CUBE · Read the filing

CUBESMART_December 31, 2025

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM 10-K

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025

For the transition period from to

Commission file number 001-32324 (CubeSmart)

Commission file number 000-54462 (CubeSmart, L.P.)

CUBESMART

CUBESMART, L.P.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Delaware (CubeSmart, L.P.) 34-1837021 (CubeSmart, L.P.)

(State or Other Jurisdiction of (IRS Employer

Incorporation or Organization) Identification No.)

Malvern, Pennsylvania (Zip Code)

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (610) 535-5000

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

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: Units of General Partnership Interest of CubeSmart, L.P.

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

CubeSmart Yes ☒ No ☐

CubeSmart, L.P. Yes ☒ No ☐

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

CubeSmart Yes ◻ No ⌧

CubeSmart, L.P. Yes ◻ No ⌧

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.

CubeSmart Yes ☒ No ☐

CubeSmart, L.P. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

CubeSmart Yes ⌧ No ◻

CubeSmart, L.P. Yes ⌧ No ◻

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

CubeSmart:

CubeSmart, L.P.:

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

CubeSmart ◻

CubeSmart, L.P. ◻

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.

CubeSmart ☒

CubeSmart, L.P. ☒

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.

CubeSmart ☐

CubeSmart, L.P. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to § 240.10D-1(b).

CubeSmart ◻

CubeSmart, L.P. ◻

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

CubeSmart Yes ☐ No ☒

CubeSmart, L.P. Yes ☐ No ☒

As of June 30, 2025, the last business day of CubeSmart’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, the aggregate market value of common shares held by non-affiliates of CubeSmart was $9,659,711,015. As of February 25, 2026, the number of common shares of CubeSmart outstanding was227,093,909.

As of June 30, 2025 the last business day of CubeSmart, L.P.’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, the aggregate market value of the 1,103,240 units of limited partnership (the “OP Units”) held by non-affiliates of CubeSmart, L.P. was $46,887,700 based upon the last reported sale price of $42.50 per share on the New York Stock Exchange on June 30, 2025 of the common shares of CubeSmart, the sole general partner of CubeSmart, L.P. (For this computation, the market value of all OP Units beneficially owned by CubeSmart has been excluded.)

Documents incorporated by reference: Portions of the Proxy Statement for the 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of CubeSmart to be filed subsequently with the SEC are incorporated by reference into Part III of this report.

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EXPLANATORY NOTE

This report combines the annual reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 of CubeSmart (the “Parent Company” or “CubeSmart”) and CubeSmart, L.P. (the “Operating Partnership”). The Parent Company is a Maryland real estate investment trust (“REIT”), that owns its assets and conducts its operations through the Operating Partnership, a Delaware limited partnership, and subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership. The Parent Company, the Operating Partnership and their consolidated subsidiaries are collectively referred to in this report as the “Company”. In addition, terms such as “we”, “us”, or “our” used in this report may refer to the Company, the Parent Company and/or the Operating Partnership.

The Parent Company is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership and, as of December 31, 2025, owned a 99.6% interest in the Operating Partnership. The remaining 0.4% interest consists of OP Units issued by the Operating Partnership to third parties in exchange for contributions of properties to the Operating Partnership. As the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, the Parent Company has full and complete authority over the Operating Partnership’s day-to-day operations and management.

Management operates the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership as one enterprise. The management teams of the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership are identical, and their constituents are officers of both the Parent Company and of the Operating Partnership.

There are a few differences between the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership, which are reflected in the note disclosures in this report. The Company believes it is important to understand the differences between the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership in the context of how these entities operate as a consolidated enterprise. The Parent Company is a REIT, whose only material asset is its ownership of the partnership interests of the Operating Partnership. As a result, the Parent Company does not conduct business itself, other than acting as the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, issuing public equity from time to time and guaranteeing the debt obligations of the Operating Partnership. The Operating Partnership holds substantially all of the assets of the Company and, directly or indirectly, holds the ownership interests in the Company’s real estate ventures. The Operating Partnership conducts the operations of the Company’s business and is structured as a partnership with no publicly traded equity. Except for net proceeds from equity issuances by the Parent Company, which are contributed to the Operating Partnership in exchange for partnership units, the Operating Partnership generates the capital required by the Company’s business through the Operating Partnership’s operations, by the Operating Partnership’s direct or indirect incurrence of indebtedness or through the issuance of partnership units of the Operating Partnership or equity interests in subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership.

The substantive difference between the Parent Company’s and the Operating Partnership’s filings is the fact that the Parent Company is a REIT with public equity, while the Operating Partnership is a partnership with no publicly traded equity. In the consolidated financial statements, this difference is primarily reflected in the equity (or capital for the Operating Partnership) section of the consolidated balance sheets and in the consolidated statements of equity (or capital). Apart from the different equity treatment, the consolidated financial statements of the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership are nearly identical.

The Company believes that combining the annual reports on Form 10-K of the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership into a single report will:

In order to highlight the differences between the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership, the separate sections in this report for the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership specifically refer to the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership. In the sections that combine disclosures of the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership, this report refers to such disclosures as those of the Company. Although the Operating Partnership is generally the entity that directly or indirectly enters into contracts and real estate ventures and holds assets and debt, reference to the Company is appropriate because the business is one enterprise and the Parent Company operates the business through the Operating Partnership.

As general partner with control of the Operating Partnership, the Parent Company consolidates the Operating Partnership for financial reporting purposes, and the Parent Company does not have significant assets other than its investment in the Operating Partnership. Therefore, the assets and liabilities of the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership are the same on their respective financial statements. The separate discussions of the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership in this report should be read in conjunction

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with each other to understand the results of the Company’s operations on a consolidated basis and how management operates the Company.

This report also includes separate Item 9A - Controls and Procedures sections, signature pages and Exhibits 31 and 32 certifications for each of the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership, in order to establish that the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Parent Company and the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Operating Partnership have made the requisite certifications and that the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership are compliant with Rule 13a-15 or Rule 15d-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and 18 U.S.C. §1350.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I 5

Item 1. Business 6

Item 1A. Risk Factors 14

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 27

Item 1C. Cybersecurity 28

Item 2. Properties 30

Item 3. Legal Proceedings 32

Item 4. Mining Safety Disclosures 32

PART II 32

Item 6. Selected Financial Data 34

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 45

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 45

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 46

Item 9B. Other Information 47

PART III 47

Item 10. Trustees, Executive Officers, and Corporate Governance 47

Item 11. Executive Compensation 47

Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services 48

PART IV 48

Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 48

Item 16. Form 10-K Summary 53

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PART I

Forward-Looking Statements

This Annual Report on Form 10-K, or this Report, together with other statements and information publicly disseminated by the Parent Company and the Operating Partnership, contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning the Company’s plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events, future revenues or performance, capital expenditures, financing needs, plans or intentions relating to acquisitions and other information that is not historical information. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “believes,” “expects,” “estimates,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “anticipates,” or “intends” or the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy. Such statements are based on assumptions and expectations that may not be realized and are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which cannot be predicted with accuracy and some of which might not even be anticipated. Although we believe the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, future events and actual results, performance, transactions or achievements, financial and otherwise, may differ materially from the results, performance, transactions or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. As a result, you should not rely on or construe any forward-looking statements in this Report, or which management or persons acting on their behalf may make orally or in writing from time to time, as predictions of future events or as guarantees of future performance. We caution you not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this Report or as of the dates otherwise indicated in such forward-looking statements. All of our forward-looking statements, including those in this Report, are qualified in their entirety by this statement.

