, and we expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained herein, to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto, or any other change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except to the extent otherwise required by law.

Risks Related to Our Real Estate Investments and Our Operations

Unfavorable Apartment Market and Economic Conditions Could Adversely Affect Occupancy Levels, Rental Revenues and the Value of Our Real Estate Assets. Unfavorable market conditions in the areas in which we operate and unfavorable economic conditions generally may significantly affect our occupancy levels, our rental rates and collections, the value of the properties and our ability to strategically acquire or dispose of apartment communities on economically favorable terms. Our ability to lease our properties at favorable rates is adversely affected by the increase in supply in the multifamily and other rental markets and is dependent upon the overall level in the economy, which is adversely affected by, among other things, job losses and unemployment levels, recession, personal debt levels, a downturn in the housing market, stock market volatility and uncertainty about the future. Some of our major expenses generally do not decline when related rents decline. We would expect that declines in our occupancy levels, rental revenues and/or the values of our apartment communities would cause us to have less cash available to pay our indebtedness and to distribute to UDR’s stockholders, which could adversely affect our financial condition and the market value of our securities. Factors that may affect our occupancy levels, our rental revenues, and/or the value of our properties include the following, among others:

We May Be Unable to Renew Leases or Relet Apartment Units as Leases Expire, or the Terms of Renewals or New Leases May Be Less Favorable Than Current Leases. When our residents decide to leave our apartments, whether because they decide not to renew their leases or they leave prior to their lease expiration date, we may not be able to relet their apartment units. Even if the residents do renew or we can relet the apartment units, the terms of renewal or reletting may be less favorable than current lease terms. Furthermore, because the majority of our apartment leases have terms of 12 months or less, our rental revenues are impacted by declines in market rents more quickly than if our leases were for longer terms. If we are unable to promptly renew the leases or relet the apartment units, or if the rental rates upon renewal or reletting are significantly lower than expected rates, then our results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected. If residents do not experience increases in their income, we may be unable to increase rent and/or delinquencies may increase.

We Face Certain Risks Related to Our Retail and Commercial Space. Certain of our properties include retail or commercial space that we lease to third parties. The long term nature of our retail and commercial leases (generally five to ten years with market based renewal options) and the characteristics of many of our tenants (generally small and/or local businesses) may subject us to certain risks. The longer term leases could result in below market lease rates over time if we do not accurately judge the potential increases in market rental rates. We may not be able to lease new space for rents that are consistent with our projections or for market rates. Also, when leases for our retail or commercial space expire, the space may not be relet or the terms of reletting, including the cost of allowances and concessions to tenants, may be less favorable than the prior lease terms. Our properties compete with other properties with retail or commercial space. The presence of competitive alternatives may affect our ability to lease space and the level of rents we can obtain. If our retail or commercial tenants experience financial distress or bankruptcy, they may fail to comply with their contractual obligations, seek concessions in order to continue operations or cease their operations, which could adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.

Risk of Inflation/Deflation. Substantial inflationary or deflationary pressures could have a negative effect on rental rates and property operating expenses. The general risk of inflation is that interest on our debt and general and administrative expenses increase at a rate faster than increases in our rental rates, which could adversely affect our results of operations, cash flow and ability to make distributions to UDR’s stockholders.

We Are Subject to Certain Risks Associated with Selling Apartment Communities, Which Could Limit Our Operational and Financial Flexibility. We periodically dispose of apartment communities that no longer meet our strategic objectives, but adverse market conditions may make it difficult to sell apartment communities like the ones we own. We cannot predict whether we will be able to sell any property for the price or on the terms we set, or whether any price or other terms offered by a prospective purchaser would be acceptable to us. We also cannot predict the length of time needed to find a willing purchaser and to close the sale of a property. Furthermore, we may be required to expend funds to correct defects or to make improvements before a property can be sold. These conditions may limit our ability to dispose of properties and to change our portfolio promptly in order to meet our strategic objectives, which may in turn have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and the market value of our securities. We are also subject to the following risks in connection with sales of our apartment communities, among others:

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None.

At December 31, 2016, our consolidated apartment portfolio included 127 communities located in 18 markets, with a total of 39,454 completed apartment homes.

The tables below set forth a summary of real estate portfolio by geographic market of the Company and of the Operating Partnership at December 31, 2016.

