Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS

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SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Equity [Abstract]  
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS
Shareholders' Equity
Forward Equity Offering
On September 22, 2020, the Company entered into an underwriting agreement, as well as certain forward sale agreements, with a syndicate of banks acting as underwriters, forward sellers, and/or forward purchasers in connection with an underwritten public offering of 4,500,000 common shares at a public offering price of $33.15 per share (the "forward offering"). The underwriters were granted a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 675,000 common shares at the same price, which they partially exercised for an additional 400,000 common shares on October 6, 2020. Therefore, the forward sellers or their affiliates, at the Company's request, borrowed from third parties and sold to the underwriters an aggregate of 4,900,000 common shares, which the underwriters sold at an offering price of $33.15 per share, for proceeds of approximately $162.4 million. As a result of this forward construct, the Company did not receive any proceeds from the sale of such shares at closing. The Company has determined that the forward sale agreements are not considered to be derivative instruments under the guidance within ASC 815.
On December 30, 2020, the Company settled a portion of the forward offering by physically delivering 1,850,510 common shares to the forward purchasers for net proceeds of approximately $60.0 million. On March 22, 2021, the Company settled the remaining portion of the forward offering by physically delivering 3,049,490 common shares to the forward purchasers for net proceeds of approximately $97.3 million.
Common Share Offering
On July 23, 2021, the Company closed a follow-on public offering of 10,120,000 of its common shares, which included 1,320,000 common shares sold upon the exercise in full by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional common shares, at a public offering price of $51.25 per share. The Company received aggregate net proceeds from the offering of approximately $497.4 million after deducting the underwriting discount and additional expenses associated with the offering.
Series A Preferred Shares
The 6.000% cumulative redeemable preferred shares of beneficial interest ("Series A Preferred Shares") rank senior to the Company's common shares with respect to rights and rights upon its liquidation, dissolution or winding up. Dividends on the Series A Preferred Shares, which are payable quarterly in arrears, are cumulative from the date of original issuance in the amount of $1.50 per share each year. Generally, the Series A Preferred Shares become redeemable by the Company beginning in October 2022 for a cash redemption price of $25.00 per share, plus accrued but unpaid dividends.
At the Market ("ATM") Program
On February 27, 2019, the Company entered into a sales agreement with certain sales agents, pursuant to which the Company may sell from time to time up to $250.0 million of the Company's common shares and 6.000% Series A Preferred Shares in sales deemed to be "at the market" offerings (the "sales agreement"). On May 19, 2021, the Company entered into an amendment to the sales agreement with certain sales agents, whereby the Company increased the aggregate gross sale price under the program to $400.0 million, which included $31.0 million of remaining available offered shares. The sales agreement contemplates that, in addition to the issuance and sale by the Company of offered shares to or through the sale agents, the Company may enter into separate forward sale agreements with any forward purchaser. Forward sale agreements, if any, will include only the Company's common shares and will not include any Series A Preferred Shares. If the Company enters into a forward sale agreement with any forward purchaser, such forward purchaser will attempt to borrow from third parties and sell, through the related agent, acting as sales agent for such forward purchaser (each, a "forward seller"), offered shares, in an amount equal to the offered shares subject to such forward sale agreement, to hedge such forward purchaser’s exposure under such forward sale agreement. The Company may offer the common shares and Series A Preferred Shares through the agents, as the Company's sales agents, or, as applicable, as forward seller, or directly to the agents or forward sellers, acting as principals, by means of, among others, ordinary brokers’ transactions on the NYSE or otherwise at market prices prevailing at the time of sale or at negotiated prices.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company sold 743,915 of its common shares through the ATM program at an average offering price to the public of $33.01 per share, resulting in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $22.9 million, after deducting compensation payable by the Company to such agents and offering expenses.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company sold 6,026,726 of its common shares through the ATM program at an average offering price of $51.37 per share, resulting in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $306.7 million, after deducting compensation payable by the Company to such agents and offering expenses.
Noncontrolling Interests
All of the OP equity in the Company's operating partnership not held by the Company are reflected as noncontrolling interests. Noncontrolling interests also include ownership interests in DownREIT partnerships held by entities other than the Company's operating partnership. NSA is the general partner of its operating partnership and is authorized to cause its operating partnership to issue additional partner interests, including OP units and subordinated performance units, at such prices and on such other terms as it determines in its sole discretion.
As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, units reflecting noncontrolling interests consisted of the following:
December 31,
2021 2020
Series A-1 preferred units 640,047  637,382 
OP units 31,893,105  29,616,809 
Subordinated performance units 9,754,482  9,030,872 
LTIP units 775,447  734,196 
DownREIT units
DownREIT OP units 1,924,918  1,924,918 
DownREIT subordinated performance units 4,337,111  4,337,111 
Total 49,325,110  46,281,288 
Series A-1 Preferred Units
The 6.000% Series A-1 Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Units ("Series A-1 preferred units") rank senior to OP units and subordinated performance units in the Company's operating partnership with respect to distributions and liquidation. The Series A-1 preferred units have a stated value of $25.00 per unit and receive distributions at an annual rate of 6.000%. These distributions are cumulative. The Series A-1 preferred units are redeemable at the option of the holder after the first anniversary of the date of issuance, which redemption obligations may be satisfied at the Company’s option in cash in an amount equal to the market value of an equivalent number of the Company's
6.000% Series A Preferred Shares or the issuance of 6.000% Series A Preferred Shares on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustments. Generally, the Series A-1 preferred units become redeemable by the Company beginning ten years after the initial issuance of each Series A-1 preferred unit at a stated value of $25.00 per unit, plus accrued but unpaid distributions. The increase in Series A-1 preferred units outstanding from December 31, 2020 to December 31, 2021 was due to the issuance of 6,665 Series A-1 preferred units issued in connection with the acquisition of self storage properties partially offset by the redemption of 4,000 Series A-1 preferred units for Series A Preferred Shares.
OP Units and DownREIT OP units
OP units in the Company's operating partnership are redeemable for cash or, at the Company's option, exchangeable for common shares on a one-for-one basis, and DownREIT OP units are redeemable for cash or, at the Company's option, exchangeable for OP units in its operating partnership on a one-for-one basis, subject to certain adjustments in each case. The holders of OP units are generally not entitled to elect redemption until one year after the issuance of the OP units. The holders of DownREIT OP units are generally not entitled to elect redemption until five years after the date of the contributor's initial contribution.
The increase in OP units outstanding from December 31, 2020 to December 31, 2021 was due to the issuance of 96,256 OP units in connection with the acquisition of an interest in a tenant reinsurance company, as discussed in Note 11, the redemption of 63,033 OP units issued upon the conversion of 32,741 subordinated performance units (as discussed further below), 2,674,928 OP units issued in connection with the acquisition of self storage properties and 142,405 LTIP units which were converted into an equivalent number of OP units partially offset by the redemption of 700,326 OP units for common shares.
Subordinated Performance Units and DownREIT Subordinated Performance Units
Subordinated performance units may also, under certain circumstances, be convertible into OP units which are exchangeable for common shares as described above, and DownREIT subordinated performance units may, under certain circumstances, be exchangeable for subordinated performance units on a one-for-one basis. Subordinated performance units are only convertible into OP units after a two year lock-out period and then generally (i) at the holder’s election only upon the achievement of certain performance thresholds relating to the properties to which such subordinated performance units relate or (ii) at the Company's election upon a retirement event of a PRO that holds such subordinated performance units or upon certain qualifying terminations. The holders of DownREIT subordinated performance units are generally not entitled to elect redemption until at least five years after the date of the contributor's initial contribution.
Following such lock-out period, a holder of subordinated performance units in the Company's operating partnership may elect a voluntary conversion one time each year on or prior to December 1st to convert a pre-determined portion of such subordinated performance units into OP units in the Company's operating partnership, with such conversion effective January 1st of the following year, with each subordinated performance unit being converted into the number of OP units determined by dividing the average cash available for distribution, or CAD, per unit on the series of specific subordinated performance units over the one-year period prior to conversion by 110% of the CAD per unit on the OP units determined over the same period. CAD per unit on the series of specific subordinated performance units and OP units is determined by the Company based generally upon the application of the provisions of the LP Agreement applicable to the distributions of operating cash flow and capital transactions proceeds.
The increase in subordinated performance units outstanding from December 31, 2020 to December 31, 2021 was due to the issuance of 756,351 subordinated performance units for co-investment by the Company's PROs in connection with the acquisition of self storage properties partially offset by the voluntary conversion of 32,741 subordinated performance units into 63,033 OP units.
LTIP Units
LTIP units are a special class of partnership interest in the Company's operating partnership that allow the holder to participate in the ordinary and liquidating distributions received by holders of the OP units (subject to the achievement of specified levels of profitability by the Company's operating partnership or the achievement of certain events). LTIP units may also, under certain circumstances, be convertible into OP units on a one-for-one basis, which are then exchangeable for common shares as described above. LTIP units do not have full parity with OP units with respect to liquidating distributions and may not receive ordinary distributions until such parity is reached pursuant to the terms of the LP Agreement. If such parity is reached under the LP Agreement, upon vesting, vested LTIP units may be converted into an equal number of OP units, and thereafter have all the rights of OP units, including redemption rights. See Note 9 for additional information about the Company's LTIP Units.
The increase in LTIP units outstanding from December 31, 2020 to December 31, 2021 was due to the issuance of 183,656 compensatory LTIP units to employees, trustees and consultants, net of forfeitures partially offset by the conversion of 142,405 LTIP units into an equivalent number of OP units