There are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in or contemplated by this Report. Any forward-looking statements should be considered in light of the risks and uncertainties referred to in Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in this Report and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). These risks include, but are not limited to, the following:

● the failure to execute our business plan;

● reduced availability and increased costs of external sources of capital;

● increases in taxes, fees and assessments from state and local jurisdictions;

● reductions in asset valuations and related impairment charges;

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● changes in real estate, zoning, use and occupancy laws or regulations;

● potential environmental and other material liabilities;

● changes in the availability of and the cost of labor;

Given these uncertainties and the other risks identified elsewhere in this Report, we caution readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as may be required by securities laws. Because of the factors referred to above, the future events discussed in or incorporated by reference in this Report may not occur and actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from that anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements.

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Overview

We are a self-administered and self-managed real estate company focused primarily on the ownership, operation, development, management, and acquisition of self-storage properties in the United States.

The Parent Company was formed in July 2004 as a Maryland REIT. The Parent Company owns its assets and conducts its business through the Operating Partnership and its subsidiaries. The Parent Company controls the Operating Partnership as its sole general partner and, as of December 31, 2025, owned a 99.6% interest in the Operating Partnership. The Operating Partnership was formed in July 2004 as a Delaware limited partnership and has been engaged in virtually all aspects of the self-storage business, including the ownership, operation, development, management, and acquisition of self-storage properties.

As of December 31, 2025, we owned (or partially owned and consolidated) 662 self-storage properties located in 25 states and in the District of Columbia containing an aggregate of approximately 48.4 million rentable square feet. As of December 31, 2025, approximately 88.1% of the rentable square footage at our owned stores was leased to approximately 399,000 customers, and no single customer represented a significant concentration of our revenues. As of December 31, 2025, we owned stores in the District of Columbia and the following 25 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia. In addition, as of December 31, 2025, we managed 862 stores for third parties (including 49 stores containing an aggregate of approximately 3.3 million rentable square feet as part of five separate unconsolidated real estate ventures) bringing the total

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number of stores we owned and/or managed to 1,524. As of December 31, 2025, we managed stores for third parties in the following 39 states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Our self-storage properties are designed to offer affordable, easily accessible and, in most locations, climate-controlled storage space for residential and commercial customers. Our customers rent storage units for their exclusive use, typically on a month-to-month basis. We offer climate-controlled units at 560, or approximately 84.6%, of our owned stores, and some of our stores offer outside storage areas for vehicles and boats. All of our stores have a storage associate on-site or virtually to assist our customers, and many of our owned stores have a manager who resides in an apartment at the store. Our customers can access their storage units during business hours, and some of our stores provide customers with 24-hour access through computer-controlled access systems. Our goal is to provide customers with the highest standard of physical attributes and service in the industry.

Acquisition and Disposition Activity

As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, we owned (or partially owned and consolidated) 662 and 631 stores, respectively, that contained an aggregate of 48.4 million and 45.8 million rentable square feet with occupancy levels of 88.1% and 88.8%, respectively. Additional information about our stores is included in Item 2 of this Report. The following is a summary of our 2025, 2024 and 2023 acquisition and disposition activity:

Number of Transaction Price

2025 Acquisitions:

HVP IV Assets Various (see note 4) February 2025 28 $ 452,785 (1)

Arizona Asset Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ November 2025 1 17,500

2024 Acquisitions:

2023 Acquisition:

2023 Disposition:

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The comparability of our results of operations is affected by the timing of acquisition and disposition activities during the periods reported. As of December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, we owned (or partially owned and consolidated) 662, 631, and 611 self-storage properties and related assets, respectively. The following table summarizes the changes in the number of owned stores from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2025:

Stores acquired 28 2 —

Stores developed — 2 —

Stores developed 1 — —

Stores acquired (1) 2 16 1

Stores sold (2) — — (1)

Financing and Investing Activities

The following summarizes certain financing and investing activities during the year ended December 31, 2025:

Business Strategy

Our business strategy consists of several elements:

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Investment and Market Selection Process

We maintain a disciplined and focused process in the acquisition and development of self-storage properties. Our investment committee is comprised of five executive officers who oversee our investment process. Our investment process involves six stages — identification, initial due diligence, economic assessment, investment committee approval (and when required, the approval of our Board of Trustees (the “Board”)), final due diligence and documentation. Through our investment committee, we intend to focus on the following criteria:

Segment

We have one operating segment: we own, operate, develop, manage and acquire self-storage properties.

Concentration

Our self-storage properties are located in major metropolitan areas as well as suburban areas and have numerous customers per store. No single customer represented a significant concentration of our 2025 revenues. Our stores in New York, Florida, Texas and California provided approximately 17%, 14%, 11% and 10%, respectively, of total revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025.

Seasonality

We typically experience seasonal fluctuations in occupancy levels at our stores, which are generally slightly higher during the summer months due to increased moving activity.

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Financing Strategy

We maintain a capital structure that we believe is reasonable and prudent and that will enable us to have ample cash flow to cover debt service and make distributions to our shareholders. As of December 31, 2025, our debt to total enterprise value ratio (determined by dividing the carrying value of our total indebtedness by the sum of (a) the market value of the Parent Company’s outstanding common shares and units of the Operating Partnership held by third parties and (b) the carrying value of our total indebtedness) was approximately 29.3% compared to approximately 23.3% as of December 31, 2024. Our ratio of debt to the undepreciated cost of our total assets as of December 31, 2025 was approximately 40.5% compared to approximately 37.4% as of December 31, 2024. We expect to finance additional investments in self-storage properties through the most attractive sources of capital available at the time of the transaction, in a manner consistent with maintaining a strong financial position and future financial flexibility, subject to limitations on incurrence of indebtedness under our revolving credit facility and the indenture that governs our unsecured notes. These capital sources may include existing cash and free cash flow, borrowings on our revolving credit facility, additional secured or unsecured financings, sales of common or preferred shares of the Parent Company in public offerings or private placements, additional issuances of debt securities, issuances of common or preferred units in our Operating Partnership in exchange for contributed properties and formations of joint ventures. We also may sell stores that have unattractive risk-adjusted returns and use the sales proceeds to fund other acquisitions.

Competition

Self-storage properties compete based on a number of factors, including location, rental rates, occupancy, security, suitability of the store’s design to prospective customers’ needs and the manner in which the store is maintained, operated and marketed. In particular, the number of competing self-storage properties in a market could have a material effect on our occupancy levels, rental rates and the overall operating performance of our stores. We believe the primary competition for potential customers at any of our self-storage properties comes from other self-storage providers within a three-mile radius of that store. We emphasize customer service, convenience, security, professionalism, and cleanliness and, therefore, we believe our stores are well-positioned within their respective markets.

Our key competitors include local and regional operators as well as other public self-storage REITs, including, but not limited to, Public Storage, Extra Space Storage Inc., and National Storage Affiliates Trust. These companies, some of which operate significantly more stores than we do and have greater resources than we have, and other entities may be able to accept more risk than we determine is prudent for us, including risks with respect to the geographic proximity of investments and the payment of higher acquisition prices. This competition may reduce the number of suitable acquisition opportunities available to us, increase the price required to acquire stores and reduce the demand for self-storage space at our stores. Nevertheless, we believe that our experience in owning, operating, developing, managing, acquiring, and obtaining financing for self-storage properties should enable us to compete effectively.

Government Regulation

We are subject to various laws, ordinances and regulations, including regulations relating to lien sale rights and procedures, consumer protection measures and various federal, state and local regulations that apply generally to the ownership of real property and the operation of self-storage properties.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and applicable state accessibility act laws (collectively, the “ADA”), all places of public accommodation are required to meet federal requirements related to physical access and use by disabled persons. A number of other federal, state and local laws may also impose access and other similar requirements at our stores. A failure to comply with the ADA or similar state or local requirements could result in the governmental imposition of fines or the award of damages to private litigants affected by the noncompliance. Although we believe that our stores comply in all material respects with these requirements (or would be eligible for applicable exemptions from material requirements because of adaptive assistance provided), a determination that one or more of our stores or websites is not in compliance with the ADA or similar state or local requirements would result in the incurrence of additional costs associated with bringing them into compliance.

Under various federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations, we, as an owner and operator of real property, may become liable for the costs of removal or remediation of hazardous substances released on or in our properties. These laws often impose liability without regard to whether we knew of, or were responsible for, the release of such hazardous substances. The presence of hazardous substances, or the failure to properly remediate such substances, when released, may adversely affect the property owner’s ability to sell the real estate or to borrow using the real estate as collateral, and may cause us to incur substantial remediation costs. In addition to claims for cleanup costs, the presence of hazardous substances on a property could result in a claim by a private party for personal injury or a claim by an adjacent property owner or user for property damage. We may also become liable for the costs of removal or remediation of hazardous substances stored at our properties by a customer even though storage of hazardous substances would be without our knowledge or approval and in violation of the customer’s storage lease agreement with us.

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Our practice is to conduct or obtain environmental assessments in connection with the acquisition or development of properties. Whenever the environmental assessment for one of our properties indicates that it is impacted by soil or groundwater contamination from prior owners/operators or other sources, we work with our environmental consultants and, where appropriate, state governmental agencies, to ensure that the property is either cleaned up, that no cleanup is necessary because the low level of contamination poses no significant risk to public health or the environment, or that the responsibility for cleanup rests with a third party. In certain cases, we have purchased environmental liability insurance coverage to indemnify us against claims for existing or suspected contamination or other adverse environmental conditions that may affect a property.

We are not aware of any environmental cleanup liability that we believe will have a material adverse effect on us. We cannot provide assurance, however, that these environmental assessments and investigations have revealed or will reveal all potential environmental liabilities, that no prior owner created any material environmental condition not known to us or our independent consultant or that future events or changes in environmental laws will not result in the imposition of environmental liability on us.

We have not received notice from any governmental authority of any material noncompliance, claim or liability in connection with any of our properties, nor have we been notified of a claim for personal injury or property damage by a private party in connection with any of our properties relating to environmental conditions.

We are not aware of any environmental condition with respect to any of our properties that could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations, and we do not expect that the cost of compliance with environmental regulations will have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations. We cannot provide assurance, however, that this will continue to be the case.

Insurance

We carry comprehensive liability, fire, casualty, extended coverage and rental loss insurance covering all of the properties in our portfolio. We also carry environmental insurance coverage on certain properties in our portfolio. We believe the policy specifications and insured limits are appropriate and adequate given the relative risk of loss, the cost of the coverage and industry practice. We do not carry insurance for losses such as loss from civil unrest, riots, war or acts of God, pandemics, and, in some cases, flood and environmental hazards, because such coverage is either not available or not available at commercially reasonable rates. Some of our policies, such as those covering losses due to terrorism, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and windstorms, are insured subject to limitations involving large deductibles or co-payments and policy limits that may not be sufficient to cover losses. Additionally, we use a combination of insurance products, some of which include deductibles and self-insured retention amounts, to provide risk mitigation for potential liabilities associated with automobiles, workers’ compensation, employment practices, workplace violence, general contractors, cyber risks, crime, directors and officers, employee health-care benefits, fiduciary obligations, managerial errors and omissions, and personal injuries that might be sustained at our stores.

Offices

Our principal executive offices are located at 5 Old Lancaster Road, Malvern, PA 19355 and our telephone number is (610) 535-5000.

Human Capital

At CubeSmart, we refer to our employees as teammates because collaboration towards shared goals defines our workplace. We care deeply about the experience our teammates have working with us. The CubeSmart work experience takes a holistic approach to our teammates’ total wellbeing. Our teammate value proposition includes promoting a sense of belonging to a team; providing opportunities to make a meaningful difference at work and in our communities; supporting ongoing personal and professional development; and offering competitive pay and rewards.

As of December 31, 2025, we employed 3,121 teammates, all within the United States. Of our total teammate population, approximately 88% were hourly and approximately 12% were salaried. We have no union presence or collective bargaining agreements. Our average teammate tenure as of December 31, 2025 was 3.8 years.

Company Culture and Teammate Experience

We measure our teammates’ experience each year through our Teammate Engagement Survey. In 2025, our annual engagement survey participation rate was 92%. Results are communicated within individual teams to share what we learned and discuss both the positive

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aspects about working at CubeSmart and where we have opportunities to improve. Leaders with team engagement below a certain threshold are provided with coaching and set goals for improvement. In addition to the survey and our focused support for teams who need it, we have ongoing conversations and commit to continuous improvement.

Teammate Development and Wellbeing

As part of our culture, we seek to help teammates grow with us and leverage their development both at CubeSmart and beyond. We believe in providing all teammates with training and development opportunities to succeed in their roles. We plan, design, and deliver training programs for all levels of the organization, from orientation and general job skills to enhancing leadership capabilities through skills training and mentoring. In 2025, we provided an average of 15 hours of training per teammate.

We believe that career growth and personal development are important parts of our teammates' personal and professional success. During the year ended December 31, 2025, 352 teammates were promoted and/or transitioned into new roles to further their career development. When recruiting new teammates, our talent acquisition team engages with our store management teams and corporate leaders to identify a pool of potential candidates to serve our customers and deliver best-in-class customer service. We recruited, hired, and trained 1,369 teammates during 2025, with teammate referrals accounting for 17% of our new hires.

To support our teammates' success and wellbeing, we offer a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance coverage. We also provide programs designed to help teammates rest, rejuvenate, and care for their families, such as paid holidays, vacation and sick time, and parental leave. Our Employee Assistance Program is available to all teammates, providing support as they and their families experience life changes and challenges.

We believe teammate wellbeing also includes connection to a larger sense of purpose. There are many ways we help our teammates build those connections, including through our Idea Center, days of service, and matching gifts program. Our Idea Center provides a forum where teammates can connect with one another and with our corporate committee by submitting ideas to enhance the workplace, streamline systems and processes, and identify solutions and best practices. We encourage teammates to participate in community service and philanthropy by providing paid time off for these activities. Additionally, through our matching gifts program, we match qualified charitable contributions up to $100 per teammate each year.

Teammate Composition

As of December 31, 2025, of our total teammate population, 54% were female and 46% were male. Approximately 46% have self-identified as Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian, American Indian, or of two or more races. The average teammate age was 43.

At CubeSmart, we respect, value and celebrate the unique attributes, characteristics and perspectives that make each teammate who they are. Our goal for CubeSmart is to be a place where people feel supported, listened to, and able to do their personal best. Our Philosophy Regarding Respect in the Workplace defines our approach to creating a collaborative work environment. Our Policy on Inclusion can be found in the Corporate Responsibility section of our website (www.cubesmart.com). Nothing on our website, including our policies or sections thereof, shall be deemed incorporated by reference into this Annual Report.

Sustainability

We are focused on building the Company for the long term to generate sustainable growth. To that end, we have established a cross-functional committee responsible for establishing our sustainability priorities and objectives. Management regularly evaluates sustainability risks faced by our portfolio and believes the low obsolescence, geographic diversification, and low emissions of our portfolio help to mitigate those risks. Our senior management team reports annually to the Board on the status of our sustainability program, our progress against the goals we’ve set, and provides updates on the various initiatives we’ve undertaken to improve our sustainability. Our efforts to enact change are highlighted by our sustainability targets which look to track improvements across key sustainability metrics and are aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

We focus on minimizing the impact we make on the environment. Self-storage remains a low-environmental impact business as it consumes less energy and water while emitting fewer greenhouse gases than other real estate property types. We continue to look for ways to further reduce our already-low impact through a variety of initiatives including solar panel installations, HVAC upgrades, high-efficiency lighting retrofits, green roofs, energy management systems, and paper reduction through our electronic rental platform.

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We encourage you to review our Sustainability Report, which can be found in the Corporate Responsibility section of our website, for more detailed information regarding our sustainability programs and initiatives. Nothing on our website, including our Sustainability Report or sections thereof, shall be deemed incorporated by reference into this Annual Report.

Available Information

We file registration statements, proxy statements, annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports with the SEC. You may obtain copies of these documents by accessing the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Our website address is www.cubesmart.com. You also can obtain on our website, free of charge, copies of our annual reports on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, our current reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports, after we electronically file such reports or amendments with, or furnish them to, the SEC. Our website and the information contained therein or connected thereto are not intended to be incorporated by reference into this Report.

Also available on our website, free of charge, are copies of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, our Corporate Governance Guidelines and the charters for each of the committees of our Board — the Audit Committee, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and the Compensation Committee. Copies of each of these documents are also available in print free of charge, upon request by any shareholder. You can obtain copies of these documents by contacting Investor Relations at 5 Old Lancaster Road, Malvern, PA 19355 or by telephoning 610-535-5000.

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

Overview

An investment in our securities involves various risks. Investors should carefully consider the risks set forth below together with other information contained in this Report. These risks are not the only ones that we may face. Additional risks not presently known to us, or that we currently consider immaterial, may also impair our business, financial condition, operating results and ability to make distributions to our shareholders.

Risks Related to our Business and Operations

Adverse macroeconomic and business conditions may significantly and negatively affect our rental rates, occupancy levels and therefore our results of operations.

We are susceptible to the effects of adverse macro-economic events that can result in higher unemployment, shrinking demand for products, large-scale business failures and tight credit markets. Our results of operations are sensitive to changes in overall economic conditions that impact consumer spending, including discretionary spending, as well as to increased bad debts due to recessionary pressures. Adverse economic conditions affecting disposable consumer income, such as employment levels, wage levels, business conditions, inflation, deflation, interest rates, tax rates and fuel and energy costs, could reduce consumer spending or cause consumers to shift their spending to other products and services. A general reduction in the level of discretionary spending or shifts in consumer discretionary spending could adversely affect our growth and profitability. Our results of operations are also sensitive to changes in the residential housing market, as adverse changes in this market could reduce consumer demand.

It is difficult to determine the breadth and duration of economic and financial market disruptions (including those in international markets) and the many ways in which they may affect our customers and our business in general. Nonetheless, financial and macroeconomic disruptions could have a significant adverse effect on our sales, profitability and results of operations.

Our financial performance is dependent upon economic and other conditions of the markets in which our stores are located.

We are susceptible to adverse developments in the markets in which we operate, such as business layoffs or downsizing, industry slowdowns, relocations of businesses, changing demographics and other factors. Our stores in New York, Florida, Texas and California provided approximately 17%, 14%, 11% and 10%, respectively, of total revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025. As a result of this geographic concentration of our stores, we are particularly susceptible to adverse market conditions in these areas. Any adverse economic or real estate developments in these markets, or in any of the other markets in which we operate, or any decrease in demand for self-storage space resulting from the local business climate, could adversely affect our rental revenues, which could impair our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations and pay distributions to our shareholders.

We face risks associated with property acquisitions.

We intend to continue to acquire individual and portfolios of self-storage properties. The purchase agreements that we enter into in connection with acquisitions typically contain closing conditions that need to be satisfied before the acquisitions can be consummated. The satisfaction of many of these conditions is outside of our control, and we therefore cannot assure that any of our pending or future acquisitions will be consummated. These conditions include, among other things, satisfactory examination of the title, zoning and entitlements to the properties, the ability to obtain title insurance and customary closing deliverables and conditions. Moreover, in the event we are unable to complete pending or future acquisitions, we may have incurred significant legal, accounting, due diligence and other transaction costs in connection with such acquisitions without realizing the expected benefits.

Those acquisitions that we do consummate would increase our size and may potentially alter our capital structure. Although we believe that future acquisitions that we complete will enhance our financial performance, the success of acquisitions is subject to the risks that:

● acquisitions may fail to perform as expected;

● we may be unable to obtain acquisition financing on favorable terms;

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In addition, we often do not obtain third-party appraisals of acquired properties and instead rely on internal valuation determinations.

We will incur costs and will face integration challenges when we acquire or develop additional stores.

As we acquire or develop additional self-storage properties and bring additional self-storage properties onto our third-party management platform, we will be subject to risks associated with integrating and managing new stores, including customer retention and mortgage default risks. In the case of a large portfolio purchase, we could experience strains in our existing systems and management capacities. In addition, acquisitions or developments may cause disruptions in our operations and divert management’s attention away from day-to-day operations. Furthermore, our net income may decline because we will be required to depreciate/amortize in future periods costs for acquired real property and intangible assets. Our failure to successfully integrate any future acquisitions into our portfolio could have an adverse effect on our operating costs and our ability to make distributions to our shareholders.

The acquisition of new stores that lack operating history with us will make it more difficult to predict financial performance.

We intend to continue to acquire individual and portfolios of self-storage properties. These acquisitions could fail to perform in accordance with expectations. If we fail to accurately estimate occupancy levels, rental rates, operating costs or costs of improvements to bring an acquired store up to the standards established for our intended market position, the performance of the store may be below expectations. Acquired stores may have characteristics or deficiencies affecting their valuation or revenue potential that we have not yet discovered. We cannot provide assurance that the performance of stores acquired by us will increase or be maintained under our management.

Our development activities may be more costly or difficult to complete than we anticipate.

We intend to continue to develop self-storage properties where market conditions warrant such investment. Once made, these investments may not produce results in accordance with our expectations. Risks associated with development and construction activities include:

We depend on external sources of capital that are outside of our control; the unavailability of capital from external sources could adversely affect our ability to acquire or develop stores, satisfy our debt obligations and/or make distributions to shareholders.

We depend on external sources of capital to fund acquisitions and development, to satisfy our debt obligations and to make distributions to our shareholders required to maintain our status as a REIT, and these sources of capital may not be available on favorable terms, if at all. Our access to external sources of capital depends on a number of factors, including general market conditions, the market’s perception of our growth potential, our current and potential future earnings, our cash flow and our ability to continue to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. If we are unable to obtain external sources of capital, we may not be able to acquire or develop properties when strategic opportunities exist, satisfy our debt obligations, make distributions to shareholders that would permit us to qualify as a REIT or avoid paying tax on our REIT taxable income.

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If we are unable to promptly re-lease our cubes or if the rates upon such re-leasing are significantly lower than expected, our business and results of operations would be adversely affected.

We derive revenues principally from rents received from customers who rent units at our self-storage properties under month-to-month leases and fees earned from managing stores. Any delay in re-leasing units as vacancies arise would reduce our revenues and harm our operating results. In addition, lower than expected rental rates upon re-leasing could adversely affect our revenues and impede our growth.

Store ownership through joint ventures may limit our ability to act exclusively in our interest.

We co-invest with, and we may continue to co-invest with, third parties through joint ventures. In any such joint venture, we may not be in a position to exercise sole decision-making authority regarding the stores owned through joint ventures. Investments in joint ventures may, under certain circumstances, involve risks not present when a third party is not involved, including the possibility that joint venture partners might become bankrupt or fail to fund their share of required capital contributions. Joint venture partners may have business interests or goals that are inconsistent with our business interests or goals and may be in a position to take actions contrary to our policies or objectives. Such investments also have the potential risk of impasse on strategic decisions, such as a sale, in cases where neither we nor the joint venture partner would have full control over the joint venture. In other circumstances, joint venture partners may have the ability without our agreement to make certain major decisions, including decisions about sales, capital expenditures, and/or financing. Any disputes that may arise between us and our joint venture partners could result in litigation or arbitration that could increase our expenses and distract our officers and/or Trustees from focusing their time and effort on our business. In addition, we might in certain circumstances be liable for the actions of our joint venture partners, and the activities of a joint venture could adversely affect our ability to qualify as a REIT, even though we do not control the joint venture.

We face significant competition for customers and acquisition and development opportunities.

Actions by our competitors may decrease or prevent increases of the occupancy and rental rates of our stores. We compete with numerous developers, owners and operators of self-storage properties, including other REITs, some of which own or may in the future own stores similar to ours in the same submarkets in which our stores are located and some of which may have greater capital resources. In addition, due to the relatively low cost of each individual self-storage property, other developers, owners and operators have the capability to build additional stores that may compete with our stores.

If our competitors build new stores that compete with our stores or offer self-storage space at rental rates near or below the rental rates we currently charge our customers, we may lose potential customers, and we may be pressured to reduce our rental rates below those we currently charge in order to retain customers when our customers’ leases expire. As a result, our financial condition, cash flow, cash available for distribution, market price of our shares and ability to satisfy our debt service obligations could be materially adversely affected. In addition, increased competition for customers may require us to make capital improvements to our stores that we would not have otherwise made. Any unbudgeted capital improvements we undertake may reduce cash available for distributions to our shareholders or for satisfaction of our debt service obligations.

We also face significant competition for acquisitions and development opportunities. Some of our competitors have greater financial resources than we do and a greater ability to borrow funds to acquire stores. These competitors may also be willing to accept more risk than we can prudently manage, including risks with respect to the geographic proximity of investments and the payment of higher acquisition prices. This competition for investments may reduce the number of suitable investment opportunities available to us, may increase acquisition costs and may reduce demand for self-storage space in certain areas where our stores are located and, as a result, adversely affect our operating results.

Potential losses may not be covered by insurance.

We carry comprehensive liability, fire, casualty, extended coverage and rental loss insurance covering all of the properties in our portfolio. We also carry environmental insurance coverage on certain properties in our portfolio. We believe the policy specifications and insured limits are appropriate and adequate given the relative risk of loss, the cost of the coverage and industry practice. We do not carry insurance for losses such as loss from civil unrest, riots, war or acts of God, pandemics, and, in some cases, flood and environmental hazards, because such coverage is either not available or not available at commercially reasonable rates. Some of our policies, such as those covering losses due to terrorism, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and windstorms, are insured subject to limitations involving large deductibles or co-payments and policy limits that may not be sufficient to cover losses. In particular, certain of our stores are located in areas that are prone to or at risk of flooding, including coastal flooding, and some of our stores have been previously damaged or otherwise impacted by hurricanes and other flooding events. If we experience a loss at a store that is uninsured or that exceeds policy limits, we could lose the capital invested in that store as well as the anticipated future cash flows from that store. Inflation, changes in building codes

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and ordinances, environmental considerations and other factors also might make it impractical or undesirable to use insurance proceeds to replace a store after it has been damaged or destroyed. In addition, if the damaged stores are subject to recourse indebtedness, we would continue to be liable for the indebtedness, even if these stores were irreparably damaged.

Additionally, we use a combination of insurance products, some of which include deductibles and self-insured retention amounts, to provide risk mitigation for potential liabilities associated with automobiles, workers’ compensation, employment practices, workplace violence, general contractors, cyber risks, crime, directors and officers, employee health-care benefits, fiduciary obligations, managerial errors and omissions, and personal injuries that might be sustained at our stores. Liabilities associated with the risks that are retained by us are estimated, in part, by considering historical claims experience and actuarial assumptions. Our results of operations could be materially impacted by claims and other expenses related to such insurance plans if future occurrences and claims differ from these assumptions and historical trends.

Our insurance coverage may not comply with certain loan requirements.

Certain of our properties serve as collateral for our mortgage-backed debt, some of which we assumed in connection with our acquisition of stores and requires us to maintain insurance, deductibles, retentions and other policy terms at levels that may not be commercially reasonable in the current insurance environment. We may be unable to obtain required insurance coverage if the cost and/or availability make it impractical or impossible to comply with debt covenants. If we cannot comply with a lender’s requirements, the lender could declare a default, which could affect our ability to obtain future financing and have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and cash flows and our ability to obtain future financing. In addition, we may be required to self-insure against certain losses or our insurance costs may increase.

We are subject to risks from the consequences of climate change, including severe weather events, as well as the transition to a low-carbon economy and other steps taken to prevent or mitigate climate change.

Our self-storage properties are located in areas that may be subject to the direct impacts of climate change, such as increased destructive weather events like floods, sea level rise, fires, and drought, which could result in significant damage to our stores, increased capital expenditures, increased expenses, reduced revenues, or reduced demand for our self-storage space. Indirect impacts of climate change could also adversely impact our business, including through increased costs, such as insurance costs or regulatory compliance costs. Potential governmental, political and social pressure related to climate change and actions to mitigate climate change could in the future result in (i) costly changes to newly developed stores or retrofits of our existing stores to reduce carbon emissions through multiple avenues, including changes to insulation, space configuration, lighting, heating, and air conditioning, (ii) increased energy costs as a result of transitioning to less carbon-intensive, but more expensive, sources of energy to operate our stores, and (iii) consumers reducing their individual carbon footprints by owning fewer durable material consumer goods, collectibles, and other such items requiring storage, resulting in a reduced demand for our self-storage space. In addition, our reputation and investor relationships could be damaged as a result of our involvement with activities perceived to be causing or exacerbating climate change, as well as any decisions we make to continue to conduct or change our activities in response to considerations relating to climate change.

Potential liability for environmental contamination could result in substantial costs.

We are subject to federal, state and local environmental laws, ordinances and regulations that apply generally to the ownership of real property and the operation of self-storage properties. If we fail to comply with those laws, ordinances and regulations, we could be subject to significant fines or other governmental sanctions.

Under various federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations, we, as an owner and operator of real estate, may be required to investigate and clean up hazardous or toxic substances or petroleum product releases at a property and may be held liable to a governmental entity or to third parties for property damage and for investigation and clean-up costs incurred by such parties in connection with contamination. Such liability may be imposed whether or not we knew of, or were responsible for, the presence of these hazardous or toxic substances. The cost of investigation, remediation or removal of such substances may be substantial, and the presence of such substances, or the failure to properly remediate such substances, may adversely affect our ability to rent or sell such property or to borrow using such property as collateral. In addition, in connection with the ownership, operation and management of self-storage properties, we are potentially liable for property damage or injuries to persons and property.

Our practice is to conduct or obtain environmental assessments in connection with the acquisition or development of additional stores. We carry environmental insurance coverage on certain stores in our portfolio. We obtain or examine environmental assessments from qualified and reputable environmental consulting firms (and intend to conduct such assessments prior to the acquisition or development of additional stores). The environmental assessments received to date have not revealed, nor do we have actual knowledge of, any

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environmental liability that we believe will have a material adverse effect on us. However, we cannot assure that our environmental assessments have identified or will identify all material environmental conditions, that any prior owner of any property did not create a material environmental condition not actually known to or discoverable by us, that environmental conditions on neighboring properties will not have an impact on any of our properties, or that a material environmental condition does not otherwise exist with respect to any of our properties.

Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable state accessibility act compliance may require unanticipated expenditures.

Under the ADA, all places of public accommodation are required to meet federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons. A number of other federal, state and local laws may also impose access and other similar requirements at our properties or websites. A failure to comply with the ADA or similar state or local requirements could result in the governmental imposition of fines or the award of damages to private litigants affected by the noncompliance. Although we believe that our properties and websites comply in all material respects with these requirements (or would be eligible for applicable exemptions from material requirements because of adaptive assistance provided), a determination that one or more of our properties or websites is not in compliance with the ADA or similar state or local requirements would result in the incurrence of additional costs associated with bringing the properties or websites into compliance. If we are required to make substantial modifications to comply with the ADA or similar state or local requirements, we may be required to incur significant unanticipated expenditures, which could have an adverse effect on our operating costs and our ability to make distributions to our shareholders.

We face system security risks as we depend upon automated processes and the internet, and breaches of, or failures in the performance of, our information technology systems could damage our reputation, cause us to incur substantial additional costs and subject us to litigation.

We are increasingly dependent upon automated information technology processes, including artificial intelligence, and internet commerce, and many of our new customers come from and interact with us on the telephone or over the internet. Moreover, the nature of our business involves the receipt and retention of personal information about our customers. We also rely extensively on third-party vendors to retain data, host software, process transactions (including payment transactions), and provide other systems and services. These systems, and our systems, are subject to damage or interruption from power outages, computer and telecommunications failures, computer viruses, malware, ransomware and other destructive or disruptive security breaches and catastrophic events, such as a natural disaster or a terrorist event or cyber-attack. In addition, experienced computer programmers and hackers may be able to penetrate our security systems and misappropriate or make unavailable to us our confidential information, create system disruptions or cause shutdowns, whether due to malfeasance or human error. Such data security breaches as well as system disruptions and shutdowns could result in additional costs to repair or replace such networks or information systems and possible legal liability, including government enforcement actions and private litigation. In addition, our customers could lose confidence in our ability to protect their personal information, which could cause them to discontinue leasing at our stores. Even if we are not targeted directly, cyberattacks on the U.S. government, financial markets, financial institutions, or other businesses, including our tenants, vendors, software creators, cloud providers, cybersecurity service providers, and other third parties with whom we work, may occur, and such events could disrupt our normal business operations and networks in the future.

In addition to potentially experiencing a security incident, third parties may gather, collect, or infer sensitive information about us from public sources, data brokers, or other means that reveals competitively sensitive details about our organization and could be used to undermine our competitive advantage or market position. Additionally, proprietary, confidential, and/or sensitive information of ours or our tenants could be leaked, disclosed, or revealed as a result of or in connection with the use of generative artificial intelligence technologies.

We currently incorporate artificial intelligence solutions into our business, and applications of artificial intelligence may become more important in our operations over time. Our competitors or other third parties may incorporate artificial intelligence into their businesses more quickly or more successfully than us, which could impair our ability to compete effectively and adversely affect our results of operations. Additionally, if the types of information that artificial intelligence applications assist in producing are or are alleged to be deficient, inaccurate, or biased, our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be adversely affected.

If we are unable to attract and retain team members or contract with third parties having the specialized skills or technologies needed to support our systems, implement improvements to our customer-facing technology in a timely manner, allow accurate visibility to product availability when customers are ready to rent, quickly and efficiently fulfill our customers rental and payment methods they demand or provide a convenient and consistent experience for our customers regardless of the ultimate sales channel, our ability to compete and our results of operations could be adversely affected.

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Risks Related to the Real Estate Industry

Our performance and the value of our self-storage properties are subject to risks associated with our properties and with the real estate industry.

Our rental revenues, operating costs and the value of our real estate assets, and consequently the value of our securities, are subject to the risk that if our stores do not generate revenues sufficient to meet our operating expenses, including debt service and capital expenditures, our cash flow and ability to pay distributions to our shareholders will be adversely affected. Events or conditions beyond our control that may adversely affect our operations or the value of our properties include but are not limited to:

● downturns in the national, regional and local economic climate;

● vacancies or changes in market rents for self-storage space;

● inability to collect or delay in collecting rent from customers;

● changes in interest rates and availability of financing;

● the relative illiquidity of real estate investments.

In addition, prolonged periods of economic slowdown or recession, rising interest rates, declining demand for self-storage, geopolitical tensions, military conflicts, pandemics or the fear or public perception that any of these events may occur, could result in a general decline in rental revenues, which could impair our ability to satisfy our debt service obligations and to make distributions to our shareholders.

Rental revenues are significantly influenced by demand for self-storage space generally, and a decrease in such demand would likely have a greater adverse effect on our rental revenues than if we owned a more diversified real estate portfolio.

Because our real estate portfolio consists primarily of self-storage properties, we are subject to risks inherent in investments in a single industry. A decrease in the demand for self-storage space would have a greater adverse effect on our rental revenues than if we owned a more diversified real estate portfolio. Demand for self-storage space could be adversely affected by weakness in the national, regional and local economies, changes in supply of, or demand for, similar or competing self-storage properties in an area and the excess amount of self-storage space in a particular market. To the extent that any of these conditions occur, they are likely to affect market rents for self-storage space, which could cause a decrease in our rental and management fee revenue. Any such decrease could impair our ability to satisfy debt service obligations and make distributions to our shareholders.

Because real estate is illiquid, we may not be able to sell properties when appropriate.

Real estate property investments generally cannot be sold quickly. Also, the tax laws applicable to REITs require that we hold our properties for investment, rather than for sale in the ordinary course of business, which may cause us to forgo or defer sales of properties that may otherwise be in our best interest. Therefore, we may not be able to dispose of properties promptly, or on favorable terms, in response to economic or other market conditions, which may adversely affect our financial position.

Risks Related to our Qualification and Operation as a REIT

Failure to qualify as a REIT would subject us to U.S. federal income tax which would reduce the cash available for distribution to our shareholders.

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We operate our business to qualify to be taxed as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. We have not requested and do not plan to request a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) that we qualify as a REIT, and the statements in this Report are not binding on the IRS or any court. As a REIT, we generally will not be subject to federal income tax on the income that we distribute currently to our shareholders. Many of the REIT requirements, however, are highly technical and complex. The determination that we are a REIT requires an analysis of various factual matters and circumstances that may not be totally within our control. For example, to qualify as a REIT, at least 95% of our gross income must come from specific passive sources, such as rent, that are itemized in the REIT tax laws. In addition, to qualify as a REIT, we cannot own specified amounts of debt and equity securities of some issuers. We also are required to distribute to our shareholders with respect to each year at least 90% of our REIT taxable income, excluding net capital gains. The fact that we hold substantially all of our assets through the Operating Partnership and its subsidiaries and joint ventures further complicates the application of the REIT requirements for us. Even a technical or inadvertent mistake could jeopardize our REIT status, and, given the highly complex nature of the rules governing REITs and the ongoing importance of factual determinations, we cannot provide any assurance that we will continue to qualify as a REIT. Congress and the IRS may make changes to the tax laws and regulations, and the courts might issue new rulings that make it more difficult, or impossible, for us to remain qualified as a REIT. If we fail to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes and are able to avail ourselves of one or more of the statutory savings provisions in order to maintain our REIT status, we would nevertheless be required to pay penalty taxes of $50,000 or more for each such failure.

If we fail to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, and are unable to avail ourselves of certain savings provisions set forth in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), we would be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates on all of our income. As a taxable corporation, we would not be allowed to take a deduction for distributions to shareholders in computing our taxable income or pass through long-term capital gains to individual shareholders at favorable rates. We also could be subject to increased state and local taxes. We would not be able to elect to be taxed as a REIT until the fifth taxable year that begins after the taxable year we first failed to qualify unless the IRS were to grant us relief under certain statutory provisions. Further, for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022, we may also be subject to certain taxes enacted by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 that are applicable to non-REIT corporations, including a corporate alternative minimum tax and a nondeductible one percent excise tax on certain stock repurchases. If we failed to qualify as a REIT, we would have to pay significant income taxes, which would reduce our net earnings available for investment or distribution to our shareholders. This likely would have a significant adverse effect on our earnings and the value of our securities. In addition, we would no longer be required to pay any distributions to shareholders.

Failure of the Operating Partnership (or a subsidiary partnership or joint venture) to be treated as a partnership would have serious adverse consequences to our shareholders.

If the IRS were to successfully challenge the tax status of the Operating Partnership or any of its subsidiary partnerships or joint ventures for federal income tax purposes, the Operating Partnership or the affected subsidiary partnership or joint venture would be taxable as a corporation. In such event, we likely would cease to qualify as a REIT and the imposition of a corporate tax on the Operating Partnership, a subsidiary partnership or joint venture would reduce the amount of cash available for distribution from the Operating Partnership to us and ultimately to our shareholders.

To maintain our REIT status, we may be forced to borrow funds on a short-term basis during unfavorable market conditions.

As a REIT, we are subject to certain distribution requirements, including the requirement to distribute 90% of our REIT taxable income, excluding net capital gains, which may result in our having to make distributions at a disadvantageous time or to borrow funds at unfavorable rates. Compliance with this requirement may hinder our ability to operate solely on the basis of maximizing profits.

We will pay some taxes even if we qualify as a REIT, which will reduce the cash available for distribution to our shareholders.

Even if we qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we will be required to pay certain federal, state and local taxes on our income and property. For example, we will be subject to income tax to the extent we distribute less than 100% of our REIT taxable income, including capital gains. Additionally, we will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the amount, if any, by which dividends paid by us in any calendar year are less than the sum of 85% of our ordinary income, 95% of our capital gain net income and 100% of our undistributed income from prior years. Moreover, if we have net income from “prohibited transactions,” that income will be subject to a 100% penalty tax. In general, prohibited transactions are sales or other dispositions of property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business. The determination as to whether a particular sale is a prohibited transaction depends on the facts and circumstances related to that sale. We cannot guarantee that sales of our properties would not be prohibited transactions unless we comply with certain statutory safe-harbor provisions.

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In addition, any net taxable income earned directly by our taxable REIT subsidiaries, or through entities that are disregarded for federal income tax purposes as entities separate from our taxable REIT subsidiaries, will be subject to federal and possibly state corporate income tax. We have elected to treat some of our subsidiaries as taxable REIT subsidiaries, and we may elect to treat other subsidiaries as taxable REIT subsidiaries in the future. In this regard, several provisions of the laws applicable to REITs and their subsidiaries ensure that a taxable REIT subsidiary will be subject to an appropriate level of federal income taxation. For example, a taxable REIT subsidiary is limited in its ability to deduct certain interest payments made to an affiliated REIT. In addition, the REIT has to pay a 100% penalty tax on some payments that it receives or on some deductions taken by a taxable REIT subsidiary if the economic arrangements between the REIT, the REIT’s customers, and the taxable REIT subsidiary are not comparable to similar arrangements between unrelated parties. Finally, some state and local jurisdictions may tax some of our income even though as a REIT we are not subject to federal income tax on that income because not all states and localities follow the federal income tax treatment of REITs. To the extent that we and our affiliates are required to pay federal, state and local taxes, we will have less cash available for distributions to our shareholders.

We face possible federal, state and local tax audits.

Because we are organized and qualify as a REIT, we are generally not subject to federal income taxes, but are subject to certain state and local taxes. Certain entities through which we own real estate either have undergone, or are currently undergoing, tax audits. Although we believe that we have substantial arguments in favor of our positions in these audits, in some instances there may be no controlling precedent or interpretive guidance on the specific point at issue. Collectively, tax deficiency notices received to date from the jurisdictions conducting the ongoing audits have not been material. However, there can be no assurance that future audits will not occur with increased frequency or that the ultimate result of such audits will not have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

Legislative or regulatory tax changes related to REITs could materially and adversely affect our business.

At any time, the federal income tax laws or regulations governing REITs or the administrative interpretations of those laws or regulations may be changed, possibly with retroactive effect. We cannot predict if or when any new federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation, or any amendment to any existing federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation, will be adopted, promulgated or become effective or whether any such law, regulation or interpretation may take effect retroactively. We and our shareholders could be adversely affected by any such change in, or any new, federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation.

Shareholders are urged to consult with their tax advisors with respect to the status of any regulatory or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on investment in our equity securities.

Dividends paid by REITs do not qualify for the reduced tax rates provided under current law.

Dividends paid by REITs are generally not eligible for the reduced 15% maximum tax rate for dividends paid to individuals (20% for those with taxable income above certain thresholds that are adjusted annually under current law). The more favorable tax rates applicable to regular corporate dividends could cause shareholders who are individuals to perceive investments in REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in the stock of non-REIT corporations that pay dividends to which more favorable tax rates apply, which could reduce the value of REIT stocks.

Partnership tax audit rules could have a material adverse effect on us.

Under the rules applicable to U.S. federal income tax audits of partnerships, subject to certain exceptions, any audit adjustment to items of income, gain, loss, deduction, or credit of a partnership (and any partner’s distributive share thereof) is determined, and taxes, interest, or penalties attributable thereto could be assessed and collected, at the partnership level. Absent available elections, it is possible that the Operating Partnership, and any other partnership in which we directly or indirectly invest, could be required to pay additional taxes, interest and penalties as a result of an audit adjustment, and we, as a direct or indirect partner of a partnership, could be required to bear the economic burden of those taxes, interest, and penalties even though we may not otherwise have been required to pay additional taxes had we owned the assets of these partnerships directly. There can be no assurance that these rules will not have a material adverse effect on us.

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Risks Related to our Debt Financings

We face risks related to current debt maturities, including refinancing risk.

Certain of our mortgages, bank loans and unsecured debt (including our senior notes) will have significant outstanding balances on their maturity dates, commonly known as “balloon payments.” We may not have the cash resources available to repay those amounts, and we may have to raise funds for such repayment either through the issuance of equity or debt securities, additional bank borrowings (which may include extension of maturity dates), joint ventures or asset sales. Furthermore, we are restricted from incurring certain additional indebtedness and making certain other changes to our capital and debt structure under the terms of the Credit Facility (defined below) and senior notes and the indentures governing the Credit Facility and senior notes.

There can be no assurance that we will be able to refinance our debt on favorable terms or at all. To the extent we cannot refinance debt on favorable terms or at all, we may be forced to dispose of properties on disadvantageous terms or pay higher interest rates, either of which would have an adverse impact on our financial performance and ability to pay dividends to our shareholders.

As a result of our interest rate hedges, swap agreements and other, similar arrangements, we face counterparty risks.

We may be exposed to the potential risk of counterparty default or non-payment with respect to interest rate hedges, swap agreements, floors, caps and other interest rate hedging contracts that we may enter into from time to time, in which event we could suffer a material loss on the value of those agreements. Although these agreements may lessen the impact of rising interest rates on us, they also expose us to the risk that other parties to the agreements will not perform or that we cannot enforce the agreements. There is no assurance that our potential counterparties on these agreements will perform their obligations under such agreements.

Financing our future growth plan or refinancing existing debt maturities could be impacted by negative capital market conditions.

From time to time, domestic financial markets experience volatility and uncertainty. At times in recent years liquidity has tightened in the domestic financial markets, including the investment grade debt and equity capital markets from which we historically sought financing. Consequently, there is uncertainty regarding our ability to access the credit markets in order to attract financing on reasonable terms, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to continue to issue common or preferred equity securities at a reasonable price. Our ability to finance new acquisitions and development and refinance future debt maturities could be adversely impacted by our inability to secure financing on reasonable terms, if at all.

The terms and covenants relating to our indebtedness could adversely impact our financial performance.

Like other real estate companies that incur debt, we are subject to risks associated with debt financing, such as the insufficiency of cash flow to meet required debt service payment obligations and the inability to refinance outstanding indebtedness at maturity. If our debt cannot be paid, refinanced or extended at maturity, we may not be able to make distributions to shareholders at expected levels or at all and may not be able to acquire or develop new stores. Failure to make distributions to our shareholders could result in our failure to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. Furthermore, an increase in our interest expense could adversely affect our cash flow and ability to make distributions to shareholders. If we do not meet our debt service obligations, any stores securing such indebtedness could be foreclosed on, which would have a material adverse effect on our cash flow and ability to make distributions and, depending on the number of stores foreclosed on, could threaten our continued viability.

Our Credit Facility (defined below) contains (and any new or amended facility we may enter into from time to time will likely contain) customary affirmative and negative covenants, including financial covenants that, among other things, require us to comply with certain liquidity and other tests. Our ability to borrow under the Credit Facility is (and any new or amended facility we may enter into from time to time will be) subject to compliance with such financial and other covenants. In the event that we fail to satisfy these covenants, we would be in default under the Credit Facility and may be required to repay such debt with capital from other sources. Under such circumstances, other sources of debt or equity capital may not be available to us, or may be available only on unattractive terms. Moreover, the presence of such covenants in our credit agreements could cause us to operate our business with a view toward compliance with such covenants, which might not produce optimal returns for shareholders. Similarly, the indenture under which we have issued unsecured senior notes contains customary financial covenants, including limitations on incurrence of additional indebtedness.

Increases in interest rates on variable-rate indebtedness would increase our interest expense, which could adversely affect our cash flow and ability to make distributions to shareholders. Rising interest rates could also restrict our ability to refinance existing debt when it matures. In addition, an increase in interest rates could decrease the amounts that third parties are willing to pay for our assets, thereby limiting our ability to alter our portfolio promptly in relation to economic or other conditions.

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Our organizational documents contain no limitation on the amount of debt we may incur. As a result, we may become highly leveraged in the future.

Our organizational documents do not limit the amount of indebtedness that we may incur. We could alter the balance between our total outstanding indebtedness and the value of our assets at any time. If we become more highly leveraged, then the resulting increase in debt service could adversely affect our ability to make payments on our outstanding indebtedness and to pay our anticipated distributions and/or the distributions required to maintain our REIT status, and could harm our financial condition.

Risks Related to our Organization and Structure

We are dependent upon our senior management team whose continued service is not guaranteed.

CUBE US Equity

CUBE · 10-K · period ended 2025-12-31

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

CUBE US Equity☆

CUBE · 10-K · period ended 2025-12-31

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

CUBE US Equity