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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies) | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2023
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Basis of Presentation | Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. (“ELS”), a Maryland corporation, together with MHC Operating Limited Partnership (the “Operating Partnership”) and its other consolidated subsidiaries (the “Subsidiaries”), are referred to herein as “we,” “us,” and “our”. We are a fully integrated owner of lifestyle-oriented properties (“Properties”) consisting of property operations and home sales and rental operations primarily within manufactured home (“MH”) and recreational vehicle (“RV”) communities and marinas. We provide our customers the opportunity to place manufactured homes and cottages, RVs and/or boats on our Properties either on a long-term or short-term basis. Our customers may lease individual developed areas (“Sites”) or enter into right-to-use contracts, also known as membership subscriptions, which provide them access to specific Properties for limited stays. Our Properties are owned primarily by the Operating Partnership and managed internally by affiliates of the Operating Partnership. ELS is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, has exclusive responsibility and discretion in management and control of the Operating Partnership and held a 95.3% interest as of September 30, 2023. As the general partner with control, ELS is the primary beneficiary of, and therefore consolidates, the Operating Partnership.
Consolidation | Equity method of accounting is applied to entities in which ELS does not have a controlling interest or for variable interest entities in which ELS is not considered the primary beneficiary, but with respect to which it can exercise significant influence over operations and major decisions. Our exposure to losses associated with unconsolidated joint ventures is primarily limited to the carrying value of these investments. Accordingly, distributions from a joint venture in excess of our carrying value are recognized in earnings.
Revenue Recognition | Revenue RecognitionOur revenue streams are predominantly derived from customers renting our Sites or entering into membership subscriptions. Leases with customers renting our Sites are accounted for as operating leases. The rental income associated with these leases is accounted for in accordance with the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 842, Leases, and is recognized over the term of the respective lease or the length of a customer’s stay. MH Sites are generally leased on an annual basis to residents who own or lease factory-built homes, including manufactured homes. RV and marina Sites are leased to those who generally have an RV, factory-built cottage, boat or other unit placed on the site, including those customers renting marina dry storage slips. Annual Sites are leased on an annual basis, including those Northern Properties that are open for the summer season. Seasonal Sites are leased to customers generally for one to six months. Transient Sites are leased to customers on a short-term basis. We do not separate expenses reimbursed by our customers (“utility recoveries”) from the associated rental income as we meet the practical expedient criteria of ASC 842, Leases to combine the lease and non-lease components. We assessed the criteria and concluded that the timing and pattern of transfer for rental income and the associated utility recoveries are the same and, as our leases qualify as operating leases, we account for and present rental income and utility recoveries as a single component under Rental income in our Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income. In addition, customers may lease homes that are located in our communities. These leases are accounted for as operating leases. Rental income derived from customers leasing homes is also accounted for in accordance with ASC 842, Leases and is recognized over the term of the respective lease. The allowance for credit losses related to the collectability of lease receivables is presented as a reduction to Rental income. Lease receivables are presented within Other assets, net on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and are net of an allowance for credit losses. The estimate for credit losses is a result of our ongoing assessments and evaluations of collectability, including historical loss experience, current market conditions and future expectations in forecasting credit losses. Annual membership subscriptions and membership upgrade sales are accounted for in accordance with ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. Membership subscriptions provide our customers access to specific Properties for limited stays at a specified group of Properties. Payments are deferred and recognized on a straight-line basis over the one-year period during which access to Sites at certain Properties is provided. Membership subscription receivables are presented within Other assets, net on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and are net of an allowance for credit losses. Membership upgrades grant certain additional access rights to the customer and require non-refundable upfront payments. The non-refundable upfront payments are recognized on a straight-line basis over 20 years. Financed upgrade sales (also known as contract receivables) are presented within Notes receivable, net on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and are net of an allowance for credit losses. Revenue from home sales is recognized when the earnings process is complete. The earnings process is complete when the home has been delivered, the purchaser has accepted the home and title has transferred. We have a limited program under which we purchase loans made by an unaffiliated lender to homebuyers at our Properties. Financed home sales (also known as chattel loans) are presented within Notes receivable, net on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and are net of an allowance for credit losses.
Restricted Cash | Restricted CashAs of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, restricted cash consisted of $21.2 million and $19.7 million, respectively, primarily related to cash reserved for customer deposits and escrows for insurance and real estate taxes.
Reclassifications | ReclassificationsCertain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation.
Insurance Recoveries | Insurance RecoveriesWe carry comprehensive insurance coverage for losses resulting from property damage and environmental liability and business interruption claims on all of our properties. We record the estimated amount of expected insurance proceeds for property damage, clean-up costs and other losses incurred as an asset (typically a receivable from our insurance carriers) and income up to the amount of the losses incurred when receipt of insurance proceeds is deemed probable. Any amount of insurance recovery in excess of the losses incurred and any amount of insurance recovery related to business interruption are considered a gain contingency and will be recognized in the period in which the insurance proceeds are received.
Prior period correction | Prior period correctionDuring the six months ended June 30, 2023, the Company identified and corrected an immaterial error related to the classification of cash outflows associated with the purchase of MHs in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Previously, the Company classified these cash outflows within investing activities in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows to align with the balance sheet classification. Based on the predominance principle in ASC 230-10-45-22, the Company determined that all of the cash flows associated with the purchase and sale of manufactured homes should be classified within operating activities in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Based on an analysis of quantitative and qualitative factors in accordance with SEC Staff Accounting Bulletins 99, Materiality and 108, Considering the Effects of Prior Year Misstatements when Quantifying Misstatements in Current Year Financial Statements, the Company concluded that this error was immaterial to the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows as presented in the Company’s previously filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Reports on Form 10-K. There was no impact to the Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income, Consolidated Balance Sheets, or Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity for any periods presented. The revisions to the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows are reflected for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, included in these financial statements, and will also be reflected in the historical periods included in the Company’s subsequent annual consolidated financial statements.

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- Definition Entity's cash and cash equivalents accounting policy with respect to restricted balances. Restrictions may include legally restricted deposits held as compensating balances against short-term borrowing arrangements, contracts entered into with others, or company statements of intention with regard to particular deposits; however, time deposits and short-term certificates of deposit are not generally included in legally restricted deposits. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Topic 942 -SubTopic 210 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(1)(a)) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147479853/942-210-S99-1 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147482913/230-10-50-1 + Details
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