ELME US Equity☆

elme-20231231

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

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FORM 10-K

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For fiscal year ended December 31, 2023

OR

COMMISSION FILE NO. 001-06622

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ELME COMMUNITIES

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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(State of incorporation) (IRS Employer Identification Number)

7550 WISCONSIN AVE, SUITE 900, BETHESDA, MD20814

(Address of principal executive office) (Zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (202) 774-3200

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

Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered

Shares of Beneficial Interest ELME NYSE

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

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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. 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. 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 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. 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 (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes☒ No ☐

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

Large accelerated filer ☒ Accelerated filer ☐

Non-accelerated filer ☐ Smaller reporting company ☐

Emerging growth company ☐

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. ☐

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. ☒

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. ☐

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). ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

As of June 30, 2023, the aggregate market value of such shares held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $1,429,202,578 (based on the closing price of the shares on June 30, 2023).

As of February 13, 2024, 87,867,059 common shares were outstanding.

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DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of our definitive Proxy Statement relating to the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, are incorporated by reference in Part III, Items 10-14 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K as indicated herein.

ELME COMMUNITIES

2023 FORM 10-K ANNUAL REPORT

INDEX

PART I Page

Item 1. Business 4

Item 1A. Risk Factors 11

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 24

Item 1C. Cybersecurity 24

Item 2. Properties 27

Item 3. Legal Proceedings 28

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 28

PART II

Item 6. Reserved 30

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

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 46

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 46

Item 9B. Other Information 46

Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections 74

PART III

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 74

Item 11. Executive Compensation 74

Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services 74

PART IV

Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 75

Signatures 78

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PART I

ITEM 1: BUSINESS

Elme Communities Overview

Elme Communities, a Maryland real estate investment trust, formerly known as Washington Real Estate Investment Trust (the "Company"), is a self-administered equity real estate investment trust ("REIT") and successor to a trust organized in 1960. Our business primarily consists of the ownership of apartment communities in the greater Washington, DC metro and Sunbelt regions. As of December 31, 2023, we owned 28 apartment communities and one office property.

Business and Investment Strategy

Our mission is to elevate the value living experience and create a place our residents are proud to call home by continuously focusing on service, efficiency, and innovation. We are focused on creating shareholder value by providing quality, affordably priced housing to a deep, solid, and growing base of mid-market demand. Our research indicates that affordability is a pressing rental issue at multiple price points across the mid-market rent spectrum. We believe that rents can be consistently grown if a portfolio’s price point does not compete directly with new product price points and wages for mid-market renters are growing.Furthermore, as the cost of homeownership continues to rise above affordable levels for median income earners, we expect to benefit from sustained demand for quality, affordably priced rental housing.

We acquire, develop, and renovate apartment communities that align with our research-led investment strategy, which is focused on the following:

•targeting markets that have economies with diverse, innovative industries that drive outsized job creation, wage growth and in-migration, which we believe will benefit from these trends in the years to come;

•targeting middle-income renters who make up the largest share of apartment demand in each of our current and target markets but for whom new apartment supply and the cost of owning a home is unaffordable;

•executing value-add renovations that are tailored to each submarket, target renter group and individual community to provide an improved yet affordable living experience while enhancing shareholder value; and

•targeting investment opportunities that provide the potential for significant appreciation in value and that have operating upside through community management strategies.

Our research-focused approach enables us to craft optimal strategies to provide the best combination of value, quality, and resident experience in our apartment communities. We categorize our apartment communities among broader asset classes, as determined by a variety of factors, including the age of our buildings, rent growth drivers and rent relative to the market:

Class A

–Class A communities are recently developed and command rental rates above market median rents.

–Class A- communities have been developed within the past twenty years and feature operational improvements and unit upgrades and command rents at or above median market rents.

Class B

–Class B Value-Add communities feature operational improvements and strong potential for unit renovations. These communities, which are generally over twenty years old, command average rental rates below median market rents for units that have not been renovated.

–Class B communities feature operational improvements and command average rental rates below median market rents. Near-term rent growth is driven by operational improvements and market rent growth without unit renovations. These communities are over twenty years old and can become Class B Value-Add depending on future market rents and renovation opportunities.

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Regional Real Estate Markets (1)

While we have historically focused our investments in the greater Washington, DC metro region, we expanded our footprint to the Atlanta metro region in 2021. Atlanta offers a range of diverse, innovative industries which we believe are poised to benefit from substantial job creation, rising wages, and continued migration in the coming years. As of December 31, 2023, we have acquired six apartment communities in the Atlanta metro region and we remain optimistic about the near and longer-term demand drivers in the Atlanta metro region.

Looking forward, we plan to continue to expand our footprint outside of the Washington, DC metro region. We intend to target markets with skilled labor development and in-migration, diverse economies with innovative industries, strong productivity and wage growth for middle income residents, and demand for affordable mid-market housing.

We believe our portfolio's allocation in the Atlanta and Washington, DC metro regions, and our focus on value-oriented price points, will help enable our future growth, while also providing relative insulation during economic downturns. Over the past five and 10-year periods, Class B rent growth has outperformed Class A in both of our operating markets. Additionally, our mid-market price points generally do not compete with new supply, as our average monthly rent is generally several hundred dollars below the asking rent for new deliveries. Moreover, the national cost of owning a home compared to renting a single-family starter home is the highest it’s been in over 20 years. As housing remains undersupplied, interest rates remain high and the cost of homeownership remains unaffordable for many median-income households, we expect to benefit from sustained demand for quality, affordable rental options.

Washington, DC metro region (22 apartment communities)

In the fourth quarter of 2023, the Washington, DC metro region absorbed 1,600 units (the third highest 4th quarter performance on record for the Washington, DC metro region), as 4,000 units delivered concurrently. The rebound in demand in 2023 brought annual demand to 10,800 units, a top five performance nationwide. Despite healthy absorption, supply and demand remained imbalanced. As a result, occupancy ticked down 40 basis points over the year to 94.7%.

Effective asking rents declined 0.4% in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to the third quarter of 2023, averaging $2,110 per month, or $2.39 per square foot, pushing annual rent growth down to 2.5%. Annual rent change, as of the fourth quarter of 2023, was highest among Class B multifamily properties at 3.7% with Class A multifamily properties trailing behind at 2.4%. Generally, rents grew most in low supply submarkets, whereas rent cuts were most common in higher supply areas. Occupancy remained strongest in Class B multifamily properties at 95.2%.

The Washington, DC metro economy is considered to be recession-resistant due to a high concentration of government and government-affiliated jobs. Annual job growth for the Washington, DC metro region, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics was 1.4% or, 48,400 jobs as of November 2023, year-over-year. The RealPage Market Analytics apartment market outlook points to a heavy construction pipeline with 29,400 units currently under construction, of which 18,200 are planned for delivery over the next year. Given the projected pipeline, rent and occupancy performance are expected to vary across submarkets, with market-level readings that roughly match the national average in the coming two to three-year window.

Atlanta metro region (6 apartment communities)

In the fourth quarter of 2023, the Atlanta metro region absorbed 2,900 units (the fourth highest 4th quarter performance on record for the Atlanta metro region), as 5,400 units delivered concurrently. Quarterly occupancy in the market contracted 40 basis points year-over-year to about 92.3%. Annual demand rose to 9,700 units, a significant improvement from the annual net move-outs of 7,000 units recorded in the first quarter of 2023.

The Atlanta metro region recorded an annual rent cut of 4.7%, with effective asking rents averaging $1,628 per month, or $1.60 per square foot. Class C multifamily properties saw the steepest rent decline of 6.6% on average, followed by Class B multifamily properties with rent cuts of 4.3% on average, and Class A multifamily properties with rent cuts of 3.6% on average. All but one of Atlanta’s 39 submarkets posted rent cuts on an annual basis.

Annual job growth for the Atlanta metro region as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics was 2.5%, or 76,500 jobs added as of November 2023, year-over-year. The RealPage Market Analytics apartment market outlook has 34,300 units currently under construction, of which 23,100 are planned for delivery over the next year. In the short term, rent change and occupancy are expected to remain muted and are expected to move closer to national norms in 2025, once the current supply wave moderates.

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(1) The source of all regional market numerical data in this section is RealPage Market Analytics

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Our Portfolio

As of December 31, 2023, we owned approximately 9,400 residential apartment homes in the Washington, DC metro and Sunbelt regions. We also owned approximately 300,000 square feet of commercial space in the Washington, DC metro region. The percentage of total real estate rental revenue from continuing operations by property type for the three years ended December 31, 2023, and the average occupancy for the year ended December 31, 2023, were as follows:

Total real estate rental revenue from continuing operations for each of the three years ended December 31, 2023, was $227.9 million, $209.4 million and $169.2 million, respectively. During the three years ended December 31, 2023, we acquired six residential properties and placed one residential development project into service. During that same period, we sold twelve office properties and eight retail properties. See note 14 to the consolidated financial statements for further discussion of our operating results by segment.

No single tenant accounted for more than 5% of real estate rental revenue from continuing operations in any of the three years ended December 31, 2023.

In October 2022, we began a process to internalize our management operations, and this process was completed in July 2023. Prior to the completion of our management internalization, Bozzuto Management Company ("Bozzuto") and Greystar Real Estate Partners ("Greystar") provided community management and leasing services at the majority of our residential communities. Bozzuto and Greystar provided such services under individual community management agreements for each residential community, each of which was separately terminable by us or Bozzuto/Greystar, as applicable. Although they varied by community, on average, the fees charged by Bozzuto/Greystar under each agreement were approximately 3% of revenues at each residential community. As of December 31, 2023, we have transitioned all of our residential communities to Elme management. Stream Realty Partners ("Stream") provides property management and leasing services at our sole office property, Watergate 600.

We make capital improvements to our properties on an ongoing basis for the purpose of maintaining and increasing their value and income. Major improvements and/or renovations to the properties during the three years ended December 31, 2023 are discussed in Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, under the heading “Capital Improvements and Development Costs.”

Further description of the properties is contained in Item 2, Properties, and note 14 to the consolidated financial statements, Segment Information, and in Schedule III. Reference is also made to Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Environmental, Social and Governance

At Elme Communities, our Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) strategy is to operate and grow in a sustainable, responsible manner that contributes to positive economic, social, and environmental outcomes for shareholders, employees, and the communities in which we serve. We intend to continue providing an annual ESG report that includes disclosures aligned with Global Reporting Initiative Standards 2016, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board and the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures. This report can be found online at https://www.elmecommunities.com/esg/. The reference to our website address does not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained in the website and such information should not be considered part of this document.

Environmental

In 2021, we announced our commitment to net zero carbon operation in alignment with the Urban Land Institute’s Greenprint Net Zero by 2050 Goal. In 2023, we joined the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Better Climate Challenge, further aligning greenhouse gas emission reduction with industry leaders. Meeting this goal requires that we fully integrate a focus on carbon reductions into our strategic approach and at all levels of our organization throughout our portfolio.

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We implement sustainable policies and practices at all of our properties, for purposes of ensuring occupants and residents work and live in efficient, healthy spaces. We track annual asset-level performance of energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and water consumption, utilizing ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager as well as Measurabl ESG software. We apply industry standard rating systems such as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (“LEED”) and Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (“BREEAM”) to establish sustainable practices for building design, construction, operations, and maintenance. During unit renovations, we replace end-of-life appliances with ENERGY STAR rated equipment; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems with more efficient models; as well as update water fixtures to low-flow options. Additionally, we continue to expand our electric vehicle charging stations across our portfolio to support the transition of our residents to electric transportation.

Social

Among our social initiatives is a commitment to financial inclusion, pursuant to which we aim to increase the availability and equality of financial service opportunities, remove barriers to the financial sector, and enable individuals to improve their financial wellbeing. Beyond credit history, life-altering events can interrupt a resident’s ability to pay rent, including job loss, medical emergencies, domestic violence, and other hardships. This can lead to delinquencies, increased interest rate debt, potential eviction, and situational unhousing.

In 2022, we announced a partnership with a financial technology company to dismantle barriers to housing for working families. Through this partnership, on-time rent payments are reported monthly to all three credit bureaus, providing an opportunity for residents to build their credit. This no-cost amenity is available to 100% of our community residents. This initiative follows a “do no harm” mindset. Therefore, only on-time payments—not delinquencies—are reported.

In addition to credit reporting, our technology partner's platform offers housing stability loans for residents experiencing financial hardship. These interest-free loans provide up to three months of rent relief, enabling residents to remain housed during difficult times. Residents can then work with our technology partner to set up a 12-month repayment plan for the loan.

These programs support the short- and long-term financial well-being of our residents.

In addition to financial wellness, we support our residents physical and mental health and wellness through on-site amenities such as gymnasiums, pools, playgrounds, and community rooms, as well as close access to bike lanes, walking/running paths, parks, and other outdoor amenities. In 2023, we certified our first five communities to Fitwel Health and Wellness. The certification is awarded to buildings that promote occupant health and well-being by incorporating a number of evidence-based design and operations strategies that support the physical, mental, and social health of occupants.

