MAA US Equity☆

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

In addition to the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we have identified the following risks and uncertainties that may have a material adverse effect on our business prospects, financial condition or results of operations. Investors should carefully consider the risks described below before making an investment decision. Our business faces significant risks and the risks described below may not be the only risks we face. Additional risks that are not presently known to us, that we currently believe are immaterial or that could apply generically to any company may also significantly impact our business operations. If any of these risks occur, our business prospects, financial condition or results of operations could suffer, the market price of our stock and the trading price of our debt securities could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment in our stock or debt securities.

Risks Related to Our Real Estate Investments and Our Operations

Unfavorable market and economic conditions could adversely affect occupancy levels, rental revenues and the value of our properties.

General economic conditions in the U.S. have fluctuated significantly in recent quarters with the U.S. experiencing negative macroeconomic conditions such as inflationary and labor market concerns. Unfavorable market and economic conditions may significantly affect our occupancy levels, our rental rates and collections, the value of our properties and our ability to acquire or dispose of properties on economically favorable terms. Our ability to lease our properties at favorable rates is adversely affected by the increase in supply in the multifamily and other rental markets and is dependent upon the overall level in the economy, which is adversely affected by, among other things, job losses and unemployment levels, personal debt levels, a downturn in the housing market, stock market volatility, inflationary conditions and uncertainty about the future. Some of our major expenses generally do not decline when related rents decline. We would expect that declines in our occupancy levels, rental revenues and/or the values of our properties would cause us to have less cash available to make payments on our debt and to make distributions, which could adversely affect our financial condition or the market value of our securities. Factors that may affect our occupancy levels, our rental revenues and/or the value of our properties include the following, among others:

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downturns in global, national, regional and local economic conditions, particularly increases in unemployment;

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declines in mortgage interest rates and home pricing, making alternative housing options more affordable;

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government or builder incentives with respect to home ownership, making alternative housing options more attractive;

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local real estate market conditions, including oversupply of apartments or other housing available for rent, or a reduction in demand for apartments in the area;

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declines in the financial condition of our residents or commercial tenants, which may make it more difficult for us to collect rents from some residents or commercial tenants;

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declines in market rental rates;

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declines in household formation; and

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increases in operating costs, if these costs cannot be passed through to our residents or commercial tenants.

Failure to generate sufficient cash flow could limit our ability to make payments on our debt and to make distributions.

Our ability to make payments on our debt and to make distributions depends on our ability to generate cash flow in excess of operating costs and capital expenditure requirements and/or to have access to the markets for debt and equity financing. Our funds from operations may be insufficient because of factors that are beyond our control. Such factors could include:

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weakness in the general economy, which lowers job growth and the associated demand for apartment housing;

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competition from other apartment communities or alternative housing options (including condominiums and single-family houses for rent or sale);

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overbuilding of new apartments or oversupply of available apartments or alternative housing options in our markets, which might adversely affect occupancy or rental rates and/or require rent concessions in order to lease apartments;

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increases in operating costs (including real estate taxes, utilities and insurance premiums) due to inflation and other factors, which may not be offset by increased rental rates;

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inability to rent apartments on favorable economic terms;

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changes in governmental regulations and the related costs of compliance;

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the enactment of rent control or rent stabilization laws in the areas in which we operate or other laws regulating multifamily housing;

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other changes in laws, including tax laws and housing laws;

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an uninsured loss, including those resulting from a catastrophic storm, earthquake or act of terrorism;

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changes in interest rate levels and the availability of financing, borrower credit standards and down-payment requirements which could lead renters to purchase homes (if interest rates decrease and home loans are more readily

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available) or increase our acquisition and operating costs (if interest rates increase and financing is less readily available); and

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the relative illiquidity of real estate investments.

At times, we have relied on external funding sources to fully fund the payment of distributions to shareholders and our capital investment program, including our property developments. While we have sufficient liquidity to permit distributions at current rates through additional borrowings, if necessary, any significant and sustained deterioration in operations could result in our financial resources being insufficient to make payments on our debt and to make distributions at the current rate, in which event we would be required to reduce the distribution rate. Any decline in our funds from operations could adversely affect our ability to make distributions or to meet our loan covenants and could have a material adverse effect on our stock price or the trading price of our debt securities.

We are dependent on a concentration of our investments in a single asset class, making our results of operations more vulnerable to a downturn or slowdown in the multifamily sector or other economic factors.

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

Our operations are concentrated in the Southeast, Southwest and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S.; we are subject to general economic conditions in the regions in which we operate.

As of December 31, 2023, approximately 41.4% of our portfolio (based on the number of completed apartment units) was located in our top five markets: Atlanta, Georgia; Dallas, Texas; Austin, Texas; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Orlando, Florida. In addition, our overall operations are concentrated in the Southeast, Southwest and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. Our performance could be adversely affected by economic conditions in, and other factors relating to, these geographic areas, including supply and demand for apartments in these areas, zoning and other regulatory conditions and competition from other communities and alternative housing options. In particular, our performance is disproportionately influenced by job growth and unemployment. To the extent the economic conditions, job growth and unemployment in any of these markets deteriorate or any of these areas experiences natural disasters, the value of our portfolio, our results of operations and our ability to make payments on our debt and to make distributions could be adversely affected.

Substantial competition may adversely affect our revenues and limit our acquisition and development opportunities.

There are numerous alternative housing options within the market area of each of our communities that compete with us for residents, including other apartment communities, condominiums and single-family homes. Competitive housing in a particular area, particularly new supply (and especially during early lease up efforts), could adversely affect our ability to retain residents, rent our apartments and increase or maintain rents, which could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Similarly, some of our competitors may have loan covenants or fund requirements that encourage decisions on occupancy targets or rental rates that vary from decisions based on market conditions, which could require us to react in ways that may affect our strategy or negatively affect our performance.

We also face competition from other businesses for acquisition and development opportunities. The activities of these competitors could cause us to pay higher prices for new properties than we otherwise would have paid or may prevent us from purchasing desired properties at all, which could have a material adverse effect on us and our ability to make payments on our debt and to make distributions.

Failure to succeed in new markets may have adverse consequences on our performance.

We may make acquisitions or pursue developments outside of our existing market areas if appropriate opportunities arise. Our historical experience in our existing markets does not ensure that we will be able to operate successfully in new markets, should we choose to enter them. We may be exposed to a variety of risks if we choose to enter new markets, including an inability to accurately evaluate local market conditions and local economies, an inability to identify appropriate acquisition or development opportunities, an inability to hire and retain key personnel and a lack of familiarity with local governmental and permitting procedures. In addition, we may abandon opportunities to enter new markets that we have begun to explore for any reason and may, as a result, fail to recover expenses already incurred.

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Environmental problems are possible and can be costly.

Under various federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations, a current or previous owner or operator of real estate may be liable for the costs of removal or remediation of certain hazardous or toxic substances in, on, around or under such property. Such laws often impose such liability without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of such hazardous or toxic substances. The presence of, or failure to properly remediate, hazardous or toxic substances or petroleum product releases may adversely affect the owner’s or operator’s ability to sell or rent the affected property or to borrow using the property as collateral. Persons who arrange for the disposal or treatment of hazardous or toxic substances may also be liable for the costs of removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic substances at a disposal or treatment facility, whether or not the facility is owned or operated by the person. Certain environmental laws impose liability for the release of asbestos-containing materials into the air, and third parties may also seek recovery from owners or operators of real property for personal injury associated with asbestos-containing materials and other hazardous or toxic substances. Federal and state laws also regulate the operation and subsequent removal of certain underground storage tanks. In connection with the current or former ownership (direct or indirect), operation, management, development or control of real property, we may be considered an owner or operator of such apartment communities or as having arranged for the disposal or treatment of hazardous or toxic substances and, therefore, may be potentially liable for removal or remediation costs, as well as certain other costs, including governmental fines, and claims for injuries to persons and property.

Our current policy is to obtain a Phase I environmental study on each apartment community that we seek to acquire or develop, which generally does not involve invasive techniques such as soil or ground water sampling, and to proceed accordingly. However, there can be no assurance that the Phase I environmental studies or other environmental studies undertaken with respect to any of our current or future apartment communities will reveal:

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all or the full extent of potential environmental liabilities;

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that any prior owner or operator of a property did not create any material environmental condition unknown to us;

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that a material environmental condition does not otherwise exist as to any one or more of such apartment communities; or

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that environmental matters will not have a material adverse effect on us and our ability to make payments on our debt and to make distributions.

Certain environmental laws impose liability on a previous owner of property to the extent that hazardous or toxic substances were present during the prior ownership period. A transfer of the property does not relieve an owner of such liability. Thus, we may have liability with respect to apartment communities previously sold by our predecessors or by us. There have been a number of lawsuits against owners and operators of multifamily apartment communities alleging personal injury and property damage caused by the presence of mold in residential real estate. Some of these lawsuits have resulted in substantial monetary judgments or settlements. Insurance carriers have reacted to these liability awards by excluding mold-related claims from standard policies and pricing mold endorsements separately. We have obtained a separate pollution insurance policy that covers mold-related claims and have adopted programs designed to minimize the existence of mold in any of our apartment communities as well as guidelines for promptly addressing and resolving reports of mold. To the extent not covered by our pollution policy, the presence of mold could expose us to liability from residents and others if property damage or health concerns, or allegations thereof, arise.

Our business and operations are subject to physical and transition risks related to climate change.

Many of our apartment communities are located along or near coastal areas that have historically been subject to the risk of extreme weather events. To the extent climate change causes changes in weather patterns, areas where many of our communities are located could experience more frequent and intense extreme weather events and rising sea levels, which may cause significant damage to our properties, disrupt our operations and adversely impact our residents. Over time, such conditions could result in reduced demand for housing in areas where our communities are located and increased costs related to further developing our communities to mitigate the effects of climate change or repairing damage related to the effects of climate change that may or may not be fully covered by insurance. Likewise, such conditions also may negatively impact the types, pricing and terms of insurance we are able to procure.

Changes in federal, state and local laws and regulations on sustainable buildings could result in increased operating costs and/or capital expenditures to improve the energy efficiency of our existing communities and could also require us to spend more on our new development communities without a corresponding increase in rental revenues. For example, various laws and regulations have been implemented or are under consideration to mitigate the effects of climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions. Among other things, “green” building codes may seek to reduce emissions through the imposition of standards for design, construction materials, water and energy usage and efficiency and waste management. The imposition of such requirements could increase the costs of maintaining or improving our existing communities (for example by requiring retrofits of existing communities to improve their energy efficiency and/or resistance to inclement weather) and developing new communities without creating corresponding increases in rental revenues, which would have an adverse impact on our operating results.

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Operations from new acquisitions, development projects and redevelopment activities may fail to perform as expected.

We intend to acquire, develop and redevelop apartment communities as part of our business strategy. Newly acquired, developed or renovated properties may not perform as we expect. We may also overestimate the revenue (or underestimate the expenses) that a new or repositioned property may generate. The occupancy rates and rents at these properties may fail to meet our expectations underlying our investment.

In addition, with respect to acquisitions, we may be unable to quickly and efficiently integrate acquired apartment communities and new personnel into our existing operations, and the failure to successfully integrate those apartment communities or personnel would result in inefficiencies that could adversely affect our expected return on our investments. Likewise, we may acquire properties that are subject to liabilities or that have problems relating to environmental condition, state of title, physical condition or compliance with zoning laws, building codes or other legal requirements. In each case, our acquisition may be without any, or with only limited, recourse with respect to unknown liabilities or conditions, and we may be obligated to pay substantial sums to settle or cure it, which could adversely affect our cash flow and operating results.

Our implementation of long-standing succession planning could have adverse effects.

To reduce the risk of disruption from the planned retirement and unexpected departure of long-term employees and board members, we engage in succession planning to identify and develop in-house candidates for leadership and key executive positions within the company, recruit talented associates to fill areas of expertise needed within the company, and continually assess the needs of MAA’s Board of Directors to ensure stable governance of the company. In the last two years, we have transformed our executive team by elevating internal candidates to the offices of President, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Strategy and Analysis Officer and Chief Technology and Innovation Officer. In addition, at the 2023 annual meeting of MAA’s shareholders, we added three new members to MAA’s Board of Directors. Such significant changes over a relatively short period of time could result in unintended negative effects, such as creating employee dissatisfaction that could affect retention of key employees or impacting short-term strategic initiatives, which could adversely affect our business.

We are subject to certain risks associated with selling apartment communities, which could limit our operational and financial flexibility.

We plan to sell apartment communities that no longer meet our long-term strategy. However, adverse market conditions could limit our ability to sell properties when we want and to change our portfolio promptly to meet our strategic objectives. Likewise, federal tax laws applicable to REITs limit our ability to profit on the sale of properties, and this limitation could prevent us from selling properties when market conditions are favorable. From time to time, we may dispose of properties in transactions intended to qualify as “like-kind exchanges” under Section 1031 of the Code. If a transaction intended to qualify as a Section 1031 exchange is later determined to be taxable, we may face adverse consequences, and if the laws applicable to such transactions are amended or repealed, we may not be able to dispose of properties on a tax deferred basis.

Development and construction risks could impact our profitability.

As of December 31, 2023, we had five development communities under construction representing 1,970 units once complete. We may make further investments in these and other development communities as opportunities arise and may do so through joint ventures with unaffiliated parties. Our development and construction activities are subject to the following risks:

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we may be unable to obtain, or face delays in obtaining, necessary zoning, land-use, building, occupancy and other required governmental permits and authorizations, which could result in increased development costs, could delay initial occupancy dates for all or a portion of a development community and could require us to abandon our activities entirely with respect to a project for which we are unable to obtain permits or authorizations;

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we may be unable to obtain financing for development activities under favorable terms, which could cause a delay in construction resulting in increased costs, decreases in revenue and potentially cause us to abandon the opportunity;

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yields may be less than anticipated as a result of delays in completing projects, costs that exceed budget, higher than expected concessions for lease-up and lower rents than initially estimated;

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bankruptcy of developers in our development projects could impose delays and costs on us with respect to the development of our communities and may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations;

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we may abandon development opportunities that we have already begun to explore, and we may fail to recover expenses already incurred in connection with exploring such opportunities;

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we may be unable to complete construction and lease-up of an apartment community on schedule, or incur development or construction costs that exceed our original estimates and we may be unable to charge rents that would compensate for any increase in such costs;

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occupancy rates and rents at a newly developed apartment community may fluctuate depending on a number of factors, including market and economic conditions, preventing us from meeting our profitability goals for that community;

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when we sell apartment communities that we developed or renovated, we may be subject to warranty or construction defects that are uninsured or exceed the limit of our insurance;

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our failure to successfully enter into a joint venture agreement may prohibit an otherwise advantageous investment if we cannot raise the money through other means; and

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adoption of laws and regulations designed to address climate change and its effects, including, for example, “green” building codes, could increase our costs of development and cause delays in the construction of our development communities.

Increasing real estate taxes, utilities and insurance premiums, as well as changes in the terms and conditions of our insurance policies, may negatively impact operating results.

As a result of our substantial real estate holdings, the cost of real estate taxes, utilities and insuring our apartment communities is a significant component of expense. Real estate taxes, utilities and insurance premiums are subject to significant increases and fluctuations, which can be widely outside of our control. For example, the current and potential impacts of climate change and the increased risk of extreme weather events and natural disasters have caused significant increases in our property insurance premiums and may adversely affect the availability and terms of coverage in the future. Additionally, “social inflation” has resulted in the cost of general liability claims increasing at a rate well above general economic inflation due to a trend in increasing litigation costs related to unpredictable jury verdicts for plaintiffs seeking large monetary relief for their injuries. Premises liability is of particular concern for multifamily apartment owners. In general, these factors have put pressure on insurance premiums and contributed to an inability to obtain appropriate insurance coverage at reasonable rates without the assumption of increasingly higher levels of self-retained risk. If the costs associated with real estate taxes, utilities and insurance premiums should rise, without being offset by a corresponding increase in rental revenues or (in the case of insurance) strategic self-retention of risk, our results of operations could be negatively impacted, and our ability to make payments on our debt and to make distributions could be adversely affected.

Short-term leases expose us to the effects of declining market rents, and we may be unable to renew leases or relet units as leases expire.

Our apartment leases are generally for a term of approximately one year. The short-term nature of these leases generally serves to reduce our risk to adverse effects of inflation as our leases allow for adjustments in the rental rate at the time of renewal, which may enable us to seek rent increases. However, since our leases typically permit the residents to leave at the end of the lease term without penalty, our revenues are impacted by declines in market rents more quickly than if our leases were for longer terms. If we are unable to promptly renew the leases or relet the units, or if the rental rates upon renewal or reletting are significantly lower than expected rates, then our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.

We rely on information technology systems in our operations, and any breach or security failure of those systems could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and reputation.

We rely on proprietary and third-party information technology systems to process, transmit and store information and to manage or support our business processes. We store and maintain confidential financial and business information regarding us and persons with whom we do business on our information technology systems. We also collect and hold personally identifiable information of our residents and prospective residents in connection with our leasing and property management activities, and we collect and hold personally identifiable information of our employees in connection with their employment. In addition, we engage third-party service providers that may collect and hold personally identifiable information of our residents, prospective residents and employees in connection with providing business services to us, including web hosting, property management, leasing, accounting, payroll and benefit services. The protection of the information technology systems on which we rely is critically important to us. As described in more detail under the heading "Cybersecurity" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we take steps, and generally require third-party service providers to take steps, to protect the security of the information maintained in our and our service providers’ information technology systems, including the use of systems, software, tools and monitoring to provide security for processing, transmitting and storing of the information. However, we face risks associated with breaches or security failures of the information technology systems on which we rely, which could result from, among other incidents, cyber-attacks or cyber-intrusions over the internet, malware, computer viruses or employee error or misconduct. This risk of a data breach or security failure, particularly through cyber-attacks or cyber-intrusion, has generally increased due to the rise in new technologies and the increased sophistication and activities of the perpetrators of attempted attacks and intrusions, including as a result of the intensification of state-sponsored cybersecurity attacks during periods of geopolitical conflict, such as the ongoing conflicts involving Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Israel and other countries in the Middle East.

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The security measures put in place by us and our service providers cannot provide absolute security and there can be no assurance that we or our service providers will not suffer a data security incident in the future, that unauthorized parties will not gain access to sensitive information stored on our or our service providers’ systems, that such access will not, whether temporarily or permanently, impact, interfere with or interrupt our operations, or that any such incident will be discovered in a timely manner. Even the most well-protected information, networks, systems and facilities remain potentially vulnerable as the techniques used in such attempted security breaches evolve and generally are not recognized until launched against a target, and in some cases are designed to not be detected and, in fact, may not be detected. In addition, third-party information technology providers may not provide us with fixes or updates to hardware or software in a manner as to avoid an unauthorized loss or disclosure or to address a known vulnerability, which may subject us to known threats or downtime as a result of those delays. Accordingly, we and our service providers may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate security barriers or other preventative measures. Further, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to enhance information security measures and internal processes and procedures or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities.

A data security incident could compromise our or our service providers’ information technology systems, and the information stored by us or our service providers, including personally identifiable information of residents, prospective residents and employees, could be accessed, misused, publicly disclosed, corrupted, lost or stolen. Any failure to prevent a data breach or a security failure of our or our service providers’ information technology systems could interrupt our operations, result in downtime, divert our planned efforts and resources from other projects, damage our reputation and brand, damage our competitive position, make it difficult for us to attract and retain residents, subject us to liability claims or regulatory penalties and could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. Similarly, if our service providers fail to use adequate security or data protection processes, or use personal data in an unpermitted or improper manner, we may be liable for certain losses and it may damage our reputation.

Compliance or failure to comply with laws and regulations could have an adverse effect on our operations and the values of our properties.

We must own, operate, manage, acquire, develop and redevelop our properties in compliance with numerous federal, state and local laws and regulations, some of which may conflict with one another or are subject to limited judicial or regulatory interpretations. These laws and regulations include landlord-tenant laws, employment laws, laws benefitting disabled persons, antitrust and other competition laws, privacy laws, tax laws, environmental laws, zoning laws, building codes and other laws regulating housing or that are generally applicable to our business and operations. Noncompliance with laws and regulations could expose us to liability, such as the imposition of fines by the government or the award of damages to private litigants, and could require us to make significant unanticipated expenditures, such as making modifications to our existing apartment communities or increasing construction costs for development communities.

As our industry becomes increasingly regulated, we do not know whether the legal requirements we are subject to will change or whether new requirements will be imposed. For example, there are legislative efforts underway at the local, state and federal levels related to tenant screening limitations, affordable housing mandates, increased eviction notice periods, mandatory alternative dispute resolution and access to legal counsel for unrepresented tenants. Likewise, we have seen an increase in governments implementing, considering or being urged by tenant advocacy groups to consider rent control or rent stabilization laws and regulations and other tenants’ rights laws and regulations. New or changed legal requirements implemented in the markets in which we operate could require us to make significant unanticipated expenditures and limit our ability to recover increases in operating expenses, impose limitations on our ability to charge market rents, increase rents or charge certain fees, impose limitations on our ability to enforce remedies for the failure to pay rent or otherwise adversely impact our operations. Therefore, any such new or changed legal requirements could have a significant adverse impact on our results of operations and the value of our properties.

Legal proceedings that we become involved in from time to time could adversely affect our business.

As an owner, operator and developer of multifamily apartment communities, we may become involved in various legal proceedings, including, proceedings related to commercial, development, employment, competition, environmental, securities, shareholder, tenant or tort legal issues, some of which could result in a class action lawsuit. As described in more detail in Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we are currently a defendant, among other companies, in lawsuits filed by plaintiffs individually and on behalf of a purported class of plaintiffs alleging that RealPage, Inc. and lessors of multifamily residential real estate, including us, conspired to artificially inflate the prices of multifamily residential real estate above competitive levels.

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Legal proceedings, if decided adversely to or settled by us, and not covered by insurance, could result in liability material to our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Likewise, regardless of outcome, legal proceedings could result in substantial costs and expenses, result in operational changes in our business, affect the availability or cost of some of our insurance coverage and significantly divert the attention of our management. There can be no assurance that we will be able to prevail in, or achieve a favorable settlement of, any pending or future legal proceedings to which we become subject. In addition, other multifamily apartment owners could become involved in legal proceedings, the outcome of which could affect the way we conduct our business.

Extreme weather or natural disasters may cause significant damage to our properties.

Many of our apartment communities are located in areas that may be subject to extreme weather and natural disasters, such as floods, tornados, hurricanes and earthquakes, the likelihood or frequency of which events could increase in part based on the impact of climate change. Such events may cause significant damage to our properties, disrupt our operations, and adversely impact our residents and rental revenue. There can be no assurances that such conditions will not have a material adverse effect on our properties, operations or business.

We may incur losses that are not covered by our insurance.

We have a comprehensive insurance program covering our properties and operations with limits of liability, deductibles and self-insured retentions that we negotiated with our insurance carriers. While we believe the terms and insured limits of these policies are appropriate for our business, there are certain types of losses, generally of a catastrophic nature, such as losses due to environmental matters, extreme weather or natural disasters, that are uninsurable or not economically insurable, or that may be insured subject to limitations, and therefore may be uninsured. We exercise our discretion in determining amounts, coverage limits, deductibles and self-insured retention provisions of our insurance, with a view to maintaining what we believe is appropriate insurance at a reasonable cost and on suitable terms.

Despite our insurance coverage, we may incur material losses due to uninsured risks, deductibles, self-insured retentions and/or losses in excess of coverage limits. In the event of a substantial loss, our insurance coverage may not be sufficient to cover the full current market value or current replacement cost of our lost investment or any settlement, fine or judgment against us resulting from legal proceedings. Inflation, changes in building codes and ordinances, environmental considerations and other factors also might make it infeasible to use insurance proceeds to replace a property after it has been damaged or destroyed. In addition, certain casualties or losses incurred may expose us in the future to higher insurance premiums.

We insure our properties and operations with insurance carriers that we believe have a good rating at the time our policies are put into effect. However, the financial condition of one or more of our insurance carriers may be negatively impacted, which would result in their inability to cover the full amount of any insured losses for which we submit a claim. Any such inability to pay future claims could have an adverse impact on our operating results. In addition, the failure, or exit or partial exit from an insurance market, of one or more insurance carriers may adversely affect our ability to obtain insurance in the amounts that we seek, increase our costs to renew or replace our insurance policies, or cause us to self-insure a greater portion of the risk.

Our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially adversely affected by factors relating to disease outbreaks and other public health events.

The U.S. has experienced, and may experience in the future, outbreaks of contagious diseases that affect public health and public perception of health risk. Our rental revenues and operating results depend significantly on the occupancy levels at our properties and the ability of our residents and commercial tenants to meet their rent obligations to us, which could be adversely affected by such disease outbreak or other public health events. For example, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, extraordinary actions were taken by federal, state and local governmental authorities to combat the spread of COVID-19, including issuance of “stay-at-home” directives and similar mandates for many individuals to substantially restrict daily activities and for many businesses to curtail or cease normal operations. These measures, while intended to protect human life, led to significantly reduced economic activity and a surge in unemployment throughout the U.S., including the markets where our properties are located, and they materially affected our ability to lease our properties and collect rental revenues.

The impact of a disease outbreak or other public health event on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows is difficult to predict and, as was demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic, will depend on a number of factors, including:

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the duration and scope of the event in the U.S.;

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our residents’ and commercial tenants’ ability or willingness to pay rent in full on a timely basis;

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federal, state, local and industry-initiated efforts that may adversely affect the ability of landlords, including us, to collect rent and customary fees, adjust rental rates and enforce remedies for the failure to pay rent, such as the various orders that were issued by governmental authorities and public officials during the COVID-19 pandemic to temporarily halt residential evictions;

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the regulatory focus on landlords as distinguished from other providers of essential services;

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our ability to renew leases or relet units on favorable terms, or at all, including as a result of unfavorable economic and market conditions in those markets where our properties are located;

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our ability to lease or relet units due to social distancing or other restrictions that may frustrate our leasing activities;

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our ability to successfully complete the lease-up of properties in our lease-up portfolio and attain expected rental and occupancy rates due to social distancing or other restrictions that may frustrate our leasing activities, which, for example, led us to temporarily close property amenities and temporarily prohibit public access in our property leasing offices during the COVID-19 pandemic;

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our ability to continue our apartment unit redevelopment programs and attain increased rental rates for renovated or upgraded units due to social distancing or other restrictions, which, for example, caused us to temporarily suspend our apartment unit redevelopment activities during the COVID-19 pandemic;

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our ability to complete the construction of properties in our development portfolio on schedule and on budget due to social distancing or other restrictions, labor shortages, supply chain disruptions and escalating labor and material costs;

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the impact of supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressures on our normal business operations, including repair and maintenance work and unit renovations and upgrades;

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disruption and instability in the financial markets, which experienced significant volatility during the COVID-19 pandemic, or deteriorations in credit and financing conditions (or a refusal or failure of one or more lenders under our unsecured revolving credit facility to fund their respective financing commitment to us), which could affect our ability to access capital necessary to fund our business operations or refinance maturing debt on a timely basis, on attractive terms, or at all, which would adversely affect our ability to meet liquidity and capital expenditure requirements;

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stock market volatility that negatively affects the market price of our securities, including market conditions unrelated to our operating performance or prospects;

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the impact on our workforce of any vaccine mandate implemented by governmental authorities, which could result in employee attrition; and

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our ability to manage our business to the extent our management or other personnel are impacted in significant numbers and are not willing, available or allowed to conduct work.

To the extent a disease outbreak or other public health event adversely affects our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risk described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Acts of violence could decrease the value of our assets and could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Our apartment communities could directly or indirectly be the location or target of actual or threatened terrorist attacks, crimes, shootings or other acts of violence, the occurrence of which could impact the value of our communities through damage, destruction, loss or increased security costs, as well as result in operational losses due to reduced rental demand, and the availability of insurance may be limited or may be subject to substantial costs. If such an incident were to occur at one of our apartment communities, we may also become subject to significant liability claims. In addition, the adverse effects that actual or threatened terrorist attacks could have on national economic conditions, as well as economic conditions in the markets in which we operate, could similarly have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

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Risks Related to Our Indebtedness and Financing Activities

Our substantial indebtedness could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

As of December 31, 2023, the amount of our total debt was $4.5 billion. We may incur additional indebtedness in the future in connection with, among other things, our acquisition, development and operating activities.

The degree of our leverage creates significant risks, including that:

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we may be required to dedicate a substantial portion of our funds from operations to servicing our debt and our cash flow may be insufficient to make required payments of principal and interest;

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debt service obligations will reduce funds available for distribution and funds available for acquisitions, development and redevelopment;

•

we may be more vulnerable to economic and industry downturns than our competitors that have less debt;

•

we may be limited in our ability to respond to changing business and economic conditions;

•

we may default on our indebtedness, which could result in acceleration of those obligations, assignment of rents and leases and loss of properties to foreclosure; and

•

if one of our subsidiaries defaults, it could trigger a cross default or cross acceleration provision under other indebtedness, which could cause an immediate default or could allow the lenders to declare all funds borrowed thereunder to be due and payable.

If any one of these events was to occur, our financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

We may be unable to renew, repay or refinance our outstanding debt, which could negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations.

We are subject to the normal risks associated with debt financing, including the risk that our cash flow will be insufficient to meet required payments of principal and interest, the risk that either secured or unsecured indebtedness will not be able to be renewed, repaid or refinanced when due or that the terms of any renewal or refinancing will not be as favorable as the existing terms of such indebtedness. If we are unable to refinance our indebtedness on acceptable terms, if at all, we might be forced to dispose of one or more of our apartment communities on disadvantageous terms, which might result in losses to us. Such losses could have a material adverse effect on us and our ability to make payments on our debt and to make distributions. Furthermore, if a property is mortgaged to secure payment of indebtedness and we are unable to meet mortgage payments, the mortgagee could foreclose upon the property, appoint a receiver and receive an assignment of rents and leases or pursue other remedies, all with a consequent loss of our revenues and asset value. Foreclosures could also create taxable income without accompanying cash proceeds, thereby hindering our ability to meet the REIT distribution requirements of the Code.

Rising interest rates could adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows.

We have incurred and expect in the future to incur indebtedness that bears interest at variable rates. Interest rates increased significantly in 2022 and 2023. To the extent the current high interest rate environment continues or interest rates increase further, we could experience higher interest expense on our variable-rate debt or increase interest rates when refinancing maturing fixed-rate debt, which could have a material adverse effect on us and our ability to make payments on our debt and to make distributions or cause us to be in default under certain debt instruments. In addition, the current high interest rate environment, or any further increase in interest rates, may lead holders of shares of our common stock to demand a higher yield on their shares from distributions by us, which could adversely affect the market price for our common stock. Any increase in the federal funds rate due to key economic indicators, such as the unemployment rate or inflation, may cause interest rates and borrowing costs to rise, which may negatively impact our ability to access the debt markets on favorable terms. Any continued adverse economic conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may incur additional debt in the future, which may adversely impact our financial condition.

We currently fund the acquisition and development of apartment communities partially through borrowings (including our commercial paper program and revolving credit facility) as well as from other sources such as sales of apartment communities which no longer meet our investment criteria. In addition, we may fund other of our capital requirements through debt. Our organizational documents do not contain any limitation on the amount of indebtedness that we may incur, and we may incur more debt in the future. Accordingly, subject to limitations on indebtedness set forth in various loan agreements and the indentures governing our unsecured senior notes, we could become more highly leveraged, resulting in an increase in debt service and an increased risk of default on our obligations, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, our ability to access debt and equity capital markets in the future and our ability to make payments on our debt and to make distributions.

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The restrictive terms of certain of our indebtedness may cause acceleration of debt payments.

As of December 31, 2023, we had outstanding borrowings of $4.5 billion. Our indebtedness contains financial covenants as to interest coverage ratios, maximum secured debt, maintenance of unencumbered asset value, and total debt to gross assets, among others, and cross default provisions with other material debt. Our ability to comply with these financial covenants may be affected by changes in our operating and financial performance, changes in general business and economic conditions, adverse regulatory developments or other events adversely impacting us. In the event that an event of default occurs, our lenders may declare borrowings under the respective loan agreements to be due and payable immediately, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and our ability to make payments on our debt and to make distributions.

A downgrade in our credit ratings could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We have a significant amount of unsecured debt outstanding. We are currently assigned corporate credit ratings from each of the three ratings agencies based on their evaluation of our creditworthiness. These ratings are based on a number of factors, which include their assessment of our financial strength, liquidity, capital structure, asset quality and sustainability of cash flows and earnings. If our credit ratings are downgraded or other negative action is taken, we could be required to pay additional interest and fees on our outstanding borrowings. In addition, a downgrade may adversely impact our ability to borrow secured and unsecured debt, increase our borrowing costs and otherwise limit our access to capital, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Financing may not be available and could be dilutive.

Our capital requirements depend on numerous factors, including the occupancy and turnover rates of our apartment communities, development and capital expenditures, costs of operations and potential acquisitions. We cannot accurately predict the timing and amount of our capital requirements. If our capital requirements vary materially from our plans, we may require additional financing sooner than anticipated.

We and other companies in the real estate industry have experienced limited availability of financing from time to time. Dislocations and liquidity disruptions in capital and credit markets could impact liquidity in the debt markets, which could result in financing terms that are less attractive to us and/or the unavailability of certain types of debt financing. Likewise, disruptions could impede the ability of our counterparties to perform on their contractual obligations. Should the capital and credit markets experience volatility and the availability of funds again becomes limited, or be available only on unattractive terms, we will incur increased costs associated with issuing debt instruments. In addition, it is possible that our ability to access the capital and credit markets may be limited or precluded by these or other factors at a time when we would like, or need, to do so, which would adversely impact our ability to refinance maturing debt and/or react to changing economic and business conditions. Uncertainty in the credit markets could negatively impact our ability to make acquisitions and make it more difficult or not possible for us to sell properties or may adversely affect the price we receive for properties that we do sell, as prospective buyers may experience increased costs of debt financing or difficulties in obtaining debt financing. Potential continued disruptions in the financial markets could also have other unknown adverse effects on us or the economy generally and may cause the price of our securities to fluctuate significantly and/or to decline. If we issue additional equity securities to obtain additional capital, the interest of our existing shareholders could be diluted.

Risks Related to MAA’s Organization and Ownership of Its Stock

MAA’s ownership limit restricts the transferability of its capital stock.

MAA’s charter limits ownership of its capital stock by any single shareholder to 9.9% of the value of all outstanding shares of its capital stock, both common and preferred, unless approved by its Board of Directors. The charter also prohibits anyone from buying shares if the purchase would result in it losing REIT status. This could happen if a share transaction results in fewer than 100 persons owning all of its shares or in five or fewer persons, applying certain broad attribution rules of the Code, owning 50% or more of its shares. If an investor acquires shares in excess of the ownership limit or in violation of the ownership requirements of the Code for REITs, MAA:

•

will consider the transfer to be null and void;

•

will not reflect the transaction on its books;

•

may institute legal action to enjoin the transaction;

•

will not pay dividends or other distributions with respect to those shares;

•

will not recognize any voting rights for those shares;

•

will consider the shares held in trust for its benefit; and

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•

will either direct the holder to sell the shares and turn over any profit to MAA, or MAA will redeem the shares. If MAA redeems the shares, the holder will be paid a price equal to the lesser of:

o

the principal price paid for the shares by the holder,

o

a price per share equal to the market price (as determined in the manner set forth in MAA’s charter) of the applicable capital stock,

o

the market price (as so determined) on the date such holder would, but for the restrictions on transfers set forth in MAA’s charter, be deemed to have acquired ownership of the shares, and

o

the maximum price allowed under the Tennessee Greenmail Act (such price being the average of the highest and lowest closing market price for the shares during the 30 trading days preceding the purchase of such shares or, if the holder of such shares has commenced a tender offer or has announced an intention to seek control of MAA, during the 30 trading days preceding the commencement of such tender offer or the making of such announcement).

The redemption price may be paid, at MAA’s option, by delivering one OP Unit (subject to adjustment from time to time in the event of, among other things, stock splits, stock dividends or recapitalizations affecting its common stock or certain mergers, consolidations or asset transfers by MAA) issued by the Operating Partnership for each excess share being redeemed.

If an investor acquires shares in violation of the limits on ownership described above, the holder may:

•

lose its power to dispose of the shares;

•

not recognize profit from the sale of such shares if the market price of the shares increases; and

•

be required to recognize a loss from the sale of such shares if the market price decreases.

Future offerings of debt or equity securities, which may rank senior to MAA’s stock, may adversely affect the market price of MAA’s stock.

If we decide to issue additional debt securities in the future, which would rank senior to MAA’s common stock, it is likely that they will be governed by an indenture or other instrument containing covenants restricting our operating flexibility. Additionally, any equity securities or convertible or exchangeable securities that we issue in the future may have rights, preferences and privileges more favorable than those of MAA’s common stock and may result in dilution to owners of MAA’s common stock. We and, indirectly, MAA’s shareholders, will bear the cost of issuing and servicing such securities. Because our decision to issue debt or equity securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of any future offerings. Thus, holders of MAA’s common stock will bear the risk of our future offerings reducing the market price of MAA’s common stock and diluting the value of their stock holdings.

The form, timing and amount of dividend distributions in future periods may vary and be impacted by economic and other considerations.

Though MAA’s Board of Directors has a history of declaring dividends in advance of the quarter they are paid, the form, timing and amount of dividend distributions will be declared, and standing practice changed, at the discretion of the Board of Directors. The form, timing and amount of dividend distributions will depend on actual cash from operations, our financial condition, capital requirements, the annual distribution requirements under the REIT provisions of the Code and other factors as MAA’s Board of Directors may consider relevant. MAA’s Board of Directors may modify our dividend policy from time to time.

Provisions of MAA’s charter and Tennessee law may limit the ability of a third party to acquire control of MAA.

Ownership Limit

The 9.9% ownership limit discussed above may have the effect of precluding acquisition of control of MAA by a third party without the consent of MAA’s Board of Directors.

Preferred Stock

MAA’s charter authorizes its Board of Directors to issue up to 20,000,000 shares of preferred stock, 868,000 of which have been designated as 8.50% Series I Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, which we refer to as MAA Series I preferred stock. In addition to the MAA Series I preferred stock, the Board of Directors may establish the preferences and rights of any other series of preferred shares issued. The issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of delaying or preventing someone from taking control of MAA, even if a change in control were in MAA shareholders’ best interests. As of December 31, 2023, 867,846 shares of preferred stock were issued and outstanding, all of which shares were MAA Series I preferred stock.

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Tennessee Anti-Takeover Statutes

As a Tennessee corporation, MAA is subject to various legislative acts, which impose restrictions on and require compliance with procedures designed to protect shareholders against unfair or coercive mergers and acquisitions. These statutes may delay or prevent offers to acquire MAA and increase the difficulty of consummating any such offers, even if MAA’s acquisition would be in MAA shareholders’ best interests.

Third-party expectations relating to environmental, social and governance factors may impose additional costs and expose us to new risks.

We have a significant institutional investor base, and there is a heightened focus from institutional investors and other stakeholders on corporate responsibility, specifically related to environmental, social and governance, or ESG, factors. Some institutional investors may use these factors to guide their investment strategies, and many institutional investors focus on positive ESG business practices and may consider a company’s ESG score when making an investment decision. In addition, many institutional investors may use ESG scores to benchmark companies against their peers. Third-party providers of corporate responsibility ratings and reports on companies have increased in number, resulting in varied and in some cases inconsistent standards. In addition, the criteria by which companies’ ESG practices are assessed are evolving and inconsistent, which could result in greater expectations of us and cause us to undertake costly initiatives to satisfy any new or contradictory criteria. Alternatively, if we elect not to or are unable to satisfy new criteria or do not meet the criteria of a specific third-party provider, some investors may conclude that our ESG business practices are inadequate. We may face reputational damage in the event that our corporate responsibility standards do not meet the standards set by various stakeholders. In addition, in the event that we communicate certain ESG initiatives and goals, we could fail, or be perceived to have failed, in our achievement of our initiatives or goals, or we could be criticized for the scope of our initiatives or goals or the achievement of our initiatives or goals may be costly. If we fail to satisfy the ESG expectations of investors and other stakeholders or our initiatives are not executed as planned, our reputation and financial results and the market price of MAA’s common stock could be adversely affected.

Market interest rates may have an adverse effect on the market value of MAA’s common stock.

The market price of shares of common stock of a REIT may be affected by the distribution rate on those shares, as a percentage of the price of the shares, relative to market interest rates. If market interest rates increase, prospective purchasers of MAA’s common stock may expect a higher annual distribution rate. Higher interest rates would not, however, result in more funds for MAA to distribute and, in fact, would likely increase MAA’s future borrowing costs and potentially decrease funds available for distribution. This could cause the market price of MAA’s common stock to go down.

Changes in market conditions or a failure to meet the market’s expectations with regard to our results of operations and cash distributions could adversely affect the market price of MAA’s common stock.

We believe that the market value of a REIT’s equity securities is based primarily upon the market’s perception of the REIT’s growth potential and its current and potential future cash distributions, and is secondarily based upon the real estate market value of the underlying assets. For that reason, MAA’s common stock may trade at prices that are higher or lower than the net asset value per share. To the extent we retain operating cash flow for investment purposes, working capital reserves or other purposes, these retained funds, while increasing the value of our underlying assets, may not correspondingly increase the market price of MAA’s common stock. In addition, we are subject to the risk that our cash flow will be insufficient to pay distributions to MAA’s shareholders. Our failure to meet the market’s expectations with regard to future earnings and cash distributions would likely adversely affect the market price of MAA’s common stock.

The stock markets, including the NYSE, on which MAA lists its common stock, have, at times, experienced significant price and volume fluctuations. As a result, the market price of MAA’s common stock could be similarly volatile, and investors in MAA’s common stock may experience a decrease in the value of their shares, including decreases unrelated to our operating performance or prospects. The market price of MAA’s publicly traded securities may be affected by many factors, including:

•

our financial condition and operating performance and the performance of other similar companies;

•

actual or anticipated differences in our quarterly and annual operating results;

•

changes in our revenues or earnings estimates or recommendations by securities analysts;

•

publication of research reports about us or our industry by securities analysts;

•

additions and departures of key personnel;

•

inability to access the capital markets;

•

strategic decisions by us or our competitors, such as acquisitions, dispositions, spin-offs, joint ventures, strategic investments or changes in business strategy;

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•

the issuance of additional shares of MAA’s common stock, or the perception that such sales may occur, including under a forward sale agreement and MAA’s at-the-market share offering program, or ATM program;

•

the reputation of REITs generally and the reputation of REITs with portfolios similar to ours;

•

the attractiveness of the securities of REITs in comparison to securities issued by other entities (including securities issued by other real estate companies);

•

an increase in market interest rates, which may lead prospective investors to demand a higher distribution rate in relation to the price paid for MAA’s common stock;

•

the passage of legislation or other regulatory developments that adversely affect us or our industry;

•

speculation in the press or investment community;

•

actions by institutional shareholders or hedge funds;

•

the issuance of ratings, reports and scores related to our corporate responsibility and ESG reports and disclosures;

•

changes in accounting principles;

•

terrorist acts; and

•

general market conditions, including factors unrelated to our performance.

In the past, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against companies following periods of volatility in their stock price. This type of litigation could result in substantial costs and divert our management’s attention and resources.

Risks Related to the Operating Partnership’s Organization and Ownership of OP Units

The Operating Partnership’s existing unitholders have limited approval rights, which may prevent the Operating Partnership’s sole general partner, MAA, from completing a change of control transaction that may be in the best interests of all unitholders of the Operating Partnership and all shareholders of MAA.

MAA may not engage in a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Operating Partnership, dissolve the Operating Partnership or, upon the occurrence of certain triggering events, take any action that would result in any unitholder realizing taxable gain, without the approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding OP Units held by holders other than MAA or its affiliates, or Class A OP Units. The right of the holders of our Class A OP Units to vote on these transactions could limit MAA’s ability to complete a change of control transaction that might otherwise be in the best interest of all unitholders of the Operating Partnership and all shareholders of MAA.

In certain circumstances, certain of the Operating Partnership’s unitholders must approve the Operating Partnership’s sale of certain properties contributed by the unitholders.

In certain circumstances, as detailed in the limited partnership agreement of the Operating Partnership, the Operating Partnership may not sell or otherwise transfer certain properties unless a specified percentage of the limited partners who were partners in the limited partnership holding such properties at the time of its acquisition by us approves such sale or transfer. The exercise of these approval rights by the Operating Partnership’s unitholders could delay or prevent the Operating Partnership from completing a transaction that may be in the best interest of all unitholders of the Operating Partnership and all shareholders of MAA.

MAA, its officers and directors have substantial influence over the Operating Partnership’s affairs.

MAA, as the Operating Partnership’s sole general partner and acting through its officers and directors, has a substantial influence on the Operating Partnership’s affairs. MAA, its officers and directors could exercise their influence in a manner that is not in the best interest of the unitholders of the Operating Partnership. Also, as of December 31, 2023, MAA owned approximately 97.4% of the OP Units. As such, MAA has substantial influence on the outcome of substantially all matters submitted to the Operating Partnership’s unitholders for approval.

Insufficient cash flow from operations or a decline in the market price of MAA’s common stock may reduce the amount of cash available to the Operating Partnership to meet its obligations.

The Operating Partnership is subject to the risk that its cash flow will be insufficient to make payments on its debt and to make distributions to its unitholders, which may cause MAA to not have the funds to make distributions to its shareholders. MAA’s failure to meet the market’s expectations with regard to future results of operations and cash distributions would likely adversely affect the market price of its shares and thus potentially reduce MAA’s ability to contribute funds from issuances down to the Operating Partnership, resulting in a lower level of cash available for investment, to make payments on its debt or to make distributions to its unitholders.

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Risks Related to Tax Laws

Failure to qualify as a REIT would cause us to be taxed as a corporation, which would significantly reduce funds available for distribution to shareholders.

If MAA fails to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, MAA will be subject to federal income tax on its taxable income at regular corporate rates without the benefit of the dividends paid deduction applicable to REITs. In addition, unless MAA is entitled to relief under applicable statutory provisions, MAA would be ineligible to make an election for treatment as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year in which it loses its qualification. The additional tax liability resulting from the failure to qualify as a REIT would significantly reduce or eliminate the amount of funds available for distribution to MAA’s shareholders. MAA’s failure to qualify as a REIT also could impair its ability to expand its business and raise capital, and would adversely affect the value of MAA’s common stock.

MAA believes that it is organized and qualified as a REIT, and MAA intends to operate in a manner that will allow it to continue to qualify as a REIT. MAA cannot assure, however, that it is qualified or will remain qualified as a REIT. This is because qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex provisions of the Code for which there are only limited judicial and administrative interpretations and involves the determination of a variety of factual matters and circumstances not entirely within MAA’s control. In addition, future legislation, new regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions may significantly change the tax laws or the application of the tax laws with respect to qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes or the federal income tax consequences of qualification as a REIT. Even if MAA qualifies as a REIT, MAA will be subject to various federal, state and local taxes, including property taxes and income taxes on taxable income that MAA does not timely distribute to its shareholders. In addition, MAA may hold certain assets and engage in certain activities that a REIT could not engage in directly through its taxable REIT subsidiaries, or TRS, and those TRS will be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates on their taxable income without the benefit of the dividends paid deduction applicable to REITs.

Furthermore, we have a subsidiary that has elected to be treated as a REIT, and if our subsidiary REIT were to fail to qualify as a REIT, it is possible that we also would fail to qualify as a REIT unless we (or the subsidiary REIT) could qualify for certain relief provisions. The qualification of our subsidiary REIT as a REIT will depend on satisfaction, on an annual or quarterly basis, of numerous requirements set forth in highly technical and complex provisions of the Code for which there are only limited judicial or administrative interpretations. A determination as to whether such requirements are satisfied involves various factual matters and circumstances not entirely within our control. The fact that we hold substantially all of our assets through the Operating Partnership and its subsidiaries further complicates the application of the REIT requirements for us. No assurance can be given that our subsidiary REIT will qualify as a REIT for any particular year.

If any REIT previously acquired by us failed to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we would incur adverse tax consequences and our financial condition and results of operations would be materially adversely affected.

In the past, we have acquired companies that operated in a manner intended to allow them to qualify as REITs for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If any such REIT previously acquired by MAA, referred to as a Merged REIT, is determined to have lost its REIT status at any time prior to its merger with MAA, MAA would be subject to serious adverse tax consequences, including:

•

MAA would be required to pay U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate rates on the taxable income of such Merged REIT without the benefit of the dividends paid deduction for the taxable years that the Merged REIT did not qualify as a REIT and for which the statute of limitations period remains open; and

•

MAA would be required to pay any federal alternative minimum tax liability of the Merged REIT and any applicable state and local tax liability, in each case, for all taxable years that remain open under the applicable statute of limitations periods.

MAA is liable for any tax liability of a Merged REIT with respect to any periods prior to the merger of such Merged REIT with MAA. If a Merged REIT failed to qualify as a REIT, then in the event of a taxable disposition by MAA of an asset previously held by the Merged REIT during a specified period of up to five years following the merger of the Merged REIT with MAA, MAA will be subject to corporate income tax with respect to any built-in gain inherent in such asset as of the date of such merger. In addition, unless an applicable statutory relief provision applies, if a Merged REIT failed to qualify as a REIT for a taxable year, then the Merged REIT would not have been entitled to re-elect to be taxed as a REIT until the fifth taxable year following the year during which it was disqualified. Furthermore, if both MAA and a Merged REIT were “investment companies” under the “investment company” rules set forth in Section 368 of the Code at the time of the merger of MAA and such Merged REIT, the failure of MAA or such Merged REIT to have qualified as a REIT at the time of their merger could result in such merger being treated as taxable for federal income tax purposes. As a result of all these factors, the failure by a Merged REIT to have qualified as a REIT could jeopardize MAA’s qualification as a REIT and require the Operating Partnership to provide material amounts of cash to MAA to satisfy MAA’s additional tax liabilities and, therefore, could have a material adverse effect on MAA’s business prospects, financial condition or results of operations and on MAA’s ability to make payments on our debt and to make distributions.

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The Operating Partnership may fail to be treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes.

We believe that the Operating Partnership qualifies, and has so qualified since its formation, as a partnership for federal income tax purposes and not as a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation. No assurance can be provided, however, that the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, will not challenge the treatment of the Operating Partnership as a partnership for federal income tax purposes or that a court would not sustain such a challenge. If the IRS were successful in treating the Operating Partnership as a corporation for federal income tax purposes, then the taxable income of the Operating Partnership would be taxable at regular corporate income tax rates. In addition, the treatment of the Operating Partnership as a corporation would cause MAA to fail to qualify as a REIT. See “Failure to qualify as a REIT would cause us to be taxed as a corporation, which would significantly reduce funds available for distribution to shareholders” above.

Certain dispositions of property by us may generate prohibited transaction income, resulting in a 100% penalty tax on any gain attributable to the disposition.

Any gain resulting from a transfer of property that we hold as inventory or primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business would be treated for federal income tax purposes as income from a prohibited transaction that is subject to a 100% penalty tax. Since we acquire properties for investment purposes, we do not believe that our occasional transfers or disposals of property would be considered prohibited transactions. Whether property is held for investment purposes is a question of fact that depends on all the facts and circumstances surrounding the particular transaction. As such, the IRS may contend that certain transfers or disposals of properties by us are prohibited transactions. If the IRS were to argue successfully that a transfer or disposition of property constituted a prohibited transaction, then we would be required to pay a 100% penalty tax on any gain allocable to us from the prohibited transaction. In addition, income from a prohibited transaction might adversely affect our ability to satisfy the income tests for qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. A safe harbor to the characterization of the disposition of property as a prohibited transaction and the resulting imposition of the 100% tax is available; however, we cannot assure that we will be able to comply with such safe harbor in connection with any property dispositions.

Legislative or regulatory income tax changes related to REITs could materially and adversely affect us.

The U.S. federal income tax laws and regulations governing REITs and their shareholders, as well as the administrative interpretations of those laws and regulations, are constantly under review and may be changed at any time, possibly with retroactive effect. No assurance can be given as to whether, when, or in what form changes to the U.S. federal income tax laws applicable to us and MAA’s shareholders may be enacted. Changes to the U.S. federal income tax laws and interpretations of U.S. federal tax laws could adversely affect an investment in MAA’s stock.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

None.

Item 1C. Cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity Risk Management Program

We recognize the importance of maintaining the integrity of our information systems and safeguarding the confidential business and personal information we receive and store about our residents, prospective residents, employees and suppliers. As such, we have implemented a cybersecurity risk management program designed to assess, identify and manage material risks from cybersecurity threats. Our cybersecurity risk management program is designed to employ what we believe are industry best practices, including monitoring and analysis of the threat environment, vulnerability assessments and third-party cybersecurity risks; detecting and responding to cyber attacks, cybersecurity incidents and data breaches; cybersecurity crisis preparedness, incident response plans, and business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities; and investments in cybersecurity infrastructure and program needs. Key processes in our program include:

•

regular cybersecurity training and testing for employees with company email and access to connected devices;

•

continuous security event monitoring, management and incident response;

•

regular testing of incident response procedures;

•

regular internal reporting;

•

regular consulting with external advisors and specialists regarding opportunities and enhancements to strengthen our cyber practices and policies and enhance our cybersecurity maturity;

•

independent third-party testing of our information technology controls and defenses, including penetration tests;

•

independent third-party audits of our cybersecurity controls; and

•

annual independent third-party reviews of program maturity based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) cybersecurity framework.

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In addition, as part of our cybersecurity risk management program, we have processes designed to oversee and identify material risks from cybersecurity threats associated with our use of third-party service providers, and our cybersecurity risk management program takes into account third-party systems through which we could be impacted by the compromise of the security of a third-party service provider. In this regard, we conduct due diligence on third-party service providers with respect to cybersecurity risks prior to entering into relationships with them, and we regularly assess security risks associated with our use of third-party service providers, including onboarding contract employees through the same process we onboard our own employees. In addition, we contractually require third-party service providers to promptly notify us of any actual or suspected breach impacting our data or operations, and we continuously track mission critical vendors using a third-party monitoring service.

We maintain a cyber insurance policy, we periodically meet with our insurer to discuss emerging trends in cybersecurity and we utilize self-assessment tools and other services provided by our insurance broker and insurer, including annual tabletop exercises conducted by cybersecurity experts.

Our cybersecurity risk management program is integrated into our overall risk management system. To help identify, assess and manage material risks from cybersecurity threats, we include cyber risk in our enterprise risk management, or ERM, evaluation and strategy process. Our ERM process takes a top-down, enterprise view of risks; it is an ongoing process consisting of risk identification, risk rating, analysis and action plans, and reporting and monitoring. Our Vice President Cyber Security has a dotted line reporting relationship to our Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel to help ensure that risks from cybersecurity threats are considered as part of the broader ERM process. At a management level, our Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel leads our ERM process.

We do not believe that any risks from cybersecurity threats of which we are aware, including as a result of any previous cybersecurity incidents, have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect us, including our business strategy, results of operations or financial condition. For information regarding the risks we face associated with cybersecurity incidents, see “Risk Factors – We rely on information technology systems in our operations, and any breach or security failure of those systems could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and reputation” included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Governance

The Audit Committee of our Board of Directors is responsible for oversight of risks from cybersecurity threats. At a management level, our cybersecurity risk management program is led by our Chief Technology and Innovation Officer who has over 20 years experience providing business and information technology, or IT, process consulting and regulatory compliance services, including founding a cyber-security consulting and regulatory compliance firm, and whose certifications include Big 4 SOX Global Subject Matter Specialist, Certified Public Accountant and Certified Information Systems Auditor. Partnering with our Chief Technology and Innovations Officer is our Vice President Cyber Security, who has over 30 years of IT technical and IT business process experience, has been an IT and cyber security leader for multiple financial services companies and has certifications including training in Ethical Hacking, serving as the local IT Sector Chief for the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s, or FBI, InfraGard Program, FBI Secret Clearance for all IT related incidents/cybersecurity initiatives, and FBI Citizens Academy Alumni. Collectively, our cybersecurity team consists of 11 professionals with an average cybersecurity tenure of 17 years and certifications including CISSP, AWS Trainer, AWS Architect, Okta administrator, Splunk administrator, CCNP and CCDA, Microsoft Security, Compliance and Identity, Azure CompTIA Security+ and Splunk, information systems auditor, Red Hat Enterprise Linux certification, among other degrees, certifications and work-related experience. Members of our cybersecurity team deliver regular updates to our Chief Technology and Innovation Officer and Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel.

The Audit Committee of our Board of Directors receives regular reports, including an annual cybersecurity maturity assessment and quarterly scorecards, from our Chief Technology and Innovation Officer. Those reports cover topics related to information security, privacy, and cyber risks and our risk management processes, including the status of any recent cybersecurity events, the emerging threat landscape, and the status of capital investments in our information security infrastructure. The Audit Committee provides regular reports to the full Board of Directors. In addition, the Audit Committee and the full Board of Directors have authority to engage external consultants, including legal, accounting or other advisors, such as cybersecurity firms, in carrying out its oversight of our cybersecurity risk management program. Likewise, the Audit Committee or the Board of Directors may request members of management or others to attend meetings at which cybersecurity risk management is addressed.

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As part of our cybersecurity risk management program, we have adopted an incident response plan which provides for controls and procedures upon the occurrence of a cybersecurity event. In connection with that plan, we have established a cross-functional critical response team, comprised of members of management under the direction of our Chief Technology and Innovation Officer and Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel, which is responsible for monitoring our cybersecurity incident response. In addition, this critical response team performs an impact assessment in the event of the occurrence of a cybersecurity event meeting certain criteria, which is elevated for the team’s review and, if any such cybersecurity event is determined by the critical response team to have the potential to have a material impact on the Company, the cybersecurity event is elevated for further review and assessment by a senior management team, which includes all of the members of our standing crises control committee, and, under certain circumstances, the Audit Committee and/or the full Board of Directors.

Cybersecurity risks are part of the broader ERM process overseen by our Board of Directors. ERM risk assessment results are presented annually to the Board of Directors, and status updates are delivered quarterly to the Audit Committee.

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Item 2. Properties.

We own, operate, acquire and selectively develop apartment communities primarily located in the Southeast, Southwest and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. with the potential for above average growth and return on investment. Approximately 70%of our apartment units are located in the Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas markets. Our strategic focus is to provide our residents high quality apartment units in attractive community settings, characterized by upscale amenities, extensive landscaping and attention to aesthetic detail.

The following schedule summarizes our apartment community portfolio and occupancy levels by location, as of December 31, 2023:

Number of Communities (1) Number of Units (2) Average Physical Occupancy (3)

Norfolk / Hampton / Virginia Beach, VA 3 788 95.9 %

Raleigh/Durham, NC 1 — —

(1)

Number of communities includes five communities under development as of December 31, 2023.

(2)

Number of units excludes development units not yet delivered.

(3)

Average physical occupancy is calculated by dividing the average daily number of units occupied in 2023 by the total number of units at each apartment community.

(4)

Includes a completed MAA multifamily apartment community expansion development and a new multifamily apartment community development that has not yet delivered any units.

(5)

Schedule excludes a 269-unit joint venture property in Washington, D.C.

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Thirty-four of our apartment communities reflected in the above schedule also include retail components. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of our Same Store and Non-Same Store and Other segments.

Mortgage Financing

As of December 31, 2023, we had $363.3 million of indebtedness collateralized, secured and outstanding as set forth in Schedule III – Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

As disclosed in Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we are engaged in certain legal proceedings, and the disclosure set forth in Note 11 relating to legal proceedings is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc.

Market Information

MAA’s common stock has been listed and traded on the NYSE under the symbol “MAA” since its initial public offering in February 1994. As of February 6, 2024, there were approximately 2,100 holders of record of the common stock. MAA believes it has a significantly larger number of beneficial owners of its common stock.

MAA has a history of declaring dividends to holders of MAA common stock. The timing and amount of future dividends will depend on actual cash flows from operations, our financial condition, capital requirements, the annual distribution requirements under the REIT provisions of the Code and other factors as MAA’s Board of Directors deems relevant. MAA’s Board of Directors may modify our dividend policy from time to time.

Direct Stock Purchase and Distribution Reinvestment Plan

We have established the dividend and distribution reinvestment stock purchase plan, or DRSPP, under which holders of common stock, preferred stock and OP Units can elect to automatically reinvest their distributions in shares of MAA common stock. The DRSPP also allows for the optional purchase of MAA common stock of at least $250, but not more than $5,000 in any given month. In our absolute discretion, we may grant waivers to allow for optional cash payments in excess of $5,000. To fulfill our obligations under the DRSPP, we may either issue additional shares of common stock or repurchase common stock in the open market. We may elect to sell shares under the DRSPP at up to a 5% discount. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we issued 9,787shares through our DRSPP and no shares were issued at a discount.

Mid-America Apartments, L.P.

Operating Partnership Units

There is no established public trading market for the Operating Partnership’s OP Units. From time to time, we issue shares of MAA’s common stock in exchange for OP Units tendered to the Operating Partnership for redemption in accordance with the provisions of the Operating Partnership’s limited partnership agreement. As of December 31, 2023, there were 119,838,096 OP Units outstanding in the Operating Partnership, of which 116,694,124 OP Units, or 97.4%, were owned by MAA and 3,143,972 OP Units, or 2.6%, were owned by limited partners. Under the terms of the Operating Partnership’s limited partnership agreement, the limited partner holders of OP Units have the right to require the Operating Partnership to redeem all or a portion of the OP Units held by the holder in exchange for one share of MAA common stock per one OP Unit or a cash payment based on the market value of MAA’s common stock at the time of redemption, at the option of MAA. During the year ended December 31, 2023, MAA issued a total of 41,184 shares of common stock upon redemption of OP Units.

At-the-Market Share Offering Program

In November 2021, the Company entered into an equity distribution agreement to establish a new ATM program, replacing MAA’s previous ATM program and allowing MAA to sell shares of its common stock from time to time to or through its sales agents into the existing market at current market prices, and to enter into separate forward sales agreements to or through its forward purchasers. Under the current ATM program, MAA has the authority to issue up to an aggregate of 4.0 million shares of its common stock, at such times to be determined by MAA. MAA has no obligation to issue shares through the ATM program.

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During the year ended December 31, 2023, MAA did not sell any shares of common stock under its ATM program. As of December 31, 2023, there were 4.0 million shares remaining under the current ATM program.

Stock Repurchase Plan

In December 2015, MAA’s Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to 4.0 million shares of MAA common stock, which represented approximately 5.3% of MAA’s common stock outstanding at the time of such authorization. From time to time, we may repurchase shares under this authorization when we believe that shareholder value would be enhanced. Factors affecting this determination include, among others, the share price and expected rates of return. As of December 31, 2023, no shares have been repurchased under the authorization.

Purchases of Equity Securities

The following table reflects repurchases of shares of MAA’s common stock during the three months ended December 31, 2023:

(1)

The shares reflected in this column are shares of MAA’s common stock surrendered by employees to satisfy their statutory minimum federal and state tax obligations associated with the vesting of restricted shares.

(2)

The price per share is based on the closing price of MAA’s common stock as of the date of determination of the statutory minimum for federal and state tax obligations.

(3)

This column reflects the number of shares of MAA’s common stock that are available for purchase under the 4.0 million share repurchase program authorized by MAA’s Board of Directors in December 2015.

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Comparison of Five-year Cumulative Total Returns

The following graph compares the cumulative total returns of the shareholders of MAA since December 31, 2018 with the S&P 500 Index and the Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Apartments Index. The graph assumes that the base share price for our common stock and each index is $100 and that all dividends are reinvested. The performance graph is not necessarily indicative of future investment performance.

Year Ended December 31,

Item 6. [Reserved].

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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

The following discussion analyzes the financial condition and results of operations of both MAA and the Operating Partnership, of which MAA is the sole general partner and in which MAA owned a 97.4% interest as of December 31, 2023. MAA conducts all of its business through the Operating Partnership and its various subsidiaries. This discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Our actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including, but not limited to, those under the heading “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

MAA, an S&P 500 company, is a multifamily-focused, self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust, or REIT. We own, operate, acquire and selectively develop apartment communities primarily located in the Southeast, Southwest and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. As of December 31, 2023, we owned and operated 290 apartment communities (which does not include development communities under construction) through the Operating Partnership and its subsidiaries, and had an ownership interest in one apartment community through an unconsolidated real estate joint venture. In addition, as of December 31, 2023, we had five development communities under construction, and 34 of our apartment communities included retail components. Our apartment communities, including development communities under construction, were located across 16 states and the District of Columbia as of December 31, 2023.

We report in two segments, Same Store and Non-Same Store and Other. Our Same Store segment represents those apartment communities that have been owned and stabilized for at least 12 months as of the first day of the calendar year. Our Non-Same Store and Other segment includes recently acquired communities, communities being developed or in lease-up, communities that have been disposed of or identified for disposition, communities that have incurred a significant casualty loss and stabilized communities that do not meet the requirements to be Same Store communities. Also included in our Non-Same Store and Other segment are non-multifamily activities and storm related expenses related to hurricanes. Additional information regarding the composition of our segments is included in Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Overview

For the year ended December 31, 2023, net income available for MAA common shareholders was $549.1 million as compared to $633.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Results for the year ended December 31, 2023 included $18.5 million of non-cash gain related to the fair value adjustment of the embedded derivative in the MAA Series I preferred shares and $3.5 million of non-cash gain, net of tax, from investments. Results for the year ended December 31, 2022 included $215.6 million of gain related to the sale of real estate assets and $29.9 million in net casualty gain primarily due to winter storm Uri, partially offset by $35.8 million of non-cash loss, net of tax, from investments and $21.1 million of non-cash loss related to the fair value adjustment of the embedded derivative in the MAA Series I preferred shares. Revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased 6.4% as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, driven by a 6.2% increase in our Same Store segment. Property operating expenses, excluding depreciation and amortization, for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased by 6.1% as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, driven by a 6.5% increase in our Same Store segment. The primary drivers of these changes are discussed in the “Results of Operations” section.

Trends

During the year ended December 31, 2023, revenue growth for our Same Store segment continued to be primarily driven by growth in average effective rent per unit. The average effective rent per unit for our Same Store segment continued to increase from the prior year, up 7.0% for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. Average effective rent per unit represents the average of gross rent amounts, after the effect of leasing concessions, for occupied apartment units plus prevalent market rates asked for unoccupied apartment units, divided by the total number of units. Leasing concessions represent discounts to the current market rate. We believe average effective rent per unit is a helpful measurement in evaluating average pricing; however, it does not represent actual rental revenue collected per unit.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, average physical occupancy for our Same Store segment was 95.6%, as compared to 95.8% for the year ended December 31, 2022. Average physical occupancy is a measurement of the total number of our apartment units that are occupied by residents, and it represents the average of the daily physical occupancy for the period.

An important part of our portfolio strategy is to maintain diversity of markets, submarkets, product types and price points in the Southeast, Southwest and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. We have multifamily assets in 39 defined markets, with a presence in approximately 150 submarkets and a mixture of garden-style, mid-rise and high-rise communities. This diversity tends to mitigate exposure to economic issues, including supply and demand factors, in any one geographic market or area. We believe that a well-balanced portfolio, including both urban and suburban locations, with a broad range of monthly rent price points, will perform well in economic up cycles as well as better weather economic down cycles.

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Demand for apartments in our markets was solid during the fourth quarter of 2023, as evidenced by prospect traffic levels and the revenue growth achieved during the quarter. We believe demand for apartments is primarily driven by general economic conditions in our markets and is particularly correlated to job growth, population growth, household formation and in-migration over the long term. While our rent growth, occupancy and turnover trends in the fourth quarter of 2023 were solid, we continue to monitor pressures surrounding housing supply, inflation trends and general economic conditions. A worsening of the current environment could contribute to uncertain rent collections going forward, suppress demand for apartments and could drive lower rent growth on new leases and renewals than what we achieved in the year ended December 31, 2023. Current elevated supply levels are impacting rent growth performance in certain markets of our portfolio. While we expect this pressure to persist for another few quarters, we expect the demand side to continue to be more impactful over the long term. Supply chain and inflationary pressures have driven higher operating expenses during the year ended December 31, 2023, particularly in personnel, repairs and maintenance and real estate taxes, and this trend may continue going forward.

Access to the financial markets remains available for high-credit rated borrowers, such as ourselves. However, overall borrowing costs remain at elevated levels and we expect this trend to continue. As of December 31, 2023, 89.1% of our outstanding debt borrowings was subject to fixed rates. We may be further exposed to elevated interest rates as a result of additional variable rate borrowings or refinancing activities.

Results of Operations

For the year ended December 31, 2023, we achieved net income available for MAA common shareholders of $549.1 million, a 13.4% decrease as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, and total revenue growth of $128.6 million, representing a 6.4% increase in property revenues as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The following discussion describes the primary drivers of the decrease in net income available for MAA common shareholders for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. A discussion of the results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2021 is found in Item 7 of Part II of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on February 14, 2023, which is available free of charge on the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov and on our website at https://www.maac.com, on the “For Investors” page under “Filings and Financials—Annual Reports.”

Property Revenues

The following table reflects our property revenues by segment for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 (dollars in thousands):

The increase in rental revenues for our Same Store segment for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 was the primary driver of total property revenue growth. The Same Store segment generated a 6.2% increase in revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023, primarily the result of average effective rent per unit growth of 7.0% as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, partially offset by lower average physical occupancy. The increase in property revenues from the Non-Same Store and Other segment for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 was primarily the result of increased revenues from completed development communities and acquired communities, partially offset by decreased revenues from disposed communities during the year ended December 31, 2022.

Property Operating Expenses

Property operating expenses include costs for property personnel, building repairs and maintenance, real estate taxes and insurance, utilities, landscaping and other operating expenses. The following table reflects our property operating expenses by segment for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 (dollars in thousands):

The increase in property operating expenses for our Same Store segment for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 was primarily driven by increases in real estate tax expense of $13.6 million, building repairs and maintenance of $8.4 million, personnel expense of $7.9 million, utilities expense of $6.1 million, insurance expense of $3.8 million and office operations expense of $2.5 million.

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Depreciation and Amortization

Depreciation and amortization expense for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $565.1 million, an increase of $22.1 million as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase was primarily driven by the recognition of depreciation expense associated with our completed development communities and capital spend activities made in the normal course of business during the year ended December 31, 2023, partially offset from decreased depreciation expense from disposed communities during the year ended December 31, 2022.

Other Income and Expenses

Property management expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $67.8 million, an increase of $2.3 million as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. General and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $58.6 million, a decrease of $0.3 million as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.

Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $149.2 million, a decrease of $5.5 million as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in our average outstanding debt balance during the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, we did not dispose of any apartment communities. For the year ended December 31, 2022, we disposed of four apartment communities, resulting in a gain on sale of depreciable real estate assets of $214.8 million. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we disposed of one land parcel, resulting in the recognition of a negligible gain on sale of non-depreciable real estate assets. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we disposed of two land parcels resulting in a gain on sale of non-depreciable real estate assets of $0.8 million.

Other non-operating (income) expense for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $31.2 million of income, as compared to $42.7 million of expense for the year ended December 31, 2022. The income for the year ended December 31, 2023 was driven by $18.5 million of non-cash gain related to the fair value adjustment of the embedded derivative in the MAA Series I preferred shares, $4.4 million of non-cash gain from investments, $5.5 million of miscellaneous income and $3.4 million of interest income, partially offset by $1.0 million in net casualty loss. The expense for the year ended December 31, 2022 was driven by $45.4 million of non-cash loss from investments and $21.1 million of non-cash loss related to the fair value adjustment of the embedded derivative in the MAA Series I preferred shares, partially offset by $29.9 million in net casualty gain primarily due to winter storm Uri.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Funds from Operations and Core Funds from Operations

Funds from operations, or FFO, a non-GAAP financial measure, represents net income available for MAA common shareholders (computed in accordance with GAAP) excluding gains or losses on disposition of operating properties and asset impairment, plus depreciation and amortization of real estate assets, net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and adjustments for joint ventures. Because net income attributable to noncontrolling interests is added back, FFO, when used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, represents FFO attributable to common shareholders and unitholders.

FFO should not be considered as an alternative to net income available for MAA common shareholders or any other GAAP measurement, as an indicator of operating performance or as an alternative to cash flow from operating, investing and financing activities as a measure of liquidity. Management believes that FFO is helpful to investors in understanding our operating performance, primarily because its calculation excludes depreciation and amortization expense on real estate assets and gain on sale of depreciable real estate assets. We believe that GAAP historical cost depreciation of real estate assets is generally not correlated with changes in the value of those assets, whose value does not diminish predictably over time, as historical cost depreciation implies. While our calculation of FFO is in accordance with the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts’, or NAREIT’s, definition, it may differ from the methodology for calculating FFO utilized by other REITs and, accordingly, may not be comparable to such other REITs.

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Core FFO represents FFO as adjusted for items that are not considered part of our core business operations, such as adjustments related to the fair value of the embedded derivative in the MAA Series I preferred shares; gain or loss on sale of non-depreciable assets; gain or loss on investments, net of tax; casualty related charges (recoveries), net; gain or loss on debt extinguishment; legal (recoveries), costs and settlements, net; COVID-19 related costs and mark-to-market debt adjustments. Because net income attributable to noncontrolling interests is added back to FFO, Core FFO, when used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, represents Core FFO attributable to common shareholders and unitholders. Core FFO should not be considered as an alternative to net income available for MAA common shareholders, or any other GAAP measurement, as an indicator of operating performance or as an alternative to cash flow from operating, investing and financing activities as a measure of liquidity. Management believes that Core FFO is helpful in understanding our core operating performance between periods in that it removes certain items that by their nature are not comparable over periods and therefore tend to obscure actual operating performance from rental activities. While our definition of Core FFO may be similar to others in the industry, our methodology for calculating Core FFO may differ from that utilized by other REITs and, accordingly, may not be comparable to such other REITs.

The following table presents a reconciliation of net income available for MAA common shareholders to FFO and Core FFO for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, as we believe net income available for MAA common shareholders is the most directly comparable GAAP measure (dollars in thousands):

Year ended December 31,

Net income available for MAA common shareholders $ 549,118 $ 633,748

Depreciation and amortization of real estate assets 558,969 535,835

Loss (gain) on sale of depreciable real estate assets 62 (214,762 )

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests 15,025 17,340

FFO attributable to common shareholders and unitholders 1,123,789 972,782

(Gain) loss on embedded derivative in preferred shares (1) (18,528 ) 21,107

Gain on sale of non-depreciable real estate assets (54 ) (809 )

(Gain) loss on investments, net of tax (1)(2) (3,531 ) 35,822

Casualty related charges (recoveries), net (1)(3) 980 (29,930 )

(Gain) loss on debt extinguishment (1) (57 ) 47

Legal (recoveries), costs and settlements, net (1) (4,454 ) 8,535

COVID-19 related costs (1) — 575

Mark-to-market debt adjustment (4) (25 ) 77

(1)

Included in “Other non-operating (income) expense” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

(2)

For the year ended December 31, 2023, gain on investments is presented net of tax expense of $0.9 million. For the the year ended December 31, 2022, loss on investments is presented net of tax benefit of $9.5 million.

(3)

For the year ended December 31, 2022, we recognized a gain of $29.0 million from the receipt of insurance proceeds that exceeded its casualty losses related to winter storm Uri.

(4)

Included in “Interest expense” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Core FFO attributable to common shareholders and unitholders for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $1.1 billion, an increase of $89.9 million as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily as a result of an increase in property revenues of $128.6 million, partially offset by increases in property operating expenses, excluding depreciation and amortization, of $44.4 million and property management expenses of $2.3 million.

Net Debt, EBITDA, EBITDAre, and Adjusted EBITDAre

Net debt, a non-GAAP financial measure, represents unsecured notes payable and secured notes payable less cash and cash equivalents and 1031(b) exchange proceeds included in restricted cash. Management considers net debt a helpful tool in evaluating our debt position. Net debt should not be considered as an alternative to any GAAP measurement, as an indicator of operating performance or as an alternative to cash flow from operating, investing and financing activities as a measure of liquidity.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, represents net income (computed in accordance with GAAP) plus depreciation and amortization, interest expense, and income taxes. As an owner and operator of real estate, management considers EBITDA to be an important measure of performance from core operations because EBITDA does not include various expense items that are not indicative of operating performance. EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to net income, or any other GAAP measurement, as an indicator of operating performance or as an alternative to cash flow from operating, investing and financing activities as a measure of liquidity.

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EBITDAre is composed of EBITDA adjusted for the gain or loss on sale of depreciable assets and adjustments to reflect our share of EBITDAre of an unconsolidated affiliate. As an owner and operator of real estate, management considers EBITDAre to be an important measure of performance from core operations because EBITDAre does not include various expense items that are not indicative of operating performance. While our definition of EBITDAre is in accordance with NAREIT’s definition, it may differ from the methodology utilized by other REITs to calculate EBITDAre and, accordingly, may not be comparable to such other REITs. EBITDAre should not be considered as an alternative to net income, or any other GAAP measurement, as an indicator of operating performance or as an alternative to cash flow from operating, investing and financing activities as a measure of liquidity.

Adjusted EBITDAre is comprised of EBITDAre further adjusted for items that are not considered part of our core operations such as adjustments related to the fair value of the embedded derivative in the MAA Series I preferred shares; gain or loss on sale of non-depreciable assets; gain or loss on investments; casualty related charges (recoveries), net; gain or loss on debt extinguishment; legal (recoveries), costs and settlements, net; and COVID-19 related costs. As an owner and operator of real estate, management considers Adjusted EBITDAre to be an important measure of performance from core operations because Adjusted EBITDAre does not include various income and expense items that are not indicative of operating performance. Our computation of Adjusted EBITDAre may differ from the methodology utilized by other REITs to calculate Adjusted EBITDAre. Adjusted EBITDAre should not be considered as an alternative to net income, or any other GAAP measurement, as an indicator of operating performance or as an alternative to cash flow from operating, investing and financing activities as a measure of liquidity.

Management monitors its debt levels to a ratio of net debt to Adjusted EBITDAre in order to maintain our investment grade credit ratings. We believe this is an important factor in the management of our debt levels to maintain an optimal capital structure, and it is also considered in the assignment of our credit ratings. Adjusted EBITDAre is measured on a trailing twelve-month basis.

The following table presents a reconciliation of unsecured notes payable and secured notes payable to net debt as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, as we believe unsecured notes payable and secured notes payable, combined, is the most directly comparable GAAP measure (dollars in thousands):

1031(b) exchange proceeds included in Restricted cash (1) — (9,186 )

(1)

Included in Restricted cash in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

The following table presents a reconciliation of net income to EBITDA, EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, as we believe net income is the most directly comparable GAAP measure (dollars in thousands):

Year Ended

Income tax expense (benefit) 4,744 (6,208 )

Loss (gain) on sale of depreciable real estate assets 62 (214,762 )

(Gain) loss on embedded derivative in preferred shares (1) (18,528 ) 21,107

Gain on sale of non-depreciable real estate assets (54 ) (809 )

Casualty related charges (recoveries), net (1) (2) 980 (29,930 )

(Gain) loss on debt extinguishment (1) (57 ) 47

Legal (recoveries), costs and settlements, net (1) (4,454 ) 8,535

COVID-19 related costs (1) — 575

(1)

Included in “Other non-operating (income) expense” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

(2)

For the year ended December 31, 2022, we recognized a gain of $29.0 million from the receipt of insurance proceeds that exceeded our casualty losses related to winter storm Uri.

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Our net debt to Adjusted EBITDAre ratio as of December 31, 2023 was 3.6x, as compared to a ratio of 3.7x as of December 31, 2022. The change in the ratio was primarily due to an increase of $83.9 million in Adjusted EBITDAre for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 and an increase of $131.9 million in comparing net debt as of December 31, 2023 to net debt as of December 31, 2022. The increase in Adjusted EBITDAre was primarily due to an increase in property revenues, partially offset by an increase in property operating expenses, while the increase in net debt was primarily due to an increase in unsecured notes payable and a decrease in cash and cash equivalents.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Overview

Our cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities, as well as general economic and market conditions, are the principal factors affecting our liquidity and capital resources.

We expect that our primary uses of cash will be to fund our ongoing operating needs, to fund our ongoing capital spending requirements, which relate primarily to our development, redevelopment and property repositioning activities, to repay maturing borrowings, to fund the future acquisition of assets and to pay shareholder dividends. We expect to meet our cash requirements through net cash flows from operating activities, existing unrestricted cash and cash equivalents, borrowings under our commercial paper program and our revolving credit facility, the future issuance of debt and equity and the future disposition of assets.

We historically have had positive net cash flows from operating activities. We believe that future net cash flows generated from operating activities, existing unrestricted cash and cash equivalents, borrowing capacity under our current commercial paper program and revolving credit facility, and our ability to issue debt and equity will provide sufficient liquidity to fund the cash requirements for our business over the next 12 months and the foreseeable future.

As of December 31, 2023, we had $791.8 million of combined unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and available capacity under our revolving credit facility.

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

Net cash provided by operating activities was $1.1 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $78.7 million as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in operating cash flows was primarily driven by our operating performance.

Cash Flows from Investing Activities

Net cash used in investing activities was $775.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to $405.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The primary drivers of the change were as follows (dollars in thousands):

The decrease in cash outflows for purchases of real estate and other assets was driven by the nature of the real estate assets acquired during the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we acquired two apartment communities. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we acquired two apartment communities, and closed on the pre-purchase of a multifamily development community. The increase in cash outflows for capital improvements and other was primarily driven by increased capital spend relating to our revenue enhancing capital expenditures and recurring capital replacements, partially offset by decreased property redevelopment and repositioning activities and decreased reconstruction-related capital expenditures relating to winter storms during the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in cash outflows for development costs was driven by increased development spend during the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in cash outflows for contributions to affiliates was driven by a larger amount of investments made in the technology-focused limited partnerships during the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease in cash inflows from proceeds from real estate asset dispositions resulted from the disposition of one land parcel during the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the disposition of four multifamily communities and two land parcels during the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease in cash inflows from net proceeds from insurance recoveries was driven by decreased insurance reimbursements received for storm-related casualty claims during the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.

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Cash Flows from Financing Activities

Net cash used in financing activities was $367.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to $722.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The primary drivers of the change were as follows (dollars in thousands):

Payment of deferred financing costs (2 ) (5,516 ) 5,514

The increase in cash inflows related to the net change in commercial paper resulted from the increase in net borrowings of $475.0 million on our commercial paper program during the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the increase in net borrowings of $20.0 million on our commercial paper program during the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in cash outflows from principal payments on notes payable primarily resulted from the retirement of $350.0 million of unsecured senior notes during the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the retirement of $125.0 million of unsecured senior notes during the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease in cash outflows related to payment of deferred financing costs resulted from negligible deferred financing costs during the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the closing costs of $5.5 million during the year ended December 31, 2022 related to the amendment of our unsecured revolving credit facility. The increase in cash outflows from distributions to noncontrolling interests and dividends paid on common shares primarily resulted from the increase in the dividend rate to $5.600 per share during the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the dividend rate of $4.675 per share during the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in cash inflows related to the proceeds from issuances of common shares resulted from the proceeds from the settlement of two forward sale agreements with respect to a total of 1.1 million shares at a forward price per share of $185.23 during the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in cash outflows from the acquisition of noncontrolling interests resulted from the acquisition of a 5% noncontrolling interest of a consolidated real estate entity for $15.8 million during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the acquisition of a 20% noncontrolling interest of a consolidated real estate entity for $43.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease in cash outflows from the net change in other financing activities was primarily driven by fewer shares of MAA’s common stock surrendered by employees to satisfy their statutory minimum federal and state tax obligations associated with the vesting of restricted shares during the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to year ended December 31, 2022.

Debt

The following schedule reflects our outstanding debt as of December 31, 2023 (dollars in thousands):

Principal Balance Average Years to Rate Maturity Weighted Average Effective Rate

Unsecured debt

Secured debt

Debt issuance costs (3,152 )

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The following schedule presents the contractual maturity dates of our outstanding debt, net of debt issuance costs, discounts, premiums and fair market value adjustments as of December 31, 2023 (dollars in thousands):

(1)

There was $495.0 million outstanding under MAALP’s commercial paper program as of December 31, 2023. Under the terms of the program, MAALP may issue up to a maximum aggregate amount outstanding at any time of $625.0 million. For the three months ended December 31, 2023, there were $495.0 million of borrowings under the commercial paper program. For the year ended December 31, 2023, average daily borrowings outstanding under the commercial paper program were $95.1 million.

(2)

There were no borrowings outstanding under MAALP’s $1.25 billion unsecured revolving credit facility as of December 31, 2023.

The following schedule reflects the maturities and average effective interest rates of our outstanding fixed rate debt, net of debt issuance costs, discounts, premiums and fair market value adjustments, as of December 31, 2023 (dollars in thousands):

Fixed Rate Debt Average Effective Rate

Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility & Commercial Paper

MAALP has entered into an unsecured revolving credit facility with a borrowing capacity of $1.25 billion and an option to expand to $2.0 billion. The revolving credit facility bears interest at an adjusted Secured Overnight Financing Rate plus a spread of 0.70% to 1.40% based on an investment grade pricing grid. The revolving credit facility has a maturity date in October 2026 with an option to extend for two additional six-month periods. As of December 31, 2023,there was no outstanding balance under the revolving credit facility, while $4.5 million of capacity was used to support outstanding letters of credit.

MAALP has established an unsecured commercial paper program, whereby it can issue unsecured commercial paper notes with varying maturities not to exceed 397 days up to a maximum aggregate principal amount outstanding of $625.0 million. As of December 31, 2023, there were $495.0 million of borrowings outstanding under the commercial paper program.

Unsecured Senior Notes

As of December 31, 2023, MAALP had $3.7 billion of publicly issued unsecured senior notes outstanding.

In October 2023, MAALP retired $350.0 million of publicly issued unsecured senior notes at maturity using available cash on hand and borrowings under the commercial paper program.

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In January 2024, MAALP publicly issued $350.0 million in aggregate principal amount of unsecured senior notes due March 2034 with a coupon rate of 5.000% per annum and at an issue price of 99.019%. Interest is payable semi-annually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year, commencing September 15, 2024. The proceeds from the sale of the notes were used to repay borrowings on the commercial paper program. The notes have an effective interest rate of 5.123%.

Secured Property Mortgages

MAALP maintains secured property mortgages with various life insurance companies. As of December 31, 2023, MAALP had $363.3 million of secured property mortgages outstanding.

In July 2023, MAALP retired $3.0 million remaining on a mortgage associated with an apartment community prior to its June 2025 maturity.

For more information regarding our debt capital resources, see Note 5 to the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Equity

As of December 31, 2023, MAA owned 116,694,124 OP Units, comprising a 97.4% limited partnership interest in MAALP,while the remaining 3,143,972 outstanding OP Units were held by limited partners of MAALP other than MAA. Holders of OP Units (other than MAA) may require us to redeem their OP Units from time to time, in which case we may, at our option, pay the redemption price either in cash (in an amount per OP Unit equal, in general, to the average closing price of MAA’s common stock on the NYSE over a specified period prior to the redemption date) or by delivering one share of MAA’s common stock (subject to adjustment under specified circumstances) for each OP Unit so redeemed. MAA has registered under the Securities Act the 3,143,972 shares of its common stock that, as of December 31, 2023, were issuable upon redemption of OP Units, in order for those shares to be sold freely in the public markets.

In August 2021, MAA entered into two 18-month forward sale agreements with respect to a total of 1.1 million shares of its common stock at an initial forward sale price of $190.56 per share, which is net of issuance costs. In January 2023, MAA settled its two forward sale agreements with respect to all 1.1 million shares at a forward price per share of $185.23, which is inclusive of adjustments made to reflect the then-current federal funds rate, the amount of dividends paid to holders of MAA common stock and commissions paid to sales agents, for net proceeds of $203.7 million. We have used these proceeds primarily to fund our development and redevelopment activities.

The Company has entered into an equity distribution agreement to establish an at-the-market, or ATM, share offering program, which allows MAA to sell shares of its common stock from time to time to or through its sales agents into the existing market at current market prices, and to enter into separate forward sales agreements to or through its forward purchasers. Under its ATM program, MAA has the authority to issue up to an aggregate of 4.0 million shares of its common stock, at such times to be determined by MAA. MAA has no obligation to issue shares through the ATM program. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, MAA did not sell any shares of common stock under its ATM program. As of December 31, 2023, there were 4.0 million shares remaining under the ATM program.

For more information regarding our equity capital resources, see Note 8 and Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Material Cash Requirements

The following table summarizes material cash requirements as of December 31, 2023 related to contractual obligations, which consist of principal and interest on our debt obligations and right-of-use lease liabilities (dollars in thousands):

(1)

Represents principal payments gross of debt issuance costs, discounts, premiums and fair market value adjustments.

(2)

Primarily comprised of a ground lease underlying one apartment community we own and the lease of our corporate headquarters.

As of December 31, 2023, we also had obligations, which are not reflected in the table above, to make additional capital contributions to six technology-focused limited partnerships in which we hold equity interests. The capital contributions may be called by the general partners at any time after giving appropriate notice. As of December 31, 2023, we had committed to make additional capital contributions totaling up to $33.6 million if and when called by the general partners of the limited partnerships.

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We have other material cash requirements that do not represent contractual obligations, but that we expect to incur in the ordinary course of our business.

As of December 31, 2023, we had five development communities under construction totaling 1,970 apartment units once complete. Total expected costs for the five development projects are $647.3 million, of which $391.6 million had been incurred through December 31, 2023. In addition, our property redevelopment and repositioning activities are ongoing, and we incur expenditures relating to recurring capital replacements, which typically include scheduled carpet replacement, new roofs, HVAC units, plumbing, concrete, masonry and other paving, pools and various exterior building improvements. For the year ending December 31, 2024, we expect that our total capital expenditures relating to our development activities, our property redevelopment and repositioning activities and recurring capital replacements will be in line with our total capital expenditures for the year ended December 31, 2023. We expect to have additional development projects in the future.

During the year ended December 31, 2023, we acquired two multifamily apartment communities for approximately $210 million, acquired two land parcels for future development for approximately $13 million, and purchased the noncontrolling interest of a consolidated real estate entity for approximately $16 million. These activities were funded from borrowings under the commercial paper program and available cash on hand. In January 2024, we issued $350.0 million of unsecured senior notes, the proceeds of which were used to pay down outstanding borrowings under the commercial paper program.

We typically declare cash dividends on MAA’s common stock on a quarterly basis, subject to approval by MAA’s Board of Directors. We expect to pay quarterly dividends at an annual rate of $5.88 per share of MAA common stock during the year ending December 31, 2024. The timing and amount of future dividends will depend on actual cash flows from operations, our financial condition, capital requirements, the annual distribution requirements under the REIT provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and other factors as MAA’s Board of Directors deems relevant. MAA’s Board of Directors may modify our dividend policy from time to time.

Inflation

Our resident leases at our apartment communities allow for adjustments in the rental rate at the time of renewal, which may enable us to seek rent increases. The majority of our leases are for one year or less. The short-term nature of these leases generally serves to reduce our risk to adverse effects of inflation on our revenue. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we experienced inflationary pressures that drove higher operating expenses, primarily in real estate taxes, building repairs and maintenance and personnel expenses.

Critical Accounting Estimates

A critical accounting estimate is one that is both important to our financial condition and results of operations and that involves some degree of uncertainty. The preceding discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make a number of estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates and assumptions based upon historical experience and various other factors and circumstances. We believe that our estimates and assumptions are reasonable under the circumstances; however, actual results may differ from these estimates and assumptions.

We believe that the estimates and assumptions summarized below are most important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results of operations because they involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty and they have had, or are reasonably likely to have, a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations.

Acquisition of real estate assets

We account for our acquisitions of investments in real estate as asset acquisitions in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification Topic 805, Business Combinations, which requires the cost of the real estate acquired to be allocated to the individual acquired tangible assets, consisting of land, buildings and improvements and other, and identified intangible assets, consisting of the value of in-place leases and other contracts, on a relative fair value basis. In calculating the asset value of acquired tangible and intangible assets, management may use significant subjective inputs, including forecasted net operating income, or NOI, and market specific capitalization and discount rates. Management analyzes historical stabilized NOI to determine its estimate for forecasted NOI. Management estimates the market capitalization rate by analyzing the market capitalization rates for sold properties with comparable ages in similarly sized markets. Management allocates the purchase price of the asset acquisition based on the relative fair value of the individual components as a proportion of the total assets acquired.

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Impairment of long-lived assets

We account for long-lived assets in accordance with the provisions of accounting standards for the impairment or disposal of long-lived assets. Management periodically evaluates long-lived assets, including investments in real estate, for indicators that would suggest that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable. The judgments regarding the existence of such indicators are based on factors such as operating performance, market conditions and legal factors. Long-lived assets, such as real estate assets, equipment, right-of-use lease assets and purchased intangibles subject to amortization, are grouped with other assets and liabilities at the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets and liabilities, or an asset group. Management generally considers the individual assets of an apartment community to collectively represent an asset group. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to estimated future undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its estimated future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. Management calculates the fair value of an asset by dividing estimated future annual cash flow by a market capitalization rate. No material impairment losses were recognized during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.

Our impairment assessments may contain uncertainties because they require management to make assumptions and to apply judgment to estimate future undiscounted cash flows and the fair value of the assets. Key assumptions used in estimating future cash flows and the fair value of an asset include projecting an apartment community’s NOI, estimating asset useful lives, disposition dates and recurring capital expenditures, as well as selecting an appropriate market capitalization rate. Management considers its apartment communities’ historical stabilized NOI performance, local market economics and the business environment impacting our apartment communities as the basis in projecting forecasted NOI, which management believes is representative of future cash flows. Management estimates the market capitalization rate by analyzing the market capitalization rates for sold properties with comparable ages in similarly sized markets. These estimates are subjective and our ability to realize future cash flows and asset fair values is affected by factors such as ongoing maintenance and improvement of the assets, changes in economic conditions and changes in operating performance.

Valuation of embedded derivative

The redemption feature embedded in the MAA Series I preferred stock is reported as a derivative asset and is adjusted to its fair value at each reporting date, with a corresponding non-cash adjustment to the income statement. The derivative asset related to the redemption feature is valued using widely accepted valuation techniques, including a discounted cash flow analysis in which the perpetual value of the preferred shares is compared to the value of the preferred shares assuming the call option is exercised, with the value of the bifurcated call option as the difference between the two values. The analysis reflects the contractual terms of the redeemable preferred shares, which are redeemable at our option beginning on October 1, 2026 and at the redemption price of $50 per share. We use various significant inputs in the analysis, including trading data available on the preferred shares, estimated coupon yields on preferred stock instruments from REITs with similar credit ratings as MAA and treasury rates to determine the fair value of the bifurcated call option. As a result of the adjustments recorded to reflect the change in fair value of the derivative asset, the fair value of the embedded derivative asset increased to $31.9 million as of December 31, 2023 as compared to $13.4 million as of December 31, 2022, an increase in value of the asset of $18.5 million.

Arriving at the valuation of the embedded derivative requires a significant amount of subjective judgment by management, and the valuation of the embedded derivative is highly sensitive to changes in certain inputs in the analysis. For example, changes in the inputs of the trading data available on the preferred shares, estimated coupon yields on preferred stock instruments from REITs with similar credit ratings as MAA and treasury rates could cause the valuation of the embedded derivative to materially change from the recorded balance as of December 31, 2023. For instance, holding all other assumptions constant, a $1 decrease in the trading price of the preferred shares as of December 31, 2023 would result in a decrease in fair value of the embedded derivative asset of approximately $9 million.

Significant Accounting Policies

For more information regarding our significant accounting policies, including the accounting polices related to the critical accounting estimates discussed above as well as a brief description of recent accounting pronouncements that could have a material impact on our financial statements, see Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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

Market risk includes risks that arise from changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, commodity prices, equity prices and other market changes that affect market sensitive instruments. Our primary market risk exposure is to changes in interest rates on our borrowings. As of December 31, 2023, 22.0% of our total market capitalization consisted of debt borrowings. Our interest rate risk objective is to limit the impact of interest rate fluctuations on earnings and cash flows and to lower our overall borrowing costs. To achieve this objective, we manage our exposure to fluctuations in market interest rates for borrowings through the use of fixed rate debt instruments and from time to time interest rate swaps to effectively fix the interest rate on anticipated future debt transactions. We use our best efforts to have our debt instruments mature across multiple years, which we believe limits our exposure to interest rate changes in any one year. We do not enter into derivative instruments for trading or other speculative purposes. As of December 31, 2023, 89.1% of our outstanding debt was subject to fixed rates. We regularly review interest rate exposure on outstanding borrowings in an effort to minimize the risk of interest rate fluctuations.

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

The consolidated financial statements and related financial information required to be filed are set forth on pages F-1 to F-38 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.

None.

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.

Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc.

(a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

MAA is required to maintain disclosure controls and procedures, within the meaning of Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15. MAA’s management, with the participation of MAA’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of MAA’s disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2023. Based on that evaluation, MAA’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2023 to ensure that information required to be disclosed by MAA in its Exchange Act filings is accurately recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and is accumulated and communicated to MAA’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

(b) Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

MAA’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting within the meaning of Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15. MAA’s management, with the participation of MAA’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of MAA’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023 based on the framework specified in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) published by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on such evaluation, MAA’s management concluded that MAA’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2023.

Ernst & Young LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm that has audited the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, has issued an attestation report on MAA’s internal control over financial reporting, which is included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can only provide reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation.

(c) Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There was no change to MAA’s internal control over financial reporting, within the meaning of Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15, that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2023 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, MAA’s internal control over financial reporting.

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Mid-America Apartments, L.P.

(a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The Operating Partnership is required to maintain disclosure controls and procedures, within the meaning of Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15. Management of the Operating Partnership, with the participation of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of MAA, as the general partner of the Operating Partnership, carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Operating Partnership’s disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2023. Based on that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of MAA, as the general partner of the Operating Partnership, concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2023 to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Operating Partnership in its in Exchange Act filings is accurately recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and is accumulated and communicated to the Operating Partnership’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of MAA, as the general partner of the Operating Partnership, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

(b) Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting