Continued Strong Performance; Provides 2024 Guidance and Increases Annual Dividend

CHICAGO -- (Business Wire)

Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. (NYSE: ELS) (referred to herein as “we,” “us,” and “our”) today announced results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2023. All per share results are reported on a fully diluted basis unless otherwise noted.

2024 Dividends

Our Board of Directors has approved setting the annual dividend rate for 2024 at $1.91 per share of Common Stock, an increase of 6.7%, or $0.12, over the current $1.79 per share of Common Stock for 2023. Our Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, will determine the amount of each quarterly dividend in advance of payment.

About Equity LifeStyle Properties

We are a self-administered, self-managed real estate investment trust (“REIT”) with headquarters in Chicago. As of January 29, 2024, we own or have an interest in 451 properties in 35 states and British Columbia consisting of 172,465 sites.

For additional information, please contact our Investor Relations Department at (800) 247-5279 or at investor_relations@equitylifestyle.com.

Conference Call

A live audio webcast of our conference call discussing these results will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, January 30, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. Central Time. Please visit the Investor Relations section at www.equitylifestyleproperties.com for the link. A replay of the webcast will be available for two weeks at this site.

Forward-Looking Statements

In addition to historical information, this press release includes certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used, words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “believe,” “project,” “intend,” “may be” and “will be” and similar words or phrases, or the negative thereof, unless the context requires otherwise, are intended to identify forward-looking statements and may include, without limitation, information regarding our expectations, goals or intentions regarding the future, and the expected effect of our acquisitions. Forward-looking statements, including our guidance concerning Net Income, FFO and Normalized FFO per share data, by their nature, involve estimates, projections, goals, forecasts and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in a forward-looking statement due to a number of factors, which include, but are not limited to the following: (i) the mix of site usage within the portfolio; (ii) yield management on our short-term resort and marina sites; (iii) scheduled or implemented rate increases on community, resort and marina sites; (iv) scheduled or implemented rate increases in annual payments under membership subscriptions; (v) occupancy changes; (vi) our ability to attract and retain membership customers; (vii) change in customer demand regarding travel and outdoor vacation destinations; (viii) our ability to manage expenses in an inflationary environment; (ix) our ability to integrate and operate recent acquisitions in accordance with our estimates; (x) our ability to execute expansion/development opportunities in the face of supply chain delays/shortages; (xi) completion of pending transactions in their entirety and on assumed schedule; (xii) our ability to attract and retain property employees, particularly seasonal employees; (xiii) ongoing legal matters and related fees; (xiv) costs to restore property operations and potential revenue losses following storms or other unplanned events; and (xv) the potential impact of, and our ability to remediate material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. For further information on these and other factors that could impact us and the statements contained herein, refer to our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the “Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Statements” sections in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K or Form 10-K/A and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Form 10-Q/A. These forward-looking statements are based on management's present expectations and beliefs about future events. As with any projection or forecast, these statements are inherently susceptible to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. We are under no obligation to, and expressly disclaim any obligation to, update or alter our forward-looking statements whether as a result of such changes, new information, subsequent events or otherwise.

Supplemental Financial Information

• Net income per Common Share was $1.69, for the year ended December 31, 2023, 10.5% higher than the year ended December 31, 2022.
• FFO per Common Share was $2.77 for the year ended December 31, 2023, 7.1% higher than the year ended December 31, 2022.
• Normalized FFO per Common Share was $2.75 for the year ended December 31, 2023, 4.7% higher than the year ended December 31, 2022.
• Acquired one RV community for a purchase price of $9.5 million during the year ended December 31, 2023.
• Added 994 expansion sites during the year ended December 31, 2023.
• New home sales of 905 for the year ended December 31, 2023.
• During the year ended December 31, 2023, we closed on four secured financing transactions totaling $463.8 million. The loans have a weighted average fixed interest rate of 5.05% per annum and a weighted average maturity of approximately eight years.

Core Portfolio

• Core portfolio generated growth of 5.0% in income from property operations, excluding property management, for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.
• Core MH base rental income increased by 6.8% during the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we filled 109 expansion sites in our Core MH portfolio.
• Manufactured homeowners within our Core portfolio increased by 554 to 66,623 as of December 31, 2023, compared to 66,069 as of December 31, 2022.
• Core RV and marina base rental income for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased by 3.5%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.
• Core RV Annual and marina base rental income for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased by $19.2 million, or 8.1%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 and includes 7.6% growth from rate.
• Core property operating expenses for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2023 increased by $10.4 million, or 8.7%, and $36.6 million, or 7.0%, respectively, compared to the same periods in 2022. The increase for the quarter ended December 31, 2023 includes an increase in real estate taxes of $3.9 million, or 22.7%, primarily in our Florida portfolio. Core real estate taxes for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased $6.3 million, or 9.1%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022.

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1. First quarter and full year 2024 guidance represent management’s estimate of a range of possible outcomes. The midpoint of the ranges reflect management’s estimate of the most likely outcome. Actual results could vary materially from management’s estimates presented above if any of our assumptions, including occupancy and rate changes, our ability to manage expenses in an inflationary environment, our ability to integrate and operate recent acquisitions and costs to restore property operations and potential revenue losses following storms or other unplanned events, are incorrect. See Forward-Looking Statements in this press release for additional factors impacting our 2024 guidance assumptions. See Non-GAAP Financial Measures Definitions and Reconciliations at the end of the supplemental financial information for definitions of FFO and Normalized FFO and a reconciliation of Net income per Common Share - Fully Diluted to FFO per Common Share and OP Unit - Fully Diluted and Normalized FFO per Common Share and OP Unit - Fully Diluted.
2. Guidance assumptions do not include future capital events (financing transactions, acquisitions or dispositions).
3. Core RV and marina annual revenue represents approximately 63.1% and 69.0% of first quarter 2024 and full year 2024 RV and marina base rental income, respectively. Core RV and marina annual revenue first quarter 2024 growth rate range is 7.5% to 8.1% and the full year 2024 growth rate range is 6.5% to 7.5%.

(In millions, except Common Shares and OP Units outstanding and per share data, unaudited)

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1. See Non-GAAP Financial Measures Definitions and Reconciliations at the end of the supplemental financial information for definitions of Adjusted EBITDAre, FFO, Normalized FFO and FAD and a reconciliation of Consolidated net income to Adjusted EBITDAre.
2. See page 7 for a reconciliation of Net income available for Common Stockholders to Non-GAAP financial measures FFO available for Common Stock and OP Unit holders, Normalized FFO available for Common Stock and OP Unit holders and FAD for Common Stock and OP Unit holders.
3. Net income per Common Share - Fully Diluted is calculated before Income allocated to non-controlling interest - Common OP Units.
4. Excludes deferred financing costs of approximately $29.5 million as of December 31, 2023.
5. See page 15 for the calculation of market capitalization as of December 31, 2023.
6. Calculated using trailing twelve months Adjusted EBITDAre.
7. Calculated by dividing trailing twelve months Adjusted EBITDAre by the interest expense incurred during the same period.
8. See Non-GAAP Financial Measures Definitions and Reconciliations at the end of the supplemental financial information for a definition of fixed charges. This ratio is calculated by dividing trailing twelve months Adjusted EBITDAre by the sum of fixed charges and preferred stock dividends, if any, during the same period.

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

(In thousands, unaudited)

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1. Membership upgrade sales revenue is net of deferrals of $3.8 million and $3.5 million for the quarters ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively, and $21.0 million and $21.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. See page 14 for details of membership sales activity.
2. Membership sales and marketing expense is net of sales commission deferrals of $0.5 million for each of the quarters ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, and $3.2 million for each of the years ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022. See page 14 for details of membership sales activity.
3. Includes accelerated vesting of stock-based compensation expense of $6.3 million recognized during the year ended December 31, 2023 as a result of the passing of a member of our Board of Directors.
4. Casualty-related charges/(recoveries), net for the quarter ended December 31, 2023 includes debris removal and cleanup costs related to Hurricane Ian of $1.3 million and insurance recovery revenue of $1.3 million. Casualty-related charges/(recoveries), net for the year ended December 31, 2023 includes debris removal and cleanup costs related to Hurricane Ian of $13.4 million and insurance recovery revenue of $13.4 million.
5. The Income tax benefit is attributable to the release of the valuation allowance of U.S. federal and state deferred tax assets related to our taxable REIT subsidiaries. We regularly assess the need for a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets and concluded it was more likely than not we would realize the benefit of the deferred tax assets.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This document contains certain Non-GAAP measures used by management that we believe are helpful to understand our business. We believe investors should review these Non-GAAP measures along with GAAP net income and cash flows from operating activities, investing activities and financing activities, when evaluating an equity REIT’s operating performance. Our definitions and calculations of these Non-GAAP financial and operating measures and other terms may differ from the definitions and methodologies used by other REITs and, accordingly, may not be comparable. These Non-GAAP financial and operating measures do not represent cash generated from operating activities in accordance with GAAP, nor do they represent cash available to pay distributions and should not be considered as an alternative to net income, determined in accordance with GAAP, as an indication of our financial performance, or to cash flows from operating activities, determined in accordance with GAAP, as a measure of our liquidity, nor are they indicative of funds available to fund our cash needs, including our ability to make cash distributions. For definitions and reconciliations of Non-GAAP measures to our financial statements as prepared under GAAP, refer to both Reconciliation of Net Income to Non-GAAP Financial Measures on page 7 and Non-GAAP Financial Measures Definitions and Reconciliations on pages 17-20.

(In millions, except per share data, unaudited)

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1. See pages 8-9 for details of the Core Income from Property Operations, excluding property management. See page 10 for details of the Non-Core Income from Property Operations, excluding property management.
2. See page 6 for a reconciliation of Net income available for Common Stockholders to FFO available for Common Stock and OP Unit holders, Normalized FFO available for Common Stock and OP Unit holders and FAD for Common Stock and OP Unit holders.
3. Represents the release of the valuation allowance of U.S. federal and state deferred tax assets related to our taxable REIT subsidiaries.
4. Represents transaction/pursuit costs related to unconsummated acquisitions included in Other expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Income on page 3.

(In thousands, except per share data, unaudited)

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1. Represents the release of the valuation allowance of U.S. federal and state deferred tax assets related to our taxable REIT subsidiaries.
2. Represents accelerated vesting of stock-based compensation expense of $6.3 million recognized during the year ended December 31, 2023 as a result of the passing of a member of our Board of Directors.
3. Represents transaction/pursuit costs related to unconsummated acquisitions included in Other expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Income on page 3.
4. Represents non-operating expenses associated with the Westwinds ground leases that terminated on August 31, 2022.
5. Net income per Common Share - Fully Diluted is calculated before Income allocated to non-controlling interest - Common OP Units.

(In millions, except home site and occupancy figures, unaudited)

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1. Excludes property management expenses.
2. MH base rental income, Rental home income, RV and marina base rental income and Utility income, net of bad debt expense, are presented in Rental income in the Consolidated Statements of Income on page 4. Bad debt expense is presented in Property operating, maintenance and real estate taxes in this table.
3. See page 14 for details of membership sales activity.
4. Includes approximately $0.9 million and $10.6 million of business interruption income from Hurricane Ian during the quarter and year ended December 31, 2023, respectively.

(In millions, except occupancy figures, unaudited)

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1. Excludes property management expenses.
2. Calculations prepared using actual results without rounding.
3. Includes bad debt expense for the periods presented.
4. Occupied sites are presented as of the end of the period.

(In millions, except home site and occupancy figures, unaudited)

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1. Calculations prepared using actual results without rounding.
2. Core Annual marina base rental income represents approximately 99% of the total Core marina base rental income for all periods presented.
3. Calculated by dividing the utility income by utility expense.

(In millions, unaudited)

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1. Excludes property management expenses.
2. Includes bad debt expense for the periods presented.

(In thousands, except home sale volumes and occupied rentals, unaudited)