Extra Space Storage Inc. (“we,” “our,” “us” or the “Company”) is a fully integrated, self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (“REIT”) formed as a Maryland corporation on April 30, 2004, to own, operate, manage, acquire, develop and redevelop self-storage properties (“stores”). We closed our initial public offering (“IPO”) on August 17, 2004. Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “EXR.”

Members of our executive management team have significant experience in all aspects of the self-storage industry. Our executive management team and their years of industry experience are as follows: Joseph D. Margolis, Chief Executive Officer, 1315 years; Scott Stubbs, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, 1719 years; Samrat Sondhi, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, 1417 years; Gwyn McNeal, Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, 1214 years; James Overturf, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, 19 years; and Kenneth M. Woolley, Executive Chairman, 3921 years.

Stores offer month-to-month rental of storage space for personal or business use. Tenants typically rent fully enclosed spaces that vary in size and typically range from 5 feet by 5 feet to 20 feet by 20 feet, with an interior height of 8 feet to 12 feet. Tenants have responsibility for moving their items into and out of their units. Stores generally have on-site managers who supervise and run the day-to-day operations, providing tenants with assistance as needed.

Our primary business objectives are to maximize cash flow available for distribution to our stockholders and to achieve sustainable long-term growth in cash flow per share in order to maximize long-term stockholder value both at acceptable levels of risk. We continue to evaluate a range of growth initiatives and opportunities. Our primary strategies include the following:

Generally, stores are subject to various laws, ordinances and regulations, including regulations relating to lien sale rights and procedures and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Changes in any of these laws or regulations, as well as changes in laws, such as the Comprehensive Environmental Response and Compensation Liability Act, which increase the potential liability for environmental conditions or circumstances existing or created by tenants or others on stores, or laws affecting development, construction, operation, upkeep, safety and taxation may result in significant unanticipated expenditures, loss of stores or other impairments to operations, which would adversely affect our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. In addition, noncompliance with any of these laws, ordinances or regulations could result in the imposition of fines or an award of damages to private litigants and also could require substantial capital expenditures to ensure compliance.

As of December 31, 2017,2019, we had 3,3804,048 employees and believe our relationship with our employees is good. Our employees are not represented by a collective bargaining agreement.

An investment in our securities involves various risks. All investors should carefully consider the following risk factors in conjunction with the other information contained in this Annual Report before trading in our securities. If any of the events set forth in the following risks actually occur, our business, operating results, prospects and financial condition could be harmed.

Our revenues and net operating income can be negatively impacted by general economic factors that lead to a reduction in demand for rental space in the markets in which we operate.

Virtually all of our leases are on a month-to-month basis. Any delay in re-letting units as vacancies arise would reduce our revenues and harm our operating results. In addition, lower than expected rental rates upon re-letting could adversely affect our revenues and impede our growth.

We maintain comprehensive property and casualty insurance policies, including liability, fire, flood, earthquake, wind (as we deem necessary or as required by our lenders), umbrella coverage and rental loss insurance with respect to our stores. Certain types of losses, however, may be either uninsurable, not economically insurable, or coverage may be excluded on certain policies, such as losses due to earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, riots, acts of war, terrorism, or social engineering. Should an uninsured loss occur, we could lose both our investment in and anticipated profits and cash flow from a store. In addition, if any such loss is insured, we may be required to pay significant amounts on any claim for recovery of such a loss prior to our insurer being obligated to reimburse us for the loss, or the amount of the loss may exceed our coverage for the loss. As a result, our operating results may be adversely affected.

From time to time we have to make monetary settlements or defend actions or arbitration (including class actions) to resolve tenant, employment-related or other claims and disputes. Settling any such liabilities could negatively impact our operating results and cash available for distribution to stockholders, and could also adversely affect our ability to sell, lease, operate or encumber affected properties.

Our tenant reinsurance business is subject to significant governmental regulation. The regulatory authorities generally have broad discretion to grant, renew and revoke licenses and approvals, to promulgate, interpret and implement regulations, and to evaluate compliance with regulations through periodic examinations, audits and investigations of the affairs of insurance providers. As a result of regulatory or private action in any jurisdiction, we may be temporarily or permanently suspended from continuing some or all of our reinsurance activities, or otherwise fined or penalized or suffer an adverse judgment, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

We rely on information technology networks and systems, including the Internet, to process, transmit and store electronic information, and to manage or support a variety of business processes, including financial transactions and records, personally identifiable information, and tenant and lease data. We purchase some of our information technology from vendors, on whom our systems depend. We rely on commercially available systems, software, tools and monitoring to provide security for processing, transmission and storage of confidential tenant and other sensitive information. Although we have taken steps to protect the security of our information systems and the data maintained in those systems, it is possible that our safety and security measures will not be able to prevent the systems’ improper functioning or damage, or the improper access or disclosure of personally identifiable information such as in the event of cyber-attacks. Security breaches, including physical or electronic break-ins, computer viruses, attacks by hackers and similar breaches, can create system disruptions, shutdowns or unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. While, to date, we have not experienced a material security breach, this risk has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of such breaches and attempted breaches from around the world have increased. Any failure to maintain proper function, security and availability of our information systems could interrupt our operations, damage our reputation, divert significant management attention and resources to remedy any damages that result, subject us to liability claims or regulatory penalties and have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Conflicts of interest could arise in the future as a result of the relationships between us and our affiliates, and our Operating Partnership or any partner thereof. Our directors and officers have duties to our Company under applicable Maryland law in connection with their management of our Company. At the same time, we, through our wholly-owned subsidiary, have fiduciary duties, as a general partner, to our Operating Partnership and to the limited partners under Delaware law in connection with the management of our Operating Partnership. Our duties, through our wholly-owned subsidiary, as a general partner to our Operating Partnership and its partners may come into conflict with the duties of our directors and officers to our Company.

As of December 31, 2017,2019, we held interests in 215246 operating stores through joint ventures. Some of these arrangements could be adversely affected by our lack of sole decision-making authority, our reliance on co-venturers financial conditions and disputes between us and our co-venturers. We expect to continue our joint venture strategy by entering into more joint ventures for the purpose of developing new stores and acquiring existing stores. In such event, we would not be in a position to exercise sole decision-making authority regarding the property, partnership, joint venture or other entity. The decision-making authority regarding the stores we currently hold through joint ventures is either vested exclusively with our joint venture partners, is subject to a majority vote of the joint venture partners or is equally shared by us and the joint venture partners. In addition, investments in partnerships, joint ventures or other entities may, under certain circumstances, involve risks not present were a third party not involved, including the possibility that partners or co-venturers might become bankrupt or fail to fund their share of required capital contributions. Partners or co-venturers may have economic or other business interests or goals which are inconsistent with our business interests or goals, and may be in a position to take actions contrary to our policies or objectives. Such investments may also have the potential risk of impasses on decisions, such as a sale, because neither we nor the partner or co-venturer would have full control over the partnership or joint venture. Disputes between us and partners or co-venturers may result in litigation or arbitration that would increase our expenses and prevent our officers and/or directors from focusing their time and efforts on our business. Consequently, actions by or disputes with partners or co-venturers might result in subjecting stores owned by the partnership or joint venture to additional risk. In addition, we may in certain circumstances be liable for the actions of our third-party partners or co-venturers, which could harm our financial condition.

Our charter, subject to certain exceptions, authorizes our directors to take such actions as are necessary and desirable to preserve our qualification as a REIT and to limit any person to actual or constructive ownership of no more than 7.0% (by value or by number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of our outstanding common stock or 7.0% (by value or by number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of our outstanding capital stock. Our board of directors, in its sole discretion, may exempt a proposed transferee from the ownership limit. However, our board of directors may not grant an exemption from the ownership limit to any proposed transferee whose ownership could jeopardize our qualification as a REIT. These restrictions on ownership will not apply if our board of directors determines that it is no longer in our best interests to attempt to qualify, or to continue to qualify, as a REIT. The ownership limit may delay or impede a transaction or a change of control that might involve a premium price for our securities or otherwise be in the best interests of our stockholders. Different ownership limits apply to the family of Kenneth M. Woolley, certain of his affiliates, family members and estates and trusts formed for the benefit of the foregoing; to Spencer F. Kirk, certain of his affiliates, family members and estates and trusts formed for the benefit of the foregoing; and to certain designated investment entities as defined in our charter.

Our charter authorizes our board of directors to issue additional authorized but unissued shares of common stock or preferred stock and to increase the aggregate number of authorized shares or the number of shares of any class or series without stockholder approval. In addition, our board of directors may classify or reclassify any unissued shares of common stock or preferred stock and set the preferences, rights and other terms of the classified or reclassified shares. Our board of directors could issue additional shares of our common stock or establish a series of preferred stock that could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control or other transaction that might involve a premium price for our securities or otherwise not be in the best interests of our stockholders.

Maryland law provides that a director or officer has no liability in that capacity if he or she performs his or her duties in good faith, in a manner he or she reasonably believes to be in our best interests and with the care that an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances. In addition, our charter eliminates our directors’ and officers’ liability to us and our stockholders for money damages except for liability resulting from actual receipt of an improper benefit in money, property or services or active and deliberate dishonesty established by a final judgment and which is material to the cause of action. Our bylaws require us to indemnify our directors and officers for liability resulting from actions taken by them in those capacities to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law. As a result, we and our stockholders may have more limited rights against our directors and officers than might otherwise exist under common law. In addition, we may be obligated to fund the defense costs incurred by our directors and officers.