Governance

At Elme, we hold ourselves, our suppliers, and the Board of Trustees (the "Board") to high ethical standards as we seek to increase shareholder value and foster a collaborative, innovative corporate culture. Our team is required to read and certify their knowledge on our Code of Ethics, in addition to receiving ethics training throughout the year. Our Board is responsible for corporate policy and management oversight to enhance long-term shareholder value. In 2020, our Board formalized the oversight of ESG initiatives, recognizing that environmental and social matters—together with strong corporate governance—play a critical role in the execution of our ESG strategy.

Some of our ESG policies, including our Human Rights Policy, Vendor Code of Conduct, and Environmental Sustainability Policy, can be found on our website at elmecommunities.com/esg/governance/.

We are made up of growth-oriented, hardworking individuals dedicated to transforming creative ideas into decisive action. Our flat organizational structure facilitates frequent, meaningful interactions with Company executives, and our commitment to teamwork and entrepreneurial spirit enables employees at every level to conceptualize ideas and make them happen. We create an environment designed to encourage people to do what they do best, all while learning, growing, and contributing in meaningful ways to build a better company. We trust, encourage, and support one another, driving our pursuit of excellence.

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Human Capital

Employees, Training and Development

On February 13, 2024, we had 243 employees, including 175 persons engaged in community management functions who were hired in connection with the internalization of our community management functions, and 68 persons engaged in corporate, financial, asset management and other functions. Of the 175 persons engaged in community management functions, 44 are employed in the Atlanta metro region at six different communities, with the remainder in the Washington, DC metro region. All of our officers and substantially all of our corporate-level employees live and work in or near the greater Washington, DC metro region, and our community management employees live and work in or near their respective communities.

Our human capital resources objectives include identifying, recruiting, retaining, incentivizing and integrating our new and existing employees. At Elme Communities, we place great value on employee growth through goals, feedback and professional and leadership development offerings. Our human resources team provides ongoing training and development opportunities to all employees. We financially support employees pursuing industry-specific training and certification programs and we encourage employees to join professional organizations that offer technical, soft skill and leadership development workshops.

Additionally, our compensation programs are designed to attract, retain and reward our workforce, with the goal of motivating employees to perform to the best of their abilities and achieve our objectives, including increasing shareholder value.

Health, Safety and Well-being

We support our employees with a robust and competitive employee benefits program, including a flexible vacation policy, parental leave, 401(k) matching, tuition reimbursement, an Employee Assistance Program, and other programs.

Additionally, we have a wellness program that provides fun, engaging challenges to encourage employees to continuously improve their physical, mental, and financial well-being. In our corporate office, we offer two wellness rooms for employees to take a break to decompress.

Our technological capabilities allow our corporate-level employees the flexibility to work from anywhere at any time. This allows us to easily meet our residents’ needs as well as those of our employees.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility

Our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Initiative ("DEIA") is a long-term commitment to promoting an environment where each individual feels comfortable being their most authentic selves. We believe diversity of backgrounds, experiences, cultures, ethnicities, and interests leads to new ways of thinking and drives engagement and organizational success. Our diverse Cultural Advisory Board ("CAB") is overseen by our senior leadership team and our Board. The CAB tracks and monitors our diversity metrics and facilitates learning and training opportunities, including a diversity speaker series, targeted recruitment and relationship development with diverse industry groups for internships and employment opportunities and partnering with community-based non-profits for volunteer activities.

Community Engagement

As a REIT, investing is at the core of what we do, but the most valuable investments we make are not in our buildings but in our people and our community. We are passionate about making a difference in the regions we call home.

We are committed to improving the lives of those in need, and our employees participate in a wide variety of philanthropic activities throughout the year. Whether volunteering at a food bank, running a toy drive, walking for a cause, or participating in our company-wide community service day, we are proud to foster a culture of giving back.

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Regulation

REIT Tax Status

We believe that we qualify as a REIT under Sections 856-860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), and intend to continue to qualify as such. To maintain our status as a REIT, we are, among other things required to distribute 90% of our REIT taxable income (determined before the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gains), to our shareholders on an annual basis. When selling a property, we generally have the option of (a) reinvesting the sales proceeds of property sold, in a way that allows us to defer recognition of some or all of the taxable gain realized on the sale, (b) distributing gains to the shareholders with no tax to us or (c) treating net long-term capital gains as having been distributed to our shareholders, paying the tax on the gain deemed distributed and allocating the tax paid as a credit to our shareholders.

Generally, and subject to our ongoing qualification as a REIT, no provisions for income taxes are necessary except for taxes on undistributed taxable income and taxes on the income generated by our taxable REIT subsidiary. Our taxable REIT subsidiary is subject to corporate U.S. federal, state and local income tax on its taxable income at regular statutory rates (see note 1 to the consolidated financial statements for further disclosure).

Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA")

The properties in our portfolio must comply with Title III of the ADA, to the extent that such properties are “public accommodations” as defined by the ADA. The ADA may require removal of structural barriers to access by persons with disabilities in certain public areas of our properties where such removal is readily achievable. We believe that our properties are in substantial compliance with the ADA and that we will not be required to make substantial capital expenditures to address the requirements of the ADA. However, noncompliance with the ADA could result in an imposition of fines or an award of damages to private litigants. The obligation to make readily accessible accommodations is an ongoing one, and we will continue to assess our properties and make alterations as appropriate in this respect.

Fair Housing Act ("FHA")

The FHA, its state law counterparts and the regulations promulgated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and various state agencies, prohibit discrimination in housing on the basis of race or color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18) or handicap (disability) and, in some states, financial capability or other bases. A failure to comply with these laws in our operations could result in litigation, fines, penalties or other adverse claims, or could result in limitations or restrictions on our ability to operate, any of which could materially and adversely affect us. We believe that we operate our properties in substantial compliance with the FHA.

Environmental Matters

We are subject to numerous federal, state and local environmental, health, safety and zoning laws and regulations that govern our operations, including with respect to air emissions, wastewater, and the use, storage and disposal of hazardous and toxic substances and petroleum products. The cost to comply with such laws and regulations may be significant, and such laws may become more stringent over time. If we fail to comply with such laws, including if we fail to obtain any required permits or licenses, we could face substantial fines or possible revocation of our authority to conduct some of our operations.

In addition, under various federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the environment, as a current or former owner or operator of real property, we may be liable for costs and damages resulting from the presence or discharge of hazardous or toxic substances, waste or petroleum products at, on, in, under, or migrating from such property, including costs to investigate and remediate such contamination and liability for natural resources damage. Such laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of such contamination, and the liability may be joint and several. In addition, we also may be liable for the costs of remediating contamination at off-site waste disposal facilities to which we have arranged for the disposal or treatment of hazardous substances, without regard to whether we complied with environmental laws in doing so. These liabilities for remediation could be substantial and the cost of any required remediation, fines, or other costs could exceed the value of the property and/or our aggregate assets. In addition, the presence of contamination or the failure to remediate contamination at our properties may expose us to third-party liability for costs of remediation and/or bodily injury or property damage or materially adversely affect our ability to sell, lease or develop our properties or to borrow using the properties as collateral. In addition, environmental laws may create liens on contaminated sites in favor of the government for damages and costs it incurs to address such contamination. Moreover, if contamination is discovered on our properties, environmental laws may impose restrictions on the manner in which property may be used or

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businesses may be operated, and these restrictions may require substantial expenditures.

Availability of Reports

Copies of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to such reports are available, free of charge, on our website www.elmecommunities.com. All required reports are made available on the website as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The reference to our website address does not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained in the website and such information should not be considered part of this document.

The Securities and Exchange Commission maintains a website (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy statements, information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with Securities and Exchange Commission.

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ITEM 1A: RISK FACTORS

Risks Related to our Business and Operations

We may be unable to successfully expand our operations into new markets and submarkets, which could have a material adverse effect on us, the trading price of our shares and our ability to make distributions to our shareholders.

We intend to further expand our residential platform through acquisitions in Sunbelt markets. Our current targeted expansion markets include Atlanta, Georgia, Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina and Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. Between 2021 and 2023, we acquired six apartment communities in the Atlanta metro region and plan to continue to invest in the Sunbelt region in 2024 and beyond. However, our historic operations have been concentrated in the Washington DC, metro region, where we have expertise in acquiring and operating assets. The risks applicable to our ability to acquire, integrate and operate apartment communities in the Washington DC, metro region are also applicable to our ability to acquire, integrate and operate apartment communities in new markets. In addition to these risks, we will not possess the same level of familiarity with the dynamics and market conditions of any new markets that we have entered or that we may enter as we do with the Washington, DC market, which could adversely affect our ability to expand and success in expanding into those markets. Furthermore, we may be unable to build a significant market presence or achieve a desired return on our investments in communities in new markets. The occurrence of any of the foregoing risks could have a material adverse effect on us, the trading price of our shares and our ability to make distributions to our shareholders.

Our performance and value are subject to risks associated with our apartment communities and with the real estate industry, which could adversely affect our cash flow and ability to make distributions to our shareholders.

Our financial performance and the value of our apartment communities are subject to the risk that they do not generate revenues sufficient to meet our operating expenses, debt service and capital expenditures, which could cause our cash flow and ability to make distributions to our shareholders to be adversely affected. Any of the following factors, among others, may adversely affect the cash flow generated by our apartment communities and ability to make distributions to our shareholders:

•a decrease in demand for rental properties over home ownership resulting from, among other reasons, resident preferences, decreases in housing prices and mortgage interest rates, and government programs to promote home ownership or subsidize rental housing, slow or negative employment growth and household formation;

•competition with other housing alternatives, including owner occupied single and residential apartment homes;

•a return of the availability of low-interest mortgages or the availability of mortgages requiring little or no down payment for single family home buyers;

•declines in the financial condition of our residents;

•significant job losses in the regions in which we operate;

•changes in interest rates and availability of financing;

•economic and market conditions including: migration to areas outside of major metropolitan areas where our portfolio is concentrated, new construction and excess inventory of residential and owned housing/condominiums, increasing portions of owned housing/condominium stock being converted to rental use;

•the effects of government regulation in the real estate industry;

•our ability to integrate new technological innovations into our properties to attract residents;

•our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel with knowledge of the market; and

•political conditions, civil disturbances, earthquakes and other natural disasters, terrorist acts or acts of war and actual or anticipated geopolitical instability.

Substantially all of our investments are concentrated in the multifamily asset class, which make us more vulnerable to a downturn in that asset class and could adversely affect our results of operations.

As of December 31, 2023, substantially all of our investments are concentrated in the multifamily industry, and we are subject to risks inherent in investments in a single type of property. A downturn or slowdown in the demand for multifamily housing may have more pronounced effects on our results of operations or on the value of our assets than when we had investments in more than one asset class.

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Additionally, the multifamily industry is also highly competitive. We compete with many other entities engaged in real estate investment activities, including individuals, corporations, bank and insurance company investment accounts, other REITs, real estate limited partnerships, and other entities engaged in real estate investment activities.Many of these entities have significant financial and other resources, including operating experience, allowing them to compete effectively with us.Competitors with substantially greater financial resources than us may be able to accept more risk than we can effectively manage.In addition, those competitors that are not REITs may be at an advantage to the extent they can use working capital to finance projects, while we (and our competitors that are REITs) may have to forgo and/or liquidate otherwise attractive investments as we must comply with REIT requirements. These actions could have the effect of reducing our income and amount available for distribution to shareholders. Thus, compliance with REIT requirements may hinder our ability to make, or, in certain cases, maintain ownership of, certain attractive investments.

Competition may also result in overbuilding of multifamily properties, causing an increase in the number of multifamily units available which could potentially decrease occupancy and multifamily rental rates at our properties.We may also be required to expend substantial sums to attract new residents.These factors may cause the resale value of properties to be diminished because the market value of a particular property will depend principally upon the net revenues generated by the property. Further, costs associated with real estate investment generally are not reduced when circumstances, such as a pandemic, cause a reduction in income from the investment.

Each of these factors could possibly limit our ability to retain our current residents, attract new ones or increase or maintain rents, which could lower the value of our properties and adversely affect our results of operations and our financial condition.

Macroeconomic trends, including inflation and rising interest rates, may adversely affect our cash flow, financial condition and results of operations.

Macroeconomic trends, including increases in inflation and rising interest rates, may adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. In recent years, inflation in the United States has risen to levels not experienced in recent decades, including rising energy prices, prices for consumer goods, interest rates and wages. These increases and any interventions, fiscal or otherwise, by the U.S. government in reaction to such events could negatively impact our business by increasing our operating costs and borrowing costs as well as decreasing the cash available to our residents and tenants and prospective residents and tenants who wish to rent in our communities. Although we expect to be able to increase rent to combat the effects of inflation, the cost to operate and maintain communities could increase faster or at a rate greater than our ability to increase rents that residents and tenants would be willing to pay, which could adversely affect our results of operations. Additionally, a decline in the market value of real estate in the regions in which we operate may result in the carrying value of certain real estate assets exceeding their fair value, which has recently and in the future may require us to recognize an impairment to those assets. For example, we recognized an impairment in the third quarter of 2023 on our sole remaining office property, Watergate 600. Also, if prevailing interest rates or other factors, such as the reluctance of lenders to make commercial real estate loans or the loss of the benefits of hedging arrangements, results in higher interest rates on our indebtedness, the increased interest expenses would adversely affect our cash flow, financial condition, and results of operation.

We are currently dependent upon the economic and regulatory climate of the Washington, DC and Atlanta metro regions, which may impact financial condition and results of operations.

As of December 31, 2023, 75% of our residential apartment homes were located in the Washington, DC metro region and 25% of our residential apartment homes were located in the Atlanta, Georgia metro region. While we intend to continue expansion of our platform in the Sunbelt region, our current concentration in just two geographic metro regions may expose us to a greater amount of market-dependent risk than if we were more geographically diverse. Our performance could be adversely affected by the economic conditions in, and other factors relating to, these two geographic areas, including zoning and other regulatory conditions, competition for residents and supply and demand for apartment in these regions, as well as unemployment and job growth. Additionally, in the Washington, DC and Atlanta metro regions, general economic conditions and local real estate conditions are dependent upon various industries that are predominant in the area (such as, in Washington, D.C., government and professional/business services). A downturn in one or more of these industries may have a particularly strong effect on the economic climate of the region. We are also susceptible to adverse developments in the regulatory environment of any of the markets in which we operate, particularly Washington, D.C., such as increases in real estate and other taxes, the costs of complying with governmental regulations or increased regulations, including zoning and tax laws, and actual or threatened reductions in government spending and/or changes to the timing of government spending, as has occurred during federal government shutdowns. To the extent that these markets become less desirable to operate in, our results of operations could be more negatively impacted than if we were more geographically diversified. In the event of negative economic and/or regulatory changes in the regions in which we operate, we may experience a negative impact to our financial condition and results of operations.

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Short-term leases expose us to the effects of declining market rents sooner than long-term leases, which could adversely affect our cash flow, results of operations and financial condition.

Substantially all of our apartment leases are for a term of one year or less. Because these leases generally permit the residents to leave at the end of the lease term without penalty, our rental revenues are impacted by declines in market rents sooner than if our apartment leases were for longer terms. Additionally, if the terms of a renewal or reletting are less favorable than current terms, then our results of operations and financial condition could be negatively affected. For each of the three years ended December 31, 2023, the same-store residential resident retention rate for each year's respective same-store community portfolio, was 63%, 63%, and 60%, respectively.

Expenses may increase or remain constant even if our revenues decrease.

The expense of owning and operating a property is not necessarily reduced when circumstances such as market factors and competition cause a reduction in income from the property or an increase in operating costs. As a result, if revenues drop, we may not be able to reduce our expenses accordingly. Loan payments are an example of a cost that will not be reduced if our revenues decrease. If a property is mortgaged and we are unable to meet the mortgage payments, the lender could foreclose on the mortgage and take the property, resulting in a further reduction in revenues.

The risks related to our commercial operations could adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.

Although we are primarily in the residential rental business, we also own ancillary commercial space, primarily within our apartment communities, and own one office building that we lease to third parties. Gross rental revenue provided by leased commercial space in our portfolio represented 8% of our real estate rental revenue from continuing operations in 2023. The long term nature of our commercial leases and characteristics of many of our tenants (generally small, local businesses) may subject us to certain risks, such as difficulties or delays in reletting this commercial space and in achieving desired rental rates, the cost of allowances and concessions to tenants, which may be less favorable than current terms, a failure rate of small, local business that may be higher than average and competition with other commercial spaces, which may affect our ability to lease space and the level of rents we can obtain. Additionally, if our commercial tenants experience financial distress or bankruptcy, they may fail to comply with their contractual obligations, seek concessions in order to continue operations or cease their operations. Each of these factors could adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.

Real estate investments are illiquid, and we may not be able to sell our properties on a timely basis when we determine it is appropriate to do so, which could negatively impact our profitability.

Real estate investments can be difficult to sell and convert to cash quickly, especially if market conditions are not favorable. Such illiquidity could limit our ability to quickly change our portfolio of properties in response to changes in economic or other conditions. Moreover, the REIT tax laws require that we hold our properties for investment, rather than primarily for sale in the ordinary course of business, which may cause us to forego or defer property sales that otherwise would be in our best interest. Due to these factors, we may be unable to sell a property at an advantageous time or on the terms anticipated which could negatively impact our profitability.

Rent control or rent stabilization legislation and other regulatory restrictions may limit our ability to increase rents and pass through new or increased operating costs to our residents.

Jurisdictions in which we own property have adopted, or may in the future adopt, laws and regulations imposing restrictions on the timing or amount of rent increases or have imposed regulations relating to low- and moderate-income housing. Such laws and regulations limit our ability to charge market rents, increase rents or evict residents at our apartment communities and could make it more difficult for us to dispose of properties in certain circumstances. Similarly, compliance procedures associated with rent control statutes and low- and moderate-income housing regulations could have a negative impact on our operating costs, and any failure to comply with low- and moderate-income housing regulations could result in the loss of certain tax benefits and the forfeiture of rent payments. In addition, such low- and moderate-income housing regulations often require us to rent a certain number of homes at below-market rents, which has a negative impact on our ability to increase cash flows from our residential properties subject to such regulations. Furthermore, such regulations may negatively impact our ability to attract higher-paying residents to such properties. As of December 31, 2023, four of our residential properties, each located within the Washington, DC metro region, were subject to such regulations.

Our business and reputation depend on our ability to continue to provide high quality housing and consistent operation of our communities, the failure of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business and reputation depend on providing our residents with quality housing including a wide variety of amenities such

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as covered parking, swimming pools, fitness facilities and similar features, highly reliable services, including water and electric power and the consistent operation of our communities. The delayed delivery or any material reduction or prolonged interruption of these services may cause residents to terminate their leases or may result in a reduction of rents and/or increase in our costs or other issues. In addition, we may fail to provide quality housing and continuous access to amenities, including as a result of government mandated closures due to health concerns, mechanical failure, power outage, human error, vandalism, physical or electronic security breaches, war, terrorism and similar events. Such service interruptions, closures, mechanical failures or other events may also expose us to additional liability claims and damage our reputation and brand and could cause current residents to terminate or not renew their leases, and prospective residents to seek housing elsewhere. Any such failures could impair our ability to continue providing quality housing and consistent operation of our communities, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We face risks associated with property development/redevelopment, which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or ability to satisfy our debt service obligations.

We may, from time to time, engage in development and redevelopment activities, some of which may be significant. Developing or redeveloping properties presents a number of risks for us, including risks relating to necessary permitting, risks relating to development and construction costs and/or permanent financing, environmental remediation, timeline disruptions and demand for the completed property.

Properties developed or acquired for development may generate little or no cash flow from the date of acquisition through the date of completion of development and commencement of leasing activity. In addition, new development activities, regardless of whether or not they are ultimately successful, may require a substantial portion of management’s time and attention.

These risks could result in substantial unanticipated delays or expenses and, under certain circumstances, could prevent completion of development activities once undertaken. Some of these development/redevelopment risks may be heightened given uncertain and potentially volatile market conditions. If market volatility causes economic conditions to remain unpredictable or to trend downwards, we may not achieve our expected returns on properties we develop and we could lose some or all of our investments in those properties. In addition, the lead time required to develop, construct, and lease-up a development property may increase, which could adversely impact our projected returns or result in a termination of the development project. The materialization of any of the foregoing risks could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or ability to satisfy our debt service obligations.

Corporate social responsibility, specifically related to ESG matters, may constrain our business operations, impose additional costs and expose us to new risks that could adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition and the price of our securities.

Environmental, social and governance matters have become increasingly important to investors and other stakeholders. Certain organizations that provide corporate risk and corporate governance advisory services to investors have developed scores and ratings to evaluate companies based upon ESG metrics. Many investors focus on ESG-related business practices and scores when choosing where to allocate their investments and may consider a company’s score as a factor in making an investment decision. The focus and activism related to ESG and related matters may constrain our business operations or increase expenses. Additionally, if our corporate responsibility procedures or standards do not meet the standards set by various constituencies, we may face reputational damage. There can be no assurance of how we will score on the ESG metrics used by such advisory organizations in the future, particularly since the criteria by which companies are rated for their ESG efforts may change. A low ESG score could result in a negative perception of the Company, exclusion of our securities from consideration by certain investors and/or cause investors to reallocate their capital away from the Company, each of which could have an adverse impact on the price of our securities.

As we continue to invest and focus on ESG efforts and initiatives that we believe are appropriate for the Company and our shareholders, we could also be criticized by ESG detractors for the scope or nature of our ESG initiatives or goals. We could also be subjected to negative responses by governmental actors (such as anti-ESG legislation or retaliatory legislative treatment), tenants and residents, that could adversely affect our reputation, financial condition and results of operations.

We face risks associated with property acquisitions.

We may acquire properties and expand into new markets which would increase our size and geographic diversity and could alter our capital structure. In addition, our acquisition activities and results may be exposed to the following risks:

•we may have difficulty finding properties that are consistent with our strategies and meet our standards;

•we may be unable to finance acquisitions on favorable terms or at all;

•the occupancy levels, lease-up timing and rental rates of acquired properties may not meet our expectations;

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•even if we enter into an acquisition agreement for a property, we may be unable to complete that acquisition after making a non-refundable deposit and incurring certain other acquisition-related costs;

•we may be unable to acquire a desired property at all or at the desired purchase price because of competition from other real estate investors, including publicly traded real estate investment trusts, institutional investment funds and private investors;

•the timing of property acquisitions may lag the timing of property dispositions, leading to periods of time where projects’ proceeds are not invested as profitably as we desire;

•we may fail to secure required zoning, occupancy or other governmental permits and authorizations or applicable zoning and land use laws may change;

•we may be unable to quickly and efficiently integrate new acquisitions, particularly acquisitions of portfolios of properties, into our existing operations;

•new acquisitions and developments may fail to perform as expected or we may underestimate costs necessary to bring an acquired property up to our standards;

•we may assume liabilities for undisclosed environmental contamination;

•our estimates of capital expenditures required for an acquired property, including the costs of repositioning or redeveloping, may be inaccurate and the acquired properties may fail to perform as we expected in analyzing our investments; and

•we could experience a decline in value of the acquired assets after acquisition.

In addition, our financing of an acquisition could negatively impact our cash flows and liquidity, require us to incur substantial debt or involve the issuance of new equity, which would be dilutive to existing stockholders. We may also acquire properties subject to liabilities and without recourse, or with limited recourse with respect to unknown liabilities. As a result, if liability were asserted against us based upon the acquisition of a property, we may have to pay substantial sums to settle it, which could adversely affect our cash flow.

We may suffer economic harm as a result of the actions of our partners in real estate joint ventures and other investments which may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and ability to make distributions to our shareholders.

We may from time to time invest in joint ventures in which we are not the exclusive investor or the only decision maker. Investments in such entities may involve risks not present when a third party is not involved, including the possibility that the other parties to these investments may have business interest or goals that are inconsistent with our own, including for example, whether to sell or retain joint venture properties or interests, become bankrupt or fail to fund their share of required capital contributions. In some instances, joint venture partners may have competing interests that could create conflicts of interest, including compliance with the REIT requirements, and our REIT status could be jeopardized if any of our future joint ventures do not operate in compliance with the REIT requirements. To the extent our joint venture partners do not meet their obligations to us or they act inconsistent with our interests in the joint venture, we may be adversely affected.

Climate change and regulation regarding climate change in the regions in which we operate may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, per share market price of our common shares and our ability to satisfy our principal and interest obligations and to make distributions to our shareholders.

Climate change (including rising sea levels, flooding, prolonged periods of extreme temperature or other extreme weather, and changes in precipitation and temperature), may result in physical damage to, a decrease in demand for and/or a decrease in rent from and value of our properties located in the areas affected by these conditions (particularly in areas closer to coasts). Additionally, our insurance premiums may increase as a result of the threat of climate change or the effects of climate change may not be covered by our insurance policies.

Changes in U.S. federal and state legislation and regulations on climate change could result in utility expenses and/or capital expenditures to improve the energy efficiency of our existing properties or other related aspects of our properties in order to comply with such regulations or otherwise adapt to climate change. The U.S. government and various state agencies have introduced or are contemplating regulatory changes in response to the potential impact of climate change, including legislation regarding green-house gas emissions and renewable energy targets. Any such regulation regarding climate change may require unplanned capital improvements and increased engagement by our employees. Any adopted future climate change regulations could negatively impact our ability to compete with companies not subject to such regulations. From a medium and long-term perspective, as a result of these regulatory initiatives, we may see an increase in costs relating to any owned or future properties and failure to meet certain performance standards could result in fines for non-compliance, a decrease in demand and a decline in the value of our properties. As a result of these and other regulations, our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, per share market price of our common shares and our ability to satisfy our principal and interest obligations and to make distributions to our shareholders could be adversely affected.

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Actual or threatened acts of violence, including terrorist attacks, may adversely affect our ability to generate revenues and the value of our properties.

Actual or threatened acts of violence, including terrorist attacks and increased crime rates, resulting in more safety and security incidents, could occur in the localities in which we conduct business. As a result, some residents in our markets may choose to relocate to other markets. This could result in an overall decrease in the demand for such markets generally, which could increase vacancies or impact rental rates in our properties. In addition, future acts of violence or terrorist attacks could directly or indirectly damage our properties, both physically and financially, or cause losses that materially exceed our insurance coverage. As a result of the foregoing, our ability to generate revenues and the value of our properties could decline materially which would negatively affect our results of operations.

Some potential losses are not covered by insurance, which could adversely affect our financial condition or cash flow.

The property insurance that we maintain for our properties has historically been on an “all risk” basis, which is in full force and effect until renewal in August 2024. There are other types of losses, such as from wars or catastrophic events, for which we cannot obtain insurance at all or at a reasonable cost.

Our insurance does not cover terrorist related activities except certain non-certified nuclear, chemical and biological acts of terrorism. Our financial condition and results of operations are subject to the risks associated with acts of terrorism and the potential for uninsured losses as the result of any such acts.

Property ownership also involves potential liability to third parties for such matters as personal injuries occurring on the property. Such losses may not be fully insured. Furthermore, losses related to other types of risk, such as cybersecurity incidents or climate change may not be fully insured. In addition to uninsured losses, various government authorities may condemn all or parts of operating properties. Such condemnations could adversely affect the viability of such projects. Any such uninsured loss could adversely affect our financial condition or cash flow.

In the event of an uninsured loss or a loss in excess of our insurance limits, we could lose both the revenues generated from the affected property and the capital we have invested in the affected property. Depending on the specific circumstances of the affected property, it is possible that we could be liable for any mortgage indebtedness or other obligations related to the property. Any such loss could adversely affect our business and financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, any material increase in insurance rates or decrease in available coverage in the future could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Compliance with certain federal, state and local laws and regulations could adversely affect our results of operation, and may cause us to incur substantial costs or subject us to potential liabilities.

We are subject to certain compliance costs and potential liabilities under various U.S. federal, state and local environmental, employment, health, safety and zoning laws and regulations that govern our and our tenants’ operations. If we fail to comply with such laws, including if we fail to obtain any required permits or licenses, we could face substantial fines or possible revocation of our authority to conduct some of our operations.

Some of our current or former properties have had tenants that used hazardous substances or petroleum in the course of their businesses. Various environmental laws impose liability on a current or former owner or operator of real property for investigation or cleanup of hazardous substances or petroleum products at, on, under or migrating from our currently or formerly owned or leased real property, regardless of whether or not we knew of, or caused, the presence or release of such substances or products. Liability under these laws may be joint and several, meaning that we could be required to bear 100% of the liability even if other parties are also liable. From time to time, we may be required to investigate and clean-up hazardous substances or petroleum products or remove, abate or manage asbestos, mold, radon gas, lead or other hazardous conditions at our properties, and the costs of those effort may be substantial and could exceed the value of the property and/or our aggregate assets. The presence or release of such hazardous substances or petroleum products at our currently owned or leased properties could result in limitations on or interruptions to our operations, or may adversely affect our ability to sell or rent such properties or borrow using such properties as collateral. Releases of hazardous substances or petroleum products at our currently or formerly owned or leased properties could result in third-party claims for bodily injury, property or natural resource damages, or other losses, including liens in favor of the government for costs the government incurs in cleaning up contamination. In addition, we may be liable for the costs of investigating or remediating contamination at off-site waste disposal facilities to which we have arranged for the disposal, or treatment of hazardous substances without regard to whether we complied with environmental laws in doing so. It is our policy to retain independent environmental consultants to conduct Phase I environmental site assessments and asbestos surveys prior to our acquisition of properties. However, there is a risk that these

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assessments will not identify all potential environmental issues at a given property. Moreover, environmental, health and safety requirements have become increasingly stringent, and our costs may increase as a result. New or revised laws and regulations or new interpretations of existing laws and regulations, such as those related to climate change, could affect the operation of our properties or result in significant additional expense and operating restrictions on our properties or adversely affect our ability to sell properties or to use properties as collateral.

We may also incur significant costs complying with other regulations. In addition, failure of our properties to comply with the ADA could result in injunctive relief, fines, an award of damages to private litigants or mandated capital expenditures to remedy such noncompliance. Any imposition of injunctive relief, fines, damage awards or capital expenditures could adversely impact our business or results of operations. Our properties are subject to various other federal, state and local regulatory requirements, such as state and local fair housing, rent control and fire and life safety requirements. If we fail to comply with the requirements of the ADA or other federal, state and local regulations, we could be subject to fines, penalties, injunctive action, reputational harm and other business effects which could materially and negatively affect our performance and results of operations.

In addition, existing laws could be interpreted in a manner that restricts our ability to use systems that we currently use in our operations and we may face litigation or regulatory risk in connection with such laws. Future compliance with new laws of general applicability, laws applicable to companies in our industry, or laws applicable to public companies generally could increase our costs and could have an adverse effect on our financial performance.For example, one of our vendors, RealPage, is currently involved in lawsuits alleging that RealPage and others conspired to artificially inflate the prices of multifamily residential real estate above competitive levels.

We face cybersecurity risks which have the potential to disrupt our operations, cause material harm to our financial condition, result in misappropriation of assets, compromise confidential information and/or damage our business relationships and we can provide no assurance that the steps we and our service providers take in response to these risks will be effective.

We are dependent on our information technology networks and systems to access, as well as those of third parties, to process, transmit and store proprietary and confidential information, including personal information of residents, employees, and vendors. We face cybersecurity threats, including system, network or internet failures, cyber-attacks, ransomware and other malware, social engineering, phishing schemes and workforce member error, negligence, or fraud. The risk of a cyber-attack, including by computer hackers, nation-state affiliated actors and cyber terrorists, has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks around the world have increased. Any such cybersecurity incident, including those impacting personal information, may result in disruption of our operations, material harm to our financial condition, cash flows and the market price of our common shares, misappropriation of assets, compromise or corruption of confidential information collected in the course of conducting our business, liability for impacted information or assets, increased cybersecurity protection and insurance costs, regulatory scrutiny or enforcement, litigation and damage to our stakeholder relationships. A cybersecurity incident could also interfere with our ability to comply with financial reporting requirements. Additionally, future or past business transactions (such as acquisitions or integrations) could expose us to additional cybersecurity risks and threats, as our systems could be negatively affected by vulnerabilities present in acquired or integrated entities’ systems and technologies. Furthermore, we may discover security issues that were not found during due diligence of such acquired or integrated entities, and it may be difficult to integrate companies into our information technology environment and security program. In addition, increased regulation of data collection, use and retention practices, including self-regulation and industry standards, changes in existing laws and regulations, enactment of new laws and regulations, increased enforcement activity, and changes in interpretation of laws, could increase our cost of compliance and operation, limit our ability to grow our business or otherwise harm the Company.

We also rely on third-party service providers in our conduct of our business, and we can provide no assurance that the security measures of those providers will be effective. While we may be entitled to damages if our third-party service providers fail to satisfy their security-related obligations to us, any award may be insufficient to cover our damages, or we may be unable to recover such award.

Although we and our third-party service providers make efforts to maintain the security and integrity of our information, including the implementation of security measures, required employee awareness training and the existence of a disaster recovery plan, we can provide no assurance that our data security measures will be able to detect or prevent all cybersecurity incidents. These risks require increasing resources from us to analyze and mitigate, and there is no assurance that our efforts will be effective. Additionally, as a result of the internalization of community management services for our properties, which was completed in 2023, we collect and retain greater amounts of personal information, both from employees and current and potential residents, which increases the risks and potential effects of such a cybersecurity incident.

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We have identified and expect to continue to identify cyberattacks and cybersecurity incidents on our systems and those of third parties, but none of the cyberattacks and incidents we have identified to date has had a material impact on our business or operations.

While we have purchased cybersecurity insurance, there are no assurances that the coverage would be adequate in relation to any incurred losses. Moreover, as cyber-attacks increase in frequency and magnitude, we may be unable to obtain cybersecurity insurance in amounts and on terms we view as adequate for our operations.

A pandemic and measures intended to prevent its spread, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

A pandemic and emergence of new variants could (as the outbreak of COVID-19 did) negatively impact the global economy, disrupt financial markets and international trade, and result in varying unemployment levels, all of which could negatively impact the multifamily industry and our business. Pandemic outbreakscould lead (and the outbreak of COVID-19 led) governments and other authorities around the world, including federal, state and local authorities in the United States, to impose measures intended to mitigate its spread, including restrictions on freedom of movement and business operations such as orders not allowing the collection of rents, rent increases, or eviction of non-paying residents and tenants.

The impact of an ongoing pandemic and measures to prevent its spread could (and the outbreak of COVID-19 did) negatively impact our businesses in a number of ways, including shifts in consumer housing demand, our residents’ ability or willingness to pay rents and the demand for multifamily communities within the markets we operate. Unanticipated costs and operating expenses and decreased anticipated and actual revenue related to compliance with regulations could negatively impact our future compliance with financial covenants of debt agreements and our ability to satisfy certain REIT-related requirements.

Risks Related to Financing

Rising interest rates would increase our interest costs and negatively impact our cash flow.

We have and may continue to incur indebtedness that bears interest at variable rates. As a result, an increase in interest rates will increase our interest expense, which could adversely affect our cash flow and our ability to service debt. As a protection against rising interest rates, we may enter into agreements such as interest rate swaps, caps, floors and other interest rate exchange contracts. These agreements, however, increase our risks including other parties to the agreements not performing or that the agreements may be unenforceable.

We face risks associated with the use of debt, including refinancing risk.

We rely on borrowings under our credit facility, term loan, mortgage notes, and debt securities to finance acquisitions and development activities and for general corporate purposes. In the past, the commercial real estate debt markets have experienced significant volatility due to a number of factors, including the tightening of underwriting standards by lenders and credit rating agencies and the diminished market sentiment and prices with respect to certain asset classes. This volatility resulted in investors decreasing the availability of debt financing as well as increasing the cost of debt financing. These conditions, which increase the cost and reduce availability of debt, may continue to worsen in the future. Circumstances could again arise in which we may not be able to obtain debt financing in the future on favorable terms, or at all. If we are unable to borrow under our credit facility, obtain new debt financing or to refinance existing debt, our financial condition and results of operations would likely be adversely affected. Similarly, global equity markets have experienced significant price volatility and liquidity disruptions in recent years, and similar circumstances could significantly and negatively impact liquidity in the financial market in the future. Any disruption could negatively impact our ability to access additional financing at reasonable terms or at all.

We anticipate that only a small portion of the principal of our currently outstanding debt, if any, will be repaid prior to maturity. Therefore, we are likely to need to refinance a significant portion of our outstanding debt as it matures. There is a risk that we may not be able to refinance existing debt or that the terms of any refinancing will not be as favorable as the terms of the existing debt. If principal payments due at maturity cannot be refinanced, extended or repaid with proceeds from other sources, such as new equity capital, our cash flow may not be sufficient to repay all maturing debt in years when significant “balloon” payments come due. In addition, we may rely on debt to fund a portion of our new investments such as our acquisition and development activity. There is a risk that we may be unable to finance these activities on favorable terms or at all. The materialization of any of the foregoing risks would adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Our degree of leverage could limit our ability to obtain additional financing, affect the market price of our common shares or debt securities or otherwise adversely affect our financial condition.

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On February 13, 2024, our total consolidated debt was approximately $0.7 billion. Using the closing share price of $14.13 per share of our common shares on February 13, 2024, multiplied by the number of our common shares, our consolidated debt to total consolidated market capitalization ratio was approximately 36% as of February 13, 2024.

Our degree of leverage could affect our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, development or other general corporate purposes. Our senior unsecured debt is currently rated investment grade by two major rating agencies. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain this rating, and in the event our senior debt is downgraded from its current rating, we would likely incur higher borrowing costs and/or difficulty in obtaining additional financing. Our degree of leverage could also make us more vulnerable to a downturn in business or the economy generally. There is a risk that changes in our debt to market capitalization ratio, which is in part a function of our share price, or our ratio of indebtedness to other measures of asset value used by financial analysts, may have an adverse effect on the market price of our equity or debt securities.

Additionally, payments of principal and interest on borrowings may leave us with insufficient cash resources to operate our properties, fully implement our capital expenditure, acquisition and redevelopment activities, or meet the REIT distribution requirements imposed by the Code.

Failure to effectively hedge against interest rate changes may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow, per share market price of our common shares and ability to make distributions to our shareholders and agreements we enter into to protect us from rising interest rates expose us to counterparty risk.

We have entered into, and may in the future enter into, hedging transactions to protect ourselves from the effects of interest rate fluctuations on variable rate debt. Our hedging transactions have included, and may in the future include, entering into agreements such as interest rate swaps, caps, floors and other interest rate exchange contracts. These agreements involve risks, such as the risk that such arrangements would not be effective in reducing our exposure to interest rate changes or that a court could rule that such an agreement is not legally enforceable. In addition, interest rate hedging can be expensive, particularly during periods of rising and volatile interest rates. Failure to hedge effectively against interest rate changes could materially adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flow, per share trading price of our common shares and ability to make distributions to our shareholders. While such agreements are intended to lessen the impact of rising interest rates on us, they could also expose us to the risk that the other parties to the agreements would not perform, and that the hedging arrangements may not be effective in reducing our exposure to interest rate changes. In addition, the REIT provisions of the Code may limit use of certain hedging techniques that might otherwise be advantageous or push us to implement those hedges through a taxable REIT subsidiary, which would increase the cost of our hedging activities. Moreover, there can be no assurance that our hedging arrangements will qualify as highly effective cash flow hedges under Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”), Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, or that our hedging activities will have the desired beneficial impact on our results of operations. Should we desire to terminate a hedging agreement, there could be significant costs and cash requirements involved to fulfill our obligation under the hedging agreement.

Loans under our credit facility and term loan agreement may bear interest based on SOFR, but experience with SOFR based loans is limited.

Our credit facility and term loan agreement requires the applicable interest rate or payment amount by reference to SOFR (“Secured Overnight Financing Rate”). The use of SOFR based rates may result in interest rates and/or payments that are higher or lower than the rates and payments that we previously experienced under USD-LIBOR. In addition, the use of SOFR based rates is relatively new, and there could be unanticipated difficulties or disruptions with the calculation and publication of SOFR based rates that could hinder our ability to establish effective hedges and result in a different economic value over time for these instruments than they otherwise would have had under USD-LIBOR. In particular, if the agent under our credit facility or under our term loan agreement determines that SOFR based rates cannot be determined or the applicable agent or lenders determine that SOFR based rates do not adequately reflect the cost of funding, outstanding SOFR based loans may be converted into base rate loans, which could result in increased borrowing costs.

Covenants in our debt agreements could adversely affect our financial condition.

Our credit facility and other debt instruments contain customary restrictions, requirements and other limitations on our ability to incur indebtedness. We must maintain certain ratios, including a maximum of total indebtedness to total asset value, a maximum of secured indebtedness to total asset value, a minimum of quarterly adjusted EBITDA to fixed charges and a maximum of unsecured indebtedness to unencumbered pool value. Our ability to borrow under our credit facility is subject to compliance with our financial and other covenants.

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Failure to comply with any of the covenants under our unsecured credit facility or other debt instruments (including our indenture, term loan agreement and our notes purchase agreement) could result in a default under one or more of our debt instruments. If we fail to comply with the covenants in our unsecured credit facility or other debt instruments, other sources of capital may not be available to us or be available only on unattractive terms. In addition, if we breach covenants in our debt agreements, the lenders can declare a default and, if the debt is secured, take possession of the property securing the defaulted loan.

Any default or cross-default events could cause our lenders to accelerate the timing of payments and/or prohibit future borrowings, either of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, financial condition and liquidity.

Risks Related to Our Organizational Structure

Our declaration of trust and Maryland law contain provisions that may delay, defer or prevent a change in control of Elme Communities, even if such a change in control may be in the best interest of our shareholders, and as a result may depress the market price of our common shares.

Provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law (“MGCL”) may limit a change in control which could prevent holders of our common shares from profiting as a result of such change in control. These provisions include:

•a provision where a corporation is not permitted to engage in any business combination with any “interested stockholder,” defined as any holder or affiliate of any holder of 10% or more of the corporation’s stock, for a period of five years after that holder becomes an “interested stockholder,” and

•a provision where the voting rights of “control shares” acquired in a “control share acquisition,” as defined in the MGCL, may be restricted, such that the “control shares” have no voting rights, except to the extent approved by a vote of holders of two-thirds of the common shares entitled to vote on the matter.

Our bylaws currently provide that the foregoing provision regarding “control share acquisitions” will not apply to any acquisition by any person of shares of beneficial interest of Elme Communities. There can be no assurance that this provision will not be amended or eliminated at any time in the future by our Board and may be amended or eliminated with retroactive effect.

Additionally, Title 8, Subtitle 3 of the MGCL permits our Board, without shareholder approval and regardless of what is currently provided in our declaration of trust or bylaws, to implement certain takeover defenses. These provisions may have the effect of inhibiting a third party from making an acquisition proposal for us or of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of us under the circumstances that otherwise could provide our common shareholders with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then current market price.

The share ownership limits imposed by the Code for REITs and imposed by our declaration of trust may restrict our business combination opportunities that might involve a premium price for our common shares or otherwise be in the best interest of our shareholders.

The ownership of our shares must be restricted in several ways in order for us to maintain our qualification as a REIT under the Code. Our declaration of trust provides that no person (other than an excepted holder, as defined in our declaration of trust) may actually or constructively own more than 9.8% of the aggregate of our outstanding common shares by value or by number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, or 9.8% of the aggregate of the equity shares by value.

Our Board has the authority under our declaration of trust to reduce these share ownership limits. Our Board may, in its sole discretion, grant exemptions to the share ownership limits, subject to such conditions and the receipt by our Board of certain representations and undertakings to ensure that our REIT qualification is not adversely affected. In addition to 9.8% (or any lower future percentage) share ownership limits, our declaration of trust also prohibits any person from (a) beneficially or constructively owning, as determined by applying certain attribution rules of the Code, our equity shares that would result in us being “closely held” under Section 856(h) of the Code (regardless of whether the interest is held during the last half of a taxable year) or that would otherwise cause us to fail to qualify as a REIT, or (b) transferring equity shares if such transfer would result in our equity shares being owned by fewer than 100 persons.

The share ownership limits contained in our declaration of trust are based on the ownership at any time by any “person,” which term includes entities and certain groups. The share ownership limitations in our declaration of trust are common in REIT charters and are intended to provide added assurance of compliance with the tax law requirements. However, the share ownership limits on our shares and our enforcement of them might delay, defer, prevent, or otherwise inhibit a transaction or a

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change in control of Elme Communities, including a transaction that might involve a premium price for our common shares or that might otherwise be in the best interest of our shareholders.

Our rights and the rights of our shareholders to take action against our trustees and officers are limited, which could limit your recourse in the event of actions that you do not believe are in your best interests.

Maryland law provides that a trustee has no liability in that capacity if he or she satisfies his or her duties to us and our shareholders. Under current Maryland law, our trustees and officers will not have any liability to us or our shareholders for money damages, except for liability resulting from:

•actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services; or

•a final judgment based upon a finding of active and deliberate dishonesty by the trustee or officer that was material to the cause of action adjudicated.

In addition, our declaration of trust authorizes and our bylaws require us to indemnify our trustees for actions taken by them in those capacities to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law. Our bylaws also require us to indemnify our officers for actions taken by them in those capacities to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law. As a result, we and our shareholders may have more limited rights against our trustees and officers than might otherwise exist. Accordingly, in the event that actions taken in good faith by any of our trustees or officers impede the performance of Elme Communities, your ability to recover damages from such trustees or officers will be limited with respect to trustees and may be limited with respect to officers. In addition, we have agreed to obligations to advance the defense costs incurred by our trustees and our executive officers, and may, in the discretion of our Board, advance the defense costs incurred by our officers, our employees and other agents, in connection with legal proceedings.

Risks Related to Our Common Shares

We cannot assure you we will continue to pay dividends at current rates and the failure to do so could have an adverse effect on the market price of our common shares.

Cash flows from operations are an important factor in our ability to sustain our dividend at its current rate. If our cash flows from operations were to decline significantly, we may have to borrow on our lines of credit to sustain the dividend rate or reduce our dividend. Our ability to continue to pay dividends on our common shares at their current rate or to increase our common share dividend rate will depend on a number of factors, including, among others, our future financial condition and results of operations and the terms of our debt covenants.

Our Board considers, among other factors, trends in our levels of funds from operations, together with associated recurring capital improvements, tenant improvements, leasing commissions and incentives, and adjustments to straight-line rents to reflect cash rents received to achieve a targeted payout ratio. If some or all of these factors were to trend downward for a sustained period of time, our Board could determine to reduce our dividend rate. If we do not maintain or increase the dividend rate on our common shares in the future, it could have an adverse effect on the market price of our common shares.

Additionally, the market value of our securities can be adversely affected by many factors, including certain factors related to our REIT status.

The market value of our securities can be adversely affected by many factors.

As with any public company, a number of factors may adversely influence the public market price of our common shares. These factors include:

•level of institutional interest in us;

•perceived attractiveness of investment in us, in comparison to other REITs;

•perceived attractiveness of the Washington, DC metro and Sunbelt regions;

•attractiveness of securities of REITs in comparison to other asset classes taking into account, among other things, that a substantial portion of REITs’ dividends may be taxed as ordinary income;

•our financial condition and performance;

•the market’s perception of our growth potential and potential future cash dividends;

•investor confidence in the stock and bond markets generally;

•national economic conditions and general stock and bond market conditions;

•government uncertainty, action or regulation;

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•increases in market interest rates, which may lead investors to expect a higher annual yield from our distributions in relation to the price of our shares;

•uncertainty around and changes in U.S. federal tax laws;

•changes in our credit ratings; and

•any negative change in the level of our dividend or the partial payment thereof in common shares.

Additionally, any future offerings of our shares may dilute the holdings of our existing shareholders, reduce the market price of our shares, or both. Holders of our shares are not entitled to preemptive rights or other protections against dilution.

Risks Related to Taxes and our Status as a REIT

The loss of our tax status as a REIT would have significant adverse consequences to us and the value of our common shares.

We believe that we qualify as a REIT, and we intend to continue to operate in a manner that will allow us to continue to qualify as a REIT. However, our declaration of trust provides that our Board may revoke or otherwise terminate our REIT election, without the approval of our shareholders, if it determines that it is no longer in our best interest to continue to qualify as a REIT. Furthermore, we cannot assure you that we are qualified as a REIT, or that we will remain qualified as a REIT in the future. This is because qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex provisions of the Code which include maintaining ownership of specified minimum levels of real estate-related assets, generating specified minimum levels of real estate-related income, maintaining certain diversity of ownership requirements with respect to our shares and distributing at least 90% of our “REIT taxable income” (determined before the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gains) on an annual basis. Moreover, the complexity of these provisions and of applicable treasury regulations is greater in the case of a REIT that, like us, holds some of its assets through entities treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Only limited judicial and administrative interpretations of the REIT rules exist. In addition, qualification as a REIT involves the determination of various factual matters and circumstances not entirely within our control.

If we fail to qualify as a REIT, we could face serious tax consequences that could substantially reduce our funds available for payment of dividends for each of the years involved because:

(i)we would be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the regular corporate rate, without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders in computing our taxable income, and possibly increased state and local taxes; and

(ii)unless we are entitled to relief under statutory provisions, we would be disqualified from taxation as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification was lost.

This treatment would reduce net earnings available for investment or distribution to shareholders because of the additional tax liability for the year (or years) involved. To the extent that distributions to shareholders had been made based on the assumption of our qualification as a REIT, we might be required to borrow funds or to liquidate certain of our investments to pay the applicable tax. As a result of these factors, our failure to qualify as a REIT could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity. If we fail to qualify as a REIT but are eligible for certain relief provisions, then we may retain our status as a REIT but may be required to pay a penalty tax, which could be substantial.

Dividends payable by REITs do not qualify for the reduced tax rates available for some dividends.

The maximum tax rate applicable to income from “qualified dividends” payable by non-REIT C corporations to U.S. shareholders that are individuals, trusts or estates generally is 20% (excluding the 3.8% net investment income tax). Dividends payable by REITs, however, generally are not eligible for the maximum 20% reduced rate and are taxed at applicable ordinary income tax rates, except to the extent that certain holding requirements have been met and a REIT’s dividends are attributable to dividends received by a REIT from taxable corporations (such as a taxable REIT subsidiary), to income that was subject to tax at the REIT/corporate level, or to dividends properly designated by the REIT as “capital gain dividends.” For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2026, U.S. shareholders that are individuals, trusts or estates may deduct 20% of their dividends from REITs (excluding qualified dividend income and capital gains dividends). For those U.S. shareholders in the top marginal tax bracket of 37%, the deduction for REIT dividends yields an effective income tax rate of 29.6% (excluding the net investment income tax) on REIT dividends, which is higher than the 20% tax rate on qualified dividend income paid by non-REIT C corporations (although the maximum effective rate applicable to such dividends, after taking into account the 21% U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to non-REIT C corporations is 36.8% (excluding the 3.8% net investment income tax)). Although the reduced rates applicable to dividend income from non-REIT C corporations do not adversely affect the taxation of REITs or dividends payable by REITs, these reduced rates could cause investors who are non-corporate taxpayers to perceive

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investments in REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in the shares of non-REIT C corporations that pay dividends, which could adversely affect the value of the stock of REITs, including our common shares.

The REIT distribution requirements could require us to borrow funds during unfavorable market conditions or subject us to tax, which would reduce the cash available for distribution to our shareholders.

In order to qualify as a REIT, we generally must distribute to our shareholders, on an annual basis, at least 90% of our “REIT taxable income,” determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gains. In addition, we will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the regular corporate rate (currently 21%) to the extent that we distribute less than 100% of our net taxable income (including net capital gains) and will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the amount by which our distributions in any calendar year are less than a minimum amount specified under U.S. federal income tax laws. We intend to continue to distribute our net income to our shareholders in a manner intended to satisfy the REIT 90% distribution requirement and to avoid U.S. federal income tax and the 4% nondeductible excise tax.

In addition, from time to time our taxable income may exceed our net income as determined by GAAP. This may occur, for instance, because realized capital losses are deducted in determining our GAAP net income but may not be deductible in computing our taxable income. In addition, we may incur nondeductible capital expenditures or be required to make debt or amortization payments. As a result of the foregoing, we may generate less cash flow than taxable income in a particular year and we may incur U.S. federal income tax and the 4% nondeductible excise tax on that income if we do not distribute such income to shareholders in that year. In that event, we may be required to (i) use cash reserves, (ii) incur debt at rates or times that we regard as unfavorable, (iii) sell assets in adverse market conditions, (iv) distribute amounts that would otherwise be invested in future acquisitions, capital expenditures or repayment of debt, or (v) make a taxable distribution of our shares as part of a distribution in which shareholders may elect to receive our shares or (subject to a limit measured as a percentage of the total distribution) cash in order to satisfy the REIT 90% distribution requirement and to avoid U.S. federal income tax and the 4% nondeductible excise tax in that year. These alternatives could increase our costs or reduce or dilute our equity. Thus, compliance with the REIT requirements may hinder our ability to grow, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The U.S. federal income tax treatment of the cash that we might receive from cash settlement of a forward sale agreement is unclear and could jeopardize our ability to meet the REIT qualification requirements.

We may enter into forward sale agreements from time to time and, subject to certain conditions, we have the right to elect physical, cash or net share settlement under these agreements at any time and from time to time, in part or in full. In the event that we elect to settle a forward sale agreement for cash and the settlement price is below the forward sale price, we would be entitled to receive a cash payment from the applicable forward purchaser(s). Under Section 1032 of the Code, generally, no gains and losses are recognized by a corporation in dealing in its own shares, including pursuant to a “securities futures contract,” as defined in the Code by reference to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Although we believe that any amount received by us in exchange for our common shares would qualify for the exemption under Section 1032 of the Code, because it is not entirely clear whether a forward sale agreement qualifies as a “securities futures contract,” the U.S. federal income tax treatment of any cash settlement payment we receive is uncertain. In the event that we recognize a significant gain from the cash settlement of a forward sale agreement, we might not be able to satisfy the gross income requirements applicable to REITs under the Code. If we were to fail to satisfy one or both of the gross income tests for any taxable year, we may nevertheless qualify as a REIT for such year if we were entitled to relief under certain provisions of the Code. If these relief provisions were inapplicable, we would not qualify to be taxed as a REIT.

Even if we qualify as a REIT, we may face other tax liabilities that reduce our cash flow.

Even if we qualify for taxation as a REIT, we may be subject to certain U.S. federal, state and local taxes on our income, property or net worth, including taxes on any undistributed income, tax on income from some activities conducted as a result of a foreclosure, and state or local income, property and transfer taxes. Moreover, if we have net income from “prohibited transactions,” that income will be subject to a 100% tax. The need to avoid prohibited transactions could cause us to forego or defer sales of properties that might otherwise be in our best interest to sell. In addition, we could, in certain circumstances, be required to pay an excise or penalty tax (which could be significant in amount) in order to utilize one or more relief provisions under the Code to maintain our qualification as a REIT. Any of these taxes would decrease cash available for the payment of our debt obligations and distributions to shareholders. Our taxable REIT subsidiary (and any taxable REIT subsidiary formed in the future) generally will be subject to U.S. federal, state and local corporate income tax on their taxable income. Moreover, while we will attempt to ensure that our dealings with our taxable REIT subsidiary (and any taxable REIT subsidiary formed in the future) do not adversely affect our REIT qualification, we cannot provide assurances that we will successfully achieve that result.

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

Under current federal partnership tax audit rules, subject to certain exceptions, any audit adjustment to items of income, gain, loss, deduction, or credit of a partnership (and a partner’s allocable share thereof) is determined, and taxes, interest, and penalties attributable thereto are assessed and collected, at the partnership level. With respect to any partnership in which we invest, unless such partnership makes an election or takes certain steps to require the partners to pay their tax on their allocable shares of the adjustment, it is possible that such partnership would be required to pay additional taxes, interest, and penalties as a result of an audit adjustment. We could be required to bear the economic burden of those taxes, interest, and penalties even though we, as a REIT, may not otherwise have been required to pay additional corporate‐level taxes had we owned the assets of the partnership directly.

There is a risk of changes in the tax laws which may adversely affect our taxation as a REIT and taxation of our shareholders.

The IRS, the United States Treasury Department and Congress frequently review U.S. federal income tax legislation, regulations and other guidance. Most recently, numerous legislative, judicial and administrative changes have been made to the U.S. federal income tax laws in connection with the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. We cannot predict whether, when or to what extent new U.S. federal tax laws, regulations, interpretations or rulings will be adopted. Further, from time to time, changes in state and local tax laws or regulations are enacted, which may result in an increase in our tax liability.Any legislative action may prospectively or retroactively modify our tax treatment and, therefore, may adversely affect our taxation or taxation of our shareholders. We urge you to consult with your tax advisor with respect to the status of legislative, regulatory or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on an investment in our common shares.

ITEM 1B: UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 1C: CYBERSECURITY

We are committed and focused on cybersecurity and seek to ensure the safeguarding of data entrusted to us. Our cybersecurity strategy combines prevention with resiliency and continuous improvement to help enhance our organization’s cyber posture. We regularly reevaluate the threat landscape and evolve our strategies to address new threats. In addition to regularly refining our protection methodology, we focus on identification of, response to, and recovery from a cyber-attack. Our program employs the strengths of people, processes, and technology to protect resident, employee, and organization data.

Cybersecurity Risk Management Processes

In managing cybersecurity risks, we follow a structured framework informed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) Cybersecurity Framework. This framework provides a comprehensive set of guidelines and leading practices, enabling us to identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover from cyber threats and potential cybersecurity incidents. Regularly benchmarking our cybersecurity measures against the NIST framework helps ensure that our protocols remain robust and current in the face of evolving cyber threats.

Our Cybersecurity Risk Management (“CRM”) processes are ingrained in our overall Enterprise Risk Management (“ERM”) process. As part of our ERM process, department leaders identify, assess and evaluate risks impacting Elme and its operations across several pillars corresponding to significant business processes, including those risks related to cybersecurity. The IT department reviews risks, threats, and trends related to cybersecurity on a daily basis and formally discusses the Company's cybersecurity strategy on a weekly basis. We evaluate the methods, procedures and initiatives that reduce identified inherent risks and the residual risk to the Company. The identified risks and the processes we use to manage these risks are presented to the executive team and the Board on at least an annual basis. We report results of our ERM process, along with an assessment of top risks and corresponding risk management strategy, to the Board. Cybersecurity is a distinct pillar of our ERM process. Some of our key risks concerning cybersecurity that are included in our CRM processes include the following:

•Data loss and/or damages to systems resulting from malicious or accidental actions of an internal employee,

•external parties committing social engineering (e.g., phishing) or business email compromise attacks,

•third-party software service providers suffering a cybersecurity incident that has a significant impact on our business, data or ability to operate, and

•a ransomware attack resulting in encrypted data and release of confidential company and/or resident information.

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The Company’s Board of Trustees does not believe that there are currently any risks from cybersecurity threats that are reasonably likely to materially affect the Company or its business strategy, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.

To manage these risks, we take various actions, including the following:

•Require an annual user awareness and education program in which new and existing employees complete assessments to benchmark their awareness of cybersecurity threats and leading practices,

•conduct regular email phishing tests with additional training provided to employees who fail the tests,

•perform in-house vulnerability management and third-party network penetration testing,

•secure insurance coverage for cybersecurity incidents,

•routinely benchmark our cybersecurity practices against industry leading frameworks,

•conduct incident response tabletop exercises to test our security countermeasures and incident response program,

•engage a third-party firm to audit our cybersecurity procedures,

•engage a third-party Managed Security Service Provider to perform network and endpoints monitoring,

These actions help us identify opportunities for improvement in our incident preparedness and response processes.

In the event of a cybersecurity incident, we maintain a regularly tested incident response program. Pursuant to the program and its escalation protocols, designated personnel are responsible for assessing the severity of the incident and associated threat, containing the threat, remediating the threat, including recovery of data and access to systems, analyzing any reporting and disclosure obligations associated with the incident, and performing post-incident analysis and program enhancements. While the personnel assigned to an incident response team may depend on the particular facts and circumstances, the team is generally led by the Chief Information Officer (“CIO”) or another member of the IT team and will include other information technology and legal personnel. The incident response team regularly reports to senior management, in the event of a potentially notable incident. The CIO or another member of the incident response team also reports periodically to the Company’s Board regarding cybersecurity incidents impacting us.

We use third parties for various services such as property management, enterprise resource planning software and cloud computing. The use of third parties exposes us to risks that cybersecurity incidents at a third-party provider would impact Elme’s operations and data security. We identify these risks with our robust evaluation program for our third-party partners, in which we assess third-party cybersecurity controls through a questionnaire and include security terms in our contracts where applicable. We mitigate these risks by assessing cybersecurity practices of new providers, continually reviewing and monitoring the cybersecurity practices of our major service providers and conducting periodic reviews of the cybersecurity strategy and posture of our other significant providers. We also consider cybersecurity incidents at our third-party providers in our business continuity and disaster recovery planning.

We have not experienced any material cybersecurity incidents to date. Notwithstanding the extensive approach we take to address cybersecurity, we may not be successful in preventing or mitigating all cybersecurity incidents or threats. See Item 1A. “Risk Factors” for a discussion of cybersecurity risks.

Governance

Elme’s leadership is committed to maintaining a secure environment that upholds high standards of privacy and data protection. The executive team reviews industry specific cybersecurity statistics and updates monthly from the IT team. We have documented control procedures that govern access to sensitive data and changes made to critical business systems. Our Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan (“CIRP”) helps ensure timely notification of cybersecurity incidents to management and the Board.

Our CIO, has been responsible for the development, enhancement, and oversight of cybersecurity programs in her role as CIO for over a decade at two publicly traded real estate companies. She is a member of the Real Estate Cyber Consortium, the National Multi Housing Council Data Privacy, Security, and Information Management Committee, and the RE-ISAC Cybersecurity Working Group.

The Board is responsible for review and oversight of Elme’s cybersecurity risks and the programs and steps implemented by management to assess, manage and mitigate such risks. In the event of a cybersecurity incident, the Board is informed and updated by the incident response team as appropriate. Executive management provides regular updates during board meetings to help ensure that our trustees are informed about the evolving threat landscape and our risk management strategies. The Board

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receives a cyber update from the CIO on an annual basis. The Board receives communications via email from the CIO on topics of interest throughout the year.

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ITEM 2: PROPERTIES

The schedule on the following pages lists our real estate investment portfolio as of December 31, 2023, which consisted of 28 residential communities, one office building and land held for development. Cost information is included in Schedule III to our financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Schedule of Properties

Residential Communities

Subtotal Residential Communities 9,374 95.2 % 95.2 %

Office Building

______________________________

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(1) Percent leased and ending occupancy calculations are based on square feet and includes temporary lease agreements for Watergate 600. Percent leased is the percentage of net rentable area for which fully executed leases exist and may include signed leases for space not yet occupied by the tenant.

ITEM 3: LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

None.

ITEM 4: MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

None.

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PART II

ITEM 5: MARKET FOR THE REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Market and Shareholder Information: Our shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ELME. As of February 13, 2024, there were 2,651 shareholders of record.

Issuer Repurchases; Unregistered Sales of Securities: A summary of our repurchases of our common shares of beneficial interest for the three months ended December 31, 2023 was as follows:

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

______________________________

(1) Represents restricted shares surrendered by employees to Elme Communities to satisfy such employees' applicable statutory minimum tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting of restricted shares.

(2) On October 26, 2023, the Board authorized and approved a share repurchase program of up to $50.0 million of the Company’s common shares of beneficial interest over a period of two years, subject to any applicable limitations or restrictions set forth in our existing credit facility and other debt agreements. The share repurchase program is scheduled to expire on October 25, 2025, unless extended by the Board.

Performance Graph:

The following line graph sets forth, for the period from December 31, 2018, through December 31, 2023, a comparison of the percentage change in the cumulative total shareholder return on our common shares compared to the cumulative total return of the Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Index and the MSCI US REIT Index. The graph assumes that $100 was invested on December 31, 2018, in shares of our common shares and each of the aforementioned indices and that all dividends were reinvested without the payment of any commissions. There can be no assurance that the performance of our shares will continue in line with the same or similar trends depicted in the graph below.

This performance graph shall not be deemed "filed" for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or incorporated by reference into any filing by us under the Securities Act of 1933, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

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ITEM 6: RESERVED

ITEM 7: MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

We provide Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) in addition to the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes to assist readers in understanding our results of operations and financial condition. We organize the MD&A as follows:

•Overview. Discussion of our business outlook, operating results, investment activity, financing activity and capital requirements to provide context for the remainder of MD&A.

•Results of Operations. Discussion of our financial results comparing 2023 to 2022.

•Liquidity and Capital Resources. Discussion of our financial condition and analysis of changes in our capital structure and cash flows.

•Funds From Operations. Calculation of NAREIT Funds From Operations (“NAREIT FFO”), a non-GAAP supplemental measure to net income.

•Critical Accounting Estimates. Descriptions of accounting policies that reflect significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

When evaluating our financial condition and operating performance, we focus on the following financial and non-financial indicators:

•Net operating income (“NOI”), calculated as set forth below under the caption "Results of Operations - Net Operating Income." NOI is a non-GAAP supplemental measure to net income.

•Funds From Operations (“NAREIT FFO”), calculated as set forth below under the caption “Funds from Operations.” NAREIT FFO is a non-GAAP supplemental measure to net income.

•Average occupancy, calculated as average daily occupied apartment homes as a percentage of total apartment homes.

For purposes of evaluating comparative operating performance, we categorize our properties as “same-store” or “non-same-store”. Same-store portfolio properties include properties that were owned for the entirety of the years being compared and exclude properties under redevelopment or development and properties acquired, sold or classified as held for sale during the years being compared. We define development properties as those for which we have planned or ongoing major construction activities on existing or acquired land pursuant to an authorized development plan. Development properties are categorized as same-store when they have reached stabilized occupancy (90%) before the start of the prior year. We define redevelopment properties as those for which we have planned or ongoing significant development and construction activities on existing or acquired buildings pursuant to an authorized plan, which has an impact on current operating results, occupancy and the ability to lease space with the intended result of a higher economic return on the property. We categorize a redevelopment property as same-store when redevelopment activities have been complete for the majority of each year being compared.

Overview

Our revenues are derived primarily from the ownership and operation of income producing property. As of December 31, 2023, we owned approximately 9,400 residential apartment homes in the Washington, DC and Atlanta metro regions. We also own and operate approximately 300,000 square feet of commercial space in the Washington, DC metro region.

During 2022, we completed acquisitions of three apartment communities in Georgia with a combined total of 1,079 apartment homes for a total contract purchase price of $283.2 million. During 2023, we completed the acquisition of Elme Druid Hills, a 500-unit apartment community in Atlanta, Georgia for a contract purchase price of $108.0 million.

In connection with our strategic transformation, which shifted our business away from the commercial sector to the residential sector, we redesigned our operating model for purposes of more efficiently and effectively supporting residential operations. This operating model redesign included insourcing the property-level management activities at our multifamily properties previously performed by third-party management companies. Community onboarding began in October 2022, and we have transitioned all of our residential communities to Elme management as of July 2023. Costs related to the strategic transformation, including the allocation of internal costs, consulting, advisory and termination benefits, are included in transformation costs on our consolidated statements of operations. We recognized $6.3 million and $9.7 million of transformation costs, net of amounts capitalized, on the consolidated statements of operations during 2023 and 2022, respectively. We do not anticipate incurring any additional transformation costs in the future. We expect to realize significant operational benefits from this operating model redesign.

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Operating Results

The discussion that follows is based on our Operating Results. The ability to compare one period to another is significantly affected

by the acquisitions completed 2023 and 2022 (see note 3 to the consolidated financial statements).

Net loss, NOI and NAREIT FFO for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were as follows (in thousands, except percentage amounts):

Year Ended December 31,

______________________________

(1) See page 33 of the MD&A for reconciliations of NOI to net (loss) income.

The increase in net loss is primarily due to a real estate impairment in our office property ($41.9 million), higher interest expense ($5.5 million) and higher property management expenses ($0.7 million) in 2023. These were partially offset by higher NOI ($12.7 million), lower loss on extinguishment of debt ($4.9 million), lower transformation costs ($3.3 million), lower depreciation and amortization expenses ($2.8 million), and lower general and administrative expenses ($2.4 million).

The higher NOI is primarily due to higher NOI from same-store properties ($9.2 million) and the acquisitions of Elme Marietta ($1.7 million) and Elme Cumberland ($1.0 million) in 2022 and Elme Druid Hills ($1.7 million) in 2023, partially offset by lower NOI at Watergate 600 ($0.3 million) and Elme Sandy Springs ($0.4 million). The higher same-store NOI was primarily due to higher rental rates. Residential same-store average occupancy for our portfolio increased to 95.6% as of December 31, 2023 from 95.4% as of December 31, 2022.

The higher NAREIT FFO is primarily due to higher NOI ($12.7 million), lower loss on extinguishment of debt ($4.9 million), lower transformation costs ($3.3 million) and lower general and administrative expenses ($2.4 million). These were partially offset by higher interest expense ($5.5 million) and higher property management expenses ($0.7 million).

Investment Activity

Significant investment activity during 2023 included the acquisition of Elme Druid Hills, a 500-unit apartment community in Atlanta, Georgia for a contract purchase price of $108.0 million during the third quarter of 2023. The acquisition was funded through cash and borrowings under the Company's $700 million unsecured revolving credit facility (“Revolving Credit Facility”).

Financing Activity

Significant financing activity during 2023 included entering into a $125.0 million unsecured term loan (“2023 Term Loan”) with an interest rate of SOFR (subject to a credit spread adjustment of 10 basis points) plus a margin of 95 basis points (subject to adjustment depending on Elme Communities' credit rating). We used the proceeds from the 2023 Term Loan to prepay the $100.0 million 2018 Term Loan in full and a portion of our borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility. The 2023 Term Loan has a two-year term ending in January 2025, with two one-year extension options.

During 2023, we executed an amendment to our Revolving Credit Facility to convert the benchmark interest rate from LIBOR to an adjusted SOFR, with no change in the applicable interest rate margins. As of December 31, 2023, the interest rate on the Revolving Credit Facility is based on an adjusted daily SOFR (inclusive of the 0.10% credit spread adjustment) plus 0.85% applicable margin, the daily SOFR is 5.38% and the facility fee is 0.20%. As of February 13, 2024, our Revolving Credit Facility has a borrowing capacity of $535.0 million.

Capital Requirements

We do not currently have any debt maturities scheduled for 2024. We expect to have additional capital requirements as set forth on page 37 (Liquidity and Capital Resources - Capital Requirements).

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Results of Operations

The discussion that follows is based on our consolidated results of operations for the two years ended December 31, 2023. The ability to compare one period to another is significantly affected by the acquisitions completed during those years (see note 3 to the consolidated financial statements).

Net Operating Income

NOI, defined as real estate rental revenue less direct real estate operating expenses, is a non-GAAP measure. NOI is calculated as net income, less non-real estate revenue and the results of discontinued operations (including the gain or loss on sale, if any), plus interest expense, depreciation and amortization, lease origination expenses, general and administrative expenses, acquisition costs, real estate impairment, casualty gain and losses and gain or loss on extinguishment of debt. NOI does not include management expenses, which consist of corporate property management costs and property management fees paid to third parties. NOI is the primary performance measure we use to assess the results of our operations at the property level. We believe that NOI is a useful performance measure because, when compared across periods, it reflects the impact on operations of trends in occupancy rates, rental rates and operating costs on an unleveraged basis, providing perspective not immediately apparent from net income. NOI excludes certain components from net income in order to provide results more closely related to a property’s results of operations. For example, interest expense is not necessarily linked to the operating performance of a real estate asset. In addition, depreciation and amortization, because of historical cost accounting and useful life estimates, may distort operating performance at the property level. As a result of the foregoing, we provide NOI as a supplement to net income, calculated in accordance with GAAP. NOI does not represent net income or income from continuing operations calculated in accordance with GAAP. As such, NOI should not be considered an alternative to these measures as an indication of our operating performance. A reconciliation of NOI to net income follows.

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2023 Compared to 2022

The following tables reconcile net income to NOI and provide the basis for our discussion of our consolidated results of operations and NOI in 2023 compared to 2022. All amounts are in thousands except percentage amounts.

Year Ended December 31,

Adjustments:

Residential revenue:

Development — — — — %

Residential expenses:

Residential NOI:

______________________________

(1)Acquisitions:

2022: Elme Sandy Springs, Elme Cumberland, Elme Marietta

2023: Elme Druid Hills

(2)Non-residential: Includes revenues and expenses from retail operations at residential properties.

(3)Other (classified as continuing operations): Watergate 600

Real Estate Rental Revenue

Real estate rental revenue from our apartment communities is comprised of (a) rent from operating leases of residential apartments with terms of approximately one year or less, recognized on a straight-line basis, (b) revenue from the recovery of operating expenses from our residents, (c) credit losses on lease related receivables, (d) revenue from leases of retail space at our apartment

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communities and (e) parking and other tenant charges.

Real estate rental revenue from same-store residential properties increased $11.5 million, or 6.6%, to $186.0 million for 2023, compared to $174.5 million for 2022, primarily due to higher rental income ($10.4 million), higher recoveries ($1.1 million), lower rent abatements ($0.5 million) and higher fee and ancillary income ($0.8 million). The increase is partially offset by higher credit losses ($1.3 million).

Real estate rental revenue from acquisitions increased $7.5 million or 50.2% to $22.4 million for 2023, compared to $14.9 million for 2022, primarily due to the acquisitions of Elme Druid Hills ($2.6 million) during the third quarter of 2023, Elme Marietta ($2.6 million) and Elme Cumberland ($1.7 million) during the second quarter of 2022, and Elme Sandy Springs ($0.6 million) during the first quarter of 2022.

Average occupancy for residential properties for 2023 and 2022 was as follows:

The increase in same-store average occupancy was primarily due to higher average occupancy at Elme Bethesda, The Paramount, Roosevelt Towers, Riverside Apartments and The Maxwell. The increase is partially offset by lower average occupancy at Elme Eagles Landing, Elme Manassas and Elme Conyers.

Real Estate Expenses

Residential real estate expenses as a percentage of residential revenue for 2023 and 2022 were 35.6% and 36.1%, respectively.

Real estate expenses from same-store residential properties increased $2.2 million, or 3.6%, to $65.1 million for 2023, compared to $62.8 million for 2022, primarily due to higher utilities ($0.9 million), contract services ($0.5 million), real estate taxes ($0.5 million), marketing ($0.4 million) and insurance ($0.4 million) expenses. The increase is partially offset by lower administrative ($0.3 million) and repairs and maintenance ($0.2 million) expenses.

Real estate expenses from acquisitions increased $3.5 million in 2023 due to the acquisitions of Elme Druid Hills ($0.9 million) during the third quarter of 2023, Elme Sandy Springs ($1.0 million) during the first quarter of 2022 and Elme Marietta ($0.9 million) and Elme Cumberland ($0.7 million) during the second quarter of 2022.

Other NOI

Other NOI decreased due to lower net operating income at Watergate 600 ($0.3 million).

Other Income and Expenses

Property management expenses: Increase of $0.7 million primarily due to higher management fee expenses at same-store properties ($0.4 million) and due to the acquisitions of Elme Druid Hills ($0.1 million) during the third quarter of 2023 and Elme Marietta ($0.1 million) and Elme Cumberland ($0.1 million) during the second quarter of 2022.

General and administrative expenses: Decrease of $2.4 million primarily due to higher management fee offset ($4.7 million), lower incentive compensation ($2.4 million) and an adjustment to deferred taxes ($0.5 million) in 2023. The decrease is partially offset by higher payroll ($2.0 million), computer software ($0.9 million), professional services fees ($0.7 million), employee benefits ($0.5 million), severance ($0.5 million), corporate office moving ($0.5 million), and other ($0.2 million) expenses.

Transformation costs: Decrease of $3.3 million primarily due to lower consulting ($1.9 million), lower accelerated depreciation ($0.9 million), lower salary, benefit, and incentive compensation ($0.6 million), lower software implementation ($0.5 million), and lower third-party management transition ($0.3 million) costs. The decrease is partially offset by higher signing bonuses for new employees ($0.9 million).

Depreciation and amortization: Decrease of $2.8 million primarily due to lower depreciation and amortization at same-store residential properties ($2.0 million), the acquisitions of Elme Sandy Springs ($1.7 million), Elme Marietta ($1.5 million) and Elme Cumberland ($0.3 million) and lower depreciation and amortization at Watergate 600 ($0.4 million). The decrease is partially offset by higher depreciation and amortization at Elme Druid Hills ($3.1 million).

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Interest Expense: Interest expense by debt type for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was as follows (in thousands):

Year Ended December 31,

•Notes payable: Increase primarily due to the $125.0 million 2023 Term Loan executed in January 2023, partially offset by prepayment of a $100.0 million portion of the 2018 Term Loan in January 2023.

•Mortgage notes payable: Decrease due to the mortgages of $42.8 million and $33.7 million assumed in the acquisitions of Elme Marietta and Elme Cumberland, respectively, in the second quarter of 2022 and the extinguishment, in September 2022, of the liabilities associated with these mortgages though defeasance arrangements.

•Line of credit: Increase primarily due to a weighted average interest rate of 6.2% and weighted average borrowings of $70.6 million in 2023, as compared to a weighted average interest rate of 4.2% and weighted average borrowings of $21.6 million in 2022.

•Capitalized interest: Decrease primarily due to ceasing capitalization of interest on spending related to the multifamily development adjacent to Riverside Apartments due to a pause in development activities resulting from macroeconomic uncertainty.

Loss on extinguishment of debt: During 2022, we extinguished the liabilities associated with mortgage notes payable for Elme Marietta and Elme Cumberland through defeasance arrangements, recognizing aggregate losses on extinguishment of debt of $4.9 million.

Other income: Decrease of $0.1 million is due to lower tax refunds received in 2023 for office properties sold in prior years.

Real estate impairment: The real estate impairment charge of $41.9 million during 2023 reduced the carrying value of Watergate 600 to its estimated fair value (see note 3 to consolidated financial statements).

2022 Compared to 2021

For a discussion comparing the Company’s financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, refer to subsection “Results of Operations - 2022 Compared to 2021” of Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

We believe we will have adequate liquidity over the next twelve months to operate our business and to meet our cash requirements, including meeting our debt obligations, capital and contractual obligations, as well as the payment of dividends, and funding possible growth opportunities.

In connection with our strategic transformation, we redesigned our operating model for purposes of more efficiently and effectively supporting residential operations. We recognized $6.3 million and $9.7 million and $6.6 million of transformation costs, net of amounts capitalized, on the consolidated statements of operations during 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. We expect to realize significant operational benefits from this operating model redesign. We also believe we have adequate liquidity beyond 2023, with no debt maturities until 2025 and only $282.0 million of scheduled debt maturities prior to 2028, based on current amounts outstanding under our Revolving Credit Facility.

We will continue to assess the payment of our dividends on a quarterly basis. Future determinations regarding the declaration and payment of dividends, if any, will be at the discretion of our Board which considers, among other factors, trends in our levels of funds from operations and ongoing capital requirements to achieve a targeted payout ratio.

Capital Structure

We manage our capital structure to reflect a long-term investment approach, generally seeking to match the cash flow of our assets with a mix of equity and various debt instruments. We expect that our capital structure will allow us to obtain additional capital from diverse sources that could include additional equity offerings of common shares, public and private secured and unsecured debt financings, asset dispositions, operating units and joint venture equity. Our ability to raise funds through the incurrence of debt and issuance of equity securities is dependent on, among other things, general economic conditions including general market conditions for REITs, our operating performance, our debt rating, the current trading price of our common shares and other capital market conditions. We analyze which source of capital we believe to be most advantageous to us at any particular point in time.

As of February 13, 2024, we had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $5.8 million and availability under our Revolving Credit Facility of $535.0 million.We currently expect that our potential sources of liquidity for acquisitions, development, redevelopment, expansion and renovation of properties, and operating and administrative expenses, may include:

•Cash flow from operations;

•Borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility or other new short-term facilities;

•Issuances of our equity securities and/or common units in operating partnerships;

•Issuances of preferred shares;

•Proceeds from long-term secured or unsecured debt financings, including construction loans and term loans, or the issuance of debt securities;

•Investment from joint venture partners; and

•Net proceeds from the sale of assets.

During 2024, we expect that we will have significant capital requirements, including the following:

•Funding dividends and distributions to our shareholders (which we intend to continue to pay at or about current levels);

•Approximately $34.0 - $39.0 million to invest in our existing portfolio of operating assets inclusive of $23.0 - $28.0 million of major capital expenditures; and

•Funding for potential property acquisitions throughout 2024, offset by proceeds from potential property dispositions.

There can be no assurance that our capital requirements will not be materially higher or lower than the above expectations. We currently believe that we will generate sufficient cash flow from operations and potential property sales and have access to the capital resources necessary to fund our requirements in 2024. However, as a result of the uncertainty of the general market conditions in the greater Washington, DC metro and Sunbelt regions, economic conditions affecting the ability to attract and retain residents and tenants or achieve anticipated rental rates, declines in our share price, unfavorable changes in the supply of competing properties, or our properties not performing as expected, we may not generate sufficient cash flow from operations and property sales or otherwise have access to capital on favorable terms, or at all. If we are unable to obtain capital from other sources, we may need to alter capital spending to be materially different than what is stated above. If capital were not available, we may be unable to satisfy the distribution requirement applicable to REITs, make required principal and interest payments, make strategic acquisitions or make necessary and/or routine capital improvements or undertake improvement/redevelopment

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opportunities with respect to our existing portfolio of operating assets.

Debt Financing

We generally use secured or unsecured, corporate-level debt, including unsecured notes, our Revolving Credit Facility, bank term loans and mortgages, to meet our borrowing needs. Long-term, we generally use fixed rate debt instruments in order to match the returns from our real estate assets. If we issue unsecured debt in the future, we will seek to ladder the maturities of our debt to mitigate exposure to interest rate risk in any particular future year. We also utilize variable rate debt for short-term financing purposes. At times, our mix of variable and fixed rate debt may not suit our needs. At those times, we may use derivative financial instruments including interest rate swaps and caps, forward interest rate options or interest rate options in order to assist us in managing our debt mix. We may either hedge our variable rate debt to give it an effective fixed interest rate or hedge fixed rate debt to give it an effective variable interest rate.

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As of December 31, 2023, our future debt principal payments are scheduled as follows (in thousands):

Premiums and discounts, net (94) — (94)

Debt issuance costs, net (2,561) — (2,561)

______________________________

(1)During the first quarter of 2023, we entered into the $125.0 million 2023 Term Loan with an interest rate of SOFR (subject to a credit spread adjustment of 10 basis points) plus a margin of 95 basis points (subject to adjustment depending on Elme Communities’ credit rating). The 2023 Term Loan has a two-year term ending in January 2025, with two one-year extension options. We used the proceeds to prepay the $100.0 million 2018 Term Loan in full and a portion of our borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility. Elme Communities had previously entered into an interest rate swap to effectively fix the interest rate for the remaining $100.0 million portion of the 2018 Term Loan. Following the prepayment of the 2018 Term Loan, the interest rate swap effectively fixed a $100.0 million portion of the 2023 Term Loan at 2.16% through the interest rate swap's expiration date of July 21, 2023. In March 2023, we entered into two interest rate swap arrangements with an aggregate notional amount of $125.0 million that effectively fixed the 2023 Term Loan’s interest rate at 4.73% beginning on July 21, 2023 through the 2023 Term Loan’s maturity date of January 10, 2025.

(2)The credit facility's term ends in August 2025, with two six-month extension options.

The weighted average maturity for our debt was 4.5 years as of December 31, 2023. If principal amounts due at maturity cannot be refinanced, extended or paid with proceeds of other capital transactions, such as new equity capital, our cash flow may be insufficient to repay all maturing debt. Prevailing interest rates or other factors at the time of a refinancing, such as possible reluctance of lenders to make commercial real estate loans, may result in higher interest rates and increased interest expense or inhibit our ability to finance our obligations.

From time to time, we may seek to repurchase and cancel our outstanding unsecured notes and term loans through open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. Such repurchases, if any, will depend on prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors. The amounts involved may be material.

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Debt Covenants

Pursuant to the terms of our Revolving Credit Facility, 2023 Term Loan and unsecured notes, we are subject to customary operating covenants and maintenance of various financial ratios.

Failure to comply with any of the covenants under our Revolving Credit Facility, 2023 Term Loan, unsecured notes or other debt instruments could result in a default under one or more of our debt instruments. This could cause our lenders to accelerate the timing of payments and could therefore have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, financial condition and liquidity. In addition, our ability to draw on our Revolving Credit Facility or incur other unsecured debt in the future could be restricted by the debt covenants.

As of December 31, 2023, we were in compliance with the covenants related to our Revolving Credit Facility, 2023 Term Loan and unsecured notes.

Common Equity

We have authorized for issuance 150.0 million common shares, of which approximately 87.9 million shares were outstanding at December 31, 2023.

On February 17, 2021, we entered into separate amendments to each of our existing equity distribution agreements (“Original Equity Distribution Agreements”) with each of Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, BNY Mellon Capital Markets, LLC, Capital One Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. and Truist Securities, Inc. (f/k/a SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc.), each dated May 4, 2018 (collectively, as amended, the “Equity Distribution Agreements”) for our at-the-market program. Also on February 17, 2021, we entered into a separate equity distribution agreement with BTIG, LLC on the same terms as the Amended Equity Distribution Agreements (the “BTIG Equity Distribution Agreement”). On September 22, 2021, BTIG, LLC notified us that it was terminating the BTIG Equity Distribution Agreement, effective as of September 27, 2021. Pursuant to the Equity Distribution Agreements, we may sell, from time to time, up to an aggregate price of $550.0 million of our common shares of beneficial interest, $0.01 par value per share. Issuances of our common shares are made at market prices prevailing at the time of issuance. We may use net proceeds from the issuance of common shares under this program for general business purposes, including, without limitation, working capital, the acquisition, renovation, expansion, improvement, development or redevelopment of income producing property or the repayment of debt.

We did not issue common shares under the Equity Distribution Agreements in 2023. Our issuances and net proceeds on the Equity Distribution Agreements in 2022 and 2021 and the Original Equity Distribution Agreements in 2021, were as follows (in thousands, except per share data):

Year Ended December 31,

Weighted average price per share $ — $ 26.27 $ 25.44

We have a dividend reinvestment program, whereby shareholders may use their dividends and optional cash payments to purchase common shares. The common shares sold under this program may either be common shares issued by us or common shares purchased in the open market.

Our issuances and net proceeds on the dividend reinvestment program for the three years ended December 31, 2023 were as follows (in thousands; except per share data):

Year Ended December 31,

Issuance of common shares 28 47 75

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On October 26, 2023, the Board authorized and approved a share repurchase program of up to $50.0 million of the Company’s common shares of beneficial interest over a period of two years, subject to any applicable limitations or restrictions set forth in our existing credit facility and other debt agreements. The share repurchase program is scheduled to expire on October 25, 2025, unless extended by the Board.

Preferred Equity

Our Board can, at its discretion, authorize the issuance of up to 10.0 million preferred shares. The ability to issue preferred equity provides Elme Communities an additional financing tool that may be used to raise capital for future acquisitions or other business purposes. As of December 31, 2023, no preferred shares were issued and outstanding.

Capital Commitments

We will require capital for development and redevelopment projects currently underway and in the future. We previously engaged in predevelopment activities for the ground-up development of a residential property on land adjacent to Riverside Apartments, but as of the second quarter of 2022, we paused development activities. As of December 31, 2023, we had no outstanding contractual commitments related to our development and redevelopment projects and do not expect to spend on our development and redevelopment projects during 2024.

We anticipate funding approximately $23.0 - $28.0 million on several major renovation projects at our residential communities during 2024.

These projects include unit renovations, property technology initiatives, common area and mechanical upgrades, facade and retaining wall restorations and fire system upgrades. Not all of the anticipated spending had been committed via executed construction contracts at December 31, 2023. We expect to fund these projects using cash generated by our real estate operations, through borrowings on our Revolving Credit Facility, or raising additional debt or equity capital in the public market.

Contractual Obligations

As of December 31, 2023, certain contractual obligations will require significant capital as follows (in thousands):

Payments due by Period

Total Less than 1year 1-3 years 4-5 years After 5years

______________________________

(1)See notes 6 and 7 of the consolidated financial statements. Amounts include principal, interest and facility fees.

In addition to our long-term debt, we have committed building capital expenditures of $2.0 million in 2024 based on contracts in place as of December 31, 2023, along with other various standing or renewable contracts with vendors. The majority of these contracts can be canceled with immaterial or no cancellation penalties, with the exception of our elevator maintenance agreements and our electricity and gas purchase agreements. Contract terms on leases that can be canceled are generally one year or less.