SUMMARY OF REAL ESTATE PORTFOLIO BY GEOGRAPHIC MARKET AT DECEMBER 31, 2016

UDR, INC.

SUMMARY OF REAL ESTATE PORTFOLIO BY GEOGRAPHIC MARKET AT DECEMBER 31, 2016

UNITED DOMINION REALTY, L.P.

We are subject to various legal proceedings and claims arising in the ordinary course of business. We cannot determine the ultimate liability with respect to such legal proceedings and claims at this time. We believe that such liability, to the extent not provided for through insurance or otherwise, will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flow.

Not Applicable.

PART II

UDR, Inc.:

Common Stock

UDR, Inc.’s common stock has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol “UDR” since May 7, 1990. The following tables set forth the quarterly high and low sale prices per common share reported on the NYSE for each quarter of the last two fiscal years. Distribution information for common stock reflects distributions declared per share for each calendar quarter and paid at the end of the following month.

On February 17, 2017, the closing sale price of our common stock was $35.59 per share on the NYSE, and there were 3,982 holders of record of the 267,370,704 outstanding shares of our common stock.

We have determined that, for federal income tax purposes, approximately 61% of the distributions for 2016 represented ordinary income, 27% represented long-term capital gain, and 12% represented unrecaptured section 1250 gain.

UDR pays regular quarterly distributions to holders of its common stock. Future distributions will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on our actual funds from operations, financial condition and capital requirements, the annual distribution requirements under the REIT provisions of the Code, and other factors.

Series E Preferred Stock

The Series E Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock (“Series E”) has no stated par value and a liquidation preference of $16.61 per share. Subject to certain adjustments and conditions, each share of the Series E is convertible at any time and from time to time at the holder’s option into 1.083 shares of our common stock. The holders of the Series E are entitled to vote on an as-converted basis as a single class in combination with the holders of common stock at any meeting of our stockholders for the election of directors or for any other purpose on which the holders of common stock are entitled to vote. The Series E has no stated maturity and is not subject to any sinking fund or any mandatory redemption. In connection with a special dividend (declared on November 5, 2008), the Company reserved for issuance upon conversion of the Series E additional shares of common stock to which a holder of the Series E would have received if the holder had converted the Series E immediately prior to the record date for this special dividend.

Distributions declared on the Series E for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 were $1.33 per share or $0.3322 per quarter. The Series E is not listed on any exchange. At December 31, 2016, a total of 2,796,903 shares of the Series E were outstanding.

Series F Preferred Stock

We are authorized to issue up to 20,000,000 shares of our Series F Preferred Stock (“Series F”). The Series F may be purchased by holders of our Operating Partnership Units, or OP Units, described below under “Operating Partnership Units,” at a purchase price of $0.0001 per share. OP unitholders are entitled to subscribe for and purchase one share of the Series F for each OP Unit held. In connection with the acquisition of properties from Home OP and the formation of the DownREIT Partnership in October 2015, we issued 13,988,313 Series F shares at $0.0001 per share to former limited partners of the Home OP, which had the right to subscribe for one share of Series F for each DownREIT Unit issued in connection with the acquisitions.

As of December 31, 2016, a total of 16,196,889 shares of the Series F were outstanding. Holders of the Series F are entitled to one vote for each share of the Series F they hold, voting together with the holders of our common stock, on each

matter submitted to a vote of security holders at a meeting of our stockholders. The Series F does not entitle its holders to any other rights, privileges or preferences.

Distribution Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan

We have a Distribution Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan under which holders of our common stock may elect to automatically reinvest their distributions and make additional cash payments to acquire additional shares of our common stock. Stockholders who do not participate in the plan continue to receive distributions as and when declared. As of February 17, 2017, there were approximately 2,159 participants in the plan.

United Dominion Realty, L.P.:

Operating Partnership Units

There is no established public trading market for United Dominion Realty, L.P.’s Operating Partnership Units. From time to time we issue shares of our common stock in exchange for OP Units tendered to the Operating Partnership for redemption in accordance with the provisions of the Operating Partnership’s limited partnership agreement. At December 31, 2016, there were 183,278,698 OP Units outstanding in the Operating Partnership, of which 174,230,084 OP Units or 95.1% were owned by UDR and affiliated entities and 9,048,614 OP Units or 4.9% were owned by non-affiliated limited partners. Under the terms of the Operating Partnership’s limited partnership agreement, the holders of OP Units have the right to require the Operating Partnership to redeem all or a portion of the OP Units held by the holder in exchange for a cash payment based on the market value of our common stock at the time of redemption. However, the Operating Partnership’s obligation to pay the cash amount is subject to the prior right of the Company to acquire such OP Units in exchange for either the cash amount or the number of shares of our common stock equal to the number of OP Units being redeemed.

During 2016, we issued a total of 4,685 shares of common stock upon redemption of OP Units.

Purchases of Equity Securities

In February 2006, UDR’s Board of Directors authorized a 10 million share repurchase program. In January 2008, UDR’s Board of Directors authorized a new 15 million share repurchase program. Under the two share repurchase programs, UDR may repurchase shares of our common stock in open market purchases, block purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. As reflected in the table below, no shares of common stock were repurchased under these programs during the quarter ended December 31, 2016.

During the three months ended December 31, 2016, certain of our employees surrendered shares of common stock owned by them to satisfy their statutory minimum federal and state tax obligations associated with the vesting of restricted shares of common stock issued under our 1999 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “LTIP”). The following table summarizes all of these repurchases during the three months ended December 31, 2016.

Comparison of Five-year Cumulative Total Returns

The following graph compares the five-year cumulative total returns for UDR common stock with the comparable cumulative return of the NAREIT Equity REIT Index, Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index, the NAREIT Equity Apartment Index and the MSCI US REIT Index. The graph assumes that $100 was invested on December 31, 2011, in each of our common stock and the indices presented. Historical stock price performance is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance. The comparison assumes that all dividends are reinvested.

The performance graph and the related chart and text, are being furnished solely to accompany this Annual Report on Form 10-K pursuant to Item 201(e) of Regulation S-K, and are not being filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of ours, whether made before or after the date hereof, regardless of any general incorporation language in such filing.

The following tables set forth selected consolidated financial and other information of UDR, Inc. and of the Operating Partnership as of and for each of the years in the five-year period ended December 31, 2016. The table should be read in conjunction with each of UDR, Inc.’s and the Operating Partnership’s respective consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto, and Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, included elsewhere in this Report.

(a) Includes amounts classified as Held for Disposition, where applicable.

(b) Funds from operations (“FFO”) is defined as net income attributable to common stockholders (computed in accordance with GAAP), excluding impairment write-downs of depreciable real estate or of investments in non-consolidated investees that are driven by measurable decreases in the fair value of depreciable real estate held by the investee, gains or losses from sales of depreciable property, plus real estate depreciation and amortization, and after adjustments for noncontrolling interests, unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. This definition conforms with the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trust’s (“NAREIT”) definition issued in April 2002. Historical cost accounting for real estate assets in accordance with GAAP implicitly assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. Since real estate

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Information required by this item is included in and incorporated by reference from Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of this Report.

The consolidated financial statements and related financial information required to be filed are attached to this Report. Reference is made to page F-1 of this Report for the Index to Consolidated Financial Statements and Schedules of UDR, Inc. and United Dominion Realty, L.P.

None.

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The disclosure controls and procedures of the Company and the Operating Partnership are designed with the objective of ensuring that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Our disclosure controls and procedures are also designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

It should be noted that the design of any system of controls is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions, regardless of how remote. As a result, our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance that such disclosure controls and procedures will meet their objectives.

As of December 31, 2016, we carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, which is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the disclosure controls and procedures of the Company and the Operating Partnership. Based on this evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures of the Company and the Operating Partnership are effective at the reasonable assurance level described above.

Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

The management of the Company is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for the Company and the Operating Partnership. Under the supervision and with the participation of the management, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, which is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control — Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (2013 Framework) (COSO). Based on such evaluation, management concluded that the Company’s and the Operating Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2016.

Ernst & Young LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm that audited our consolidated financial statements included in this Report, has audited UDR, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016. The report of Ernst & Young LLP, which expresses an unqualified opinion on UDR, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016, is included under the heading “Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” of UDR, Inc. contained in this Report. Further, an attestation report of the registered public accounting firm of United Dominion Realty, L.P. will not be required as long as United Dominion Realty, L.P. is a non-accelerated filer.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There have not been any changes in either the Company’s or the Operating Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) during the fourth fiscal quarter to which this Report relates that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the internal control over financial reporting of either the Company or the Operating Partnership.

Other Agreements with Executive Officers. In November 2016, we entered into separate aircraft time-share agreements with Mr. Toomey and Mr. Troupe. Under each of the aircraft time-share agreements, we have agreed to lease an aircraft, including crew and flight services, to each of Mr. Toomey and Mr. Troupe for personal flights from time to time upon their request. Mr. Toomey and Mr. Troupe will each pay us a lease fee as may be set by the board from time to time for the flight expenses that may be charged under applicable regulations. We will invoice Mr. Toomey and Mr. Troupe on the last day of the month in which any respective flight occurs. Each aircraft time-share agreement will remain in effect until terminated by either party, upon ten days’ prior written notice. Each agreement automatically terminates upon the date either Mr. Toomey or Mr. Troupe, respectively, is no longer employed by the Company.

PART III

The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the information set forth under the headings “Proposal No. 1 Election of Directors,” “Corporate Governance Matters,” “Audit Committee Report,” “Corporate Governance Matters-Board Leadership Structure and Committees-Audit Committee Financial Expert,” “Corporate Governance Matters-Identification and Selection of Nominees for Directors,” “Corporate Governance Matters-Board of Directors and Committee Meetings,” “Executive Officers” and “Other Matters-Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance” in UDR, Inc.’s definitive proxy statement (our “definitive proxy statement”) for its 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. UDR is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership.

We have a code of ethics for senior financial officers that applies to our principal executive officer, all members of our finance staff, including the principal financial officer, the principal accounting officer, the treasurer and the controller, our director of investor relations, our corporate secretary, and all other Company officers. We also have a code of business conduct and ethics that applies to all of our employees. Information regarding our codes is available on our website, www.udr.com, and is incorporated by reference to the information set forth under the heading “Corporate Governance Matters” in our definitive proxy statement for UDR’s 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. We intend to satisfy the disclosure requirements under Item 10 of Form 8-K regarding an amendment to, or a waiver from, a provision of our codes by posting such amendment or waiver on our website.

The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the information set forth under the headings “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management,” “Corporate Governance Matters-Board Leadership Structure and Committees-Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation,” “Executive Compensation,” “Compensation of Directors” and “Compensation Committee Report” in the definitive proxy statement for UDR’s 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. UDR is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership.

The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the information set forth under the headings “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management,” “Executive Compensation” and “Executive Compensation-Equity Compensation Plan Information” in the definitive proxy statement for UDR’s 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. UDR is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership.

The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the information set forth under the heading “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management,” “Corporate Governance Matters-Corporate Governance Overview,” “Corporate Governance Matters-Director Independence,” “Corporate Governance Matters-Board Leadership Structure and Committees-Independence of the Audit, Compensation and Governance Committees,” and “Executive Compensation” in the definitive proxy statement for UDR’s 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. UDR is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. Information regarding related party transactions between UDR and the Operating Partnership is presented in Note 6, Related Party Transactions, of the Consolidated Financial Statements of United Dominion Realty, L.P. referenced in Part IV, Item 15(a) of this Report.

The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the information set forth under the headings “Audit Matters-Audit Fees” and “Audit Matters-Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures” in the definitive proxy statement for UDR’s 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. UDR is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership.

PART IV

(a) The following documents are filed as part of this Report:

1. Financial Statements. See Index to Consolidated Financial Statements and Schedules of UDR, Inc. and United Dominion Realty, L.P. on page F-1 of this Report.

2. Financial Statement Schedules. See Index to Consolidated Financial Statements and Schedules of UDR, Inc. and United Dominion Realty, L.P. on page S-1 of this Report. All other schedules are omitted because they are not required, are inapplicable, or the required information is included in the financial statements or notes thereto.

3. Exhibits. The exhibits filed with this Report are set forth in the Exhibit Index, including the financial statements required under Rule 3-09 of Regulation S-X for UDR Lighthouse DownREIT L.P.

None.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this Report has been signed below on February 21, 2017 by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities indicated.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this Report has been signed below on February 21, 2017 by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities indicated.

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SCHEDULE

All other schedules are omitted since the required information is not present or is not present in amounts sufficient to require submission of the schedule, or because the information required is included in the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto.

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Directors and Stockholders of UDR, Inc.

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of UDR, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income/(loss), changes in equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2016. Our audits also included the financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 1

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