Uncertainty in the credit markets may negatively impact our ability to access additional debt financing or to refinance existing debt maturities on favorable terms (or at all), which may negatively affect our ability to make acquisitions and fund development projects. A downturn in the credit markets may cause us to seek alternative sources of potentially less attractive financing, and may require us to adjust our business plan accordingly. In addition, these factors may make it more difficult for us to sell stores or may adversely affect the price we receive for stores that we do sell, as prospective buyers may experience increased costs of debt financing or difficulties in obtaining debt financing.

As of December 31, 2017,2019, we had approximately $4.6$5.1 billion of outstanding indebtedness. We may incur additional debt in connection with future acquisitions and development. We may borrow under our Credit Lines or borrow new funds to finance these future stores. Additionally, we do not anticipate that our internally generated cash flow will be adequate to repay our existing indebtedness upon maturity and, therefore, we expect to repay our indebtedness through refinancings and equity and/or debt offerings. Further, we may need to borrow funds in order to make cash distributions to maintain our qualification as a REIT or to make our expected distributions. To qualify as a REIT, we generally must distribute to our stockholders at least 90% of our netREIT taxable income each year, determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction and excluding net capital gains, and we are subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax to the extent that we distribute less than 100% of our netREIT taxable income each year.year, determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and including net capital gains.

In certain cases we may seek to manage our exposure to interest rate volatility by using interest rate hedging arrangements. Hedging involves risks, such as the risk that the counterparty may fail to honor its obligations under an arrangement. Failure to hedge effectively against interest rate changes may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and ability to make cash distributions to our stockholders.

The rules dealing with U.S. federal income taxation are constantly under review by persons involved in the legislative process and by the IRSInternal Revenue Service ("IRS") and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Changes to the tax laws, with or without retroactive application, could adversely affect our investors or us in ways we cannot predict. New legislation, Treasury Regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions could significantly and negatively affect our ability to qualify as a REIT, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of such qualification, or the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in us. Also, the law relating to the tax treatment of other entities, or an investment in other entities, could change, making an investment in such other entities more attractive relative to an investment in a REIT.

We believe we operate in a manner that allows us to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes under the Internal Revenue Code. If we fail to qualify as a REIT or lose our qualification as a REIT at any time, we will face serious tax consequences that would substantially reduce the funds available for distribution for each of the years involved because:

Even though we qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we will be required to pay some U.S. federal, state and local taxes on our income and property. Extra Space Management, Inc. manages stores for our joint ventures and stores owned by third parties. We, jointly with Extra Space Management, Inc., elected to treat Extra Space Management, Inc. as a taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”) of our Company for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A TRS is a fullysubject to U.S. federal corporate income tax on its taxable corporation, and may be limited in its ability to deduct interest payments made to us.income. ESM Reinsurance Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Extra Space Management, Inc., generates income from insurance premiums that are subject to U.S. federal income tax and state insurance premiums tax, and pays certain insurance royalties to us. In addition, we will be subject to a 100% penalty tax on certain amounts if the economic arrangements among our tenants, our TRS and us are not comparable to similar arrangements among unrelated parties. Also, if we sell property as a dealer (i.e., to customers in the ordinary course of our trade or business), we will be subject to a 100% penalty tax on any gain arising from such sales. While we do not intend to sell stores as a dealer, the IRS could take a contrary position. To the extent that we are, or our TRS is, required to pay U.S. federal, state or local taxes, we will have less cash available for distribution to stockholders.

None.

We are involved in various legal proceedings and are subject to various claims and complaints arising in the ordinary course of business. Because litigation is inherently unpredictable, the outcome of these matters cannot presently be determined with any degree of certainty. In accordance with applicable accounting guidance, management establishes an accrued liability for litigation when those matters present loss contingencies that are both probable and reasonably estimable. In such cases, there may be an exposure to loss in excess of any amounts accrued. The estimated loss, if any, is based upon currently available information and is subject to significant judgment, a variety of assumptions, and known and unknown uncertainties. We could in the future incur judgments or enter into settlements of claims that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in any particular period, notwithstanding the fact that we are currently vigorously defending any legal proceedings against us. For more information on our legal accruals, refer to the Commitments and Contingencies footnote in the notes to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

Not Applicable.applicable.

Our common stock has beenis traded under the symbol “EXR” on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”("NYSE") under the symbol “EXR” since our IPO on August 17, 2004. Prior to that time there was no public market for our common stock.

The following table presents selected financial data and should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” and Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in this Form 10-K (amounts in thousands, except share and per share data).

The following table presents information on expenses for the years indicated: