NYSE: NSA

We believe that our national platform has significant potential for continued external and internal growth. We seek to further expand our national platform by continuing to pursue strategic acquisitions, as well as to opportunistically partner with institutional funds and other institutional investors in strategic joint venture arrangements while integrating our operations through the implementation of centralized initiatives, including management information systems, revenue enhancement, and cost optimization programs.

Our Property Management Platform

Through our property management platform, we direct, manage and control the day-to-day operations and affairs of our consolidated properties and our unconsolidated real estate ventures. As of December 31, 2025, our property management platform managed and controlled substantially all of our 801 consolidated properties and 262 of our unconsolidated real estate venture properties. The properties are primarily managed by us under the brands of iStorage, Move It, Northwest, RightSpace, SecurCare and Southern.

We earn certain customary fees for managing and operating the properties in the managed unconsolidated real estate ventures and we facilitate tenant insurance and/or tenant warranty protection programs for tenants at these properties in exchange for half of all proceeds from such programs.

Our Consolidated Properties

We seek to own properties that are well located in high quality sub-markets with highly accessible street access and attractive supply and demand characteristics, providing our properties with strong and stable cash flows that we believe are less sensitive to the fluctuations of the general economy. Many of these markets have multiple barriers to entry against increased supply, including zoning restrictions against new construction and new construction costs that we believe are higher than our properties' fair market value. As of December 31, 2025, we owned a geographically diversified portfolio of 801 self storage properties located in 33 states and Puerto Rico, comprising approximately 51.1 million rentable square feet, configured in approximately 403,000 storage units, excluding three properties classified as held for sale that were sold to a third party in January 2026. Of these properties, 289 were acquired by us from our former PROs, 511 were acquired by us from third-party sellers and one was acquired by us from the 2016 Joint Venture (as defined in Note 5 to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8). A complete listing of, and additional information about, our self storage properties is included in Item 2 of this report.

During the year ended December 31, 2025, we acquired four consolidated self storage properties and annexes to existing properties, all of which were acquired by us from unaffiliated third-party sellers. The following is a summary of our 2025 consolidated acquisition activity (dollars in thousands):

Number of Number of Rentable

State/Territory Properties Units Square Feet Fair Value

2025 Acquisitions:

New Mexico 2 265 36,800 $ 2,017

Kansas 1 654 52,242 8,487

Texas 1 389 57,100 4,840

Florida(1)
— 112 17,999 2,990

California(1)
— 329 29,806 6,536

Total 4 1,749 193,947 $ 24,870

(1) Acquisitions in Florida and California did not add to store count as the self storage acquisitions are managed as annexes to existing properties.

During the year ended December 31, 2025, we sold to unaffiliated third parties 15 self storage properties consisting of approximately 1.0 million rentable square feet configured in approximately 7,000 storage units for approximately $96.9 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2024, we acquired seven consolidated self storage properties and annexes to existing properties, all of which were acquired by us from unaffiliated third-party sellers. The following is a summary of our 2024 consolidated acquisition activity (dollars in thousands):

Number of Number of Rentable

State/Territory Properties Units Square Feet Fair Value

2024 Acquisitions:

Florida(1)
3 1,615 184,299 $ 29,753

Texas(2)
3 1,291 215,393 27,572

North Carolina 1 514 63,250 7,548

Total 7 3,420 462,942 $ 64,873

(1) Includes land acquisition with no incremental storage.

(2) Includes annexes to existing properties.

During the year ended December 31, 2024, we sold to unaffiliated third parties 40 self storage properties consisting of approximately 2.6 million rentable square feet configured in approximately 19,000 storage units for approximately $273.1 million and we contributed to the 2024 Joint Venture (as defined in Note 5 to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8) 56 self storage properties consisting of approximately 3.2 million rentable square feet configured in approximately 24,000 storage units for approximately $343.7 million.

Our Unconsolidated Real Estate Ventures

We seek to opportunistically partner with institutional funds and other institutional investors to acquire attractive portfolios utilizing a promoted return structure. We believe there is significant opportunity for continued external growth by partnering with institutional investors seeking to deploy capital in the self storage industry.

2024 Joint Venture

As of December 31, 2025, our 2024 Joint Venture, in which we have a 25% ownership interest, owned and operated 56 self storage properties containing approximately 3.2 million rentable square feet, configured in approximately 24,000 storage units and located across seven states.

2023 Joint Venture

As of December 31, 2025, our 2023 Joint Venture (as defined in Note 5 to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8), in which we have a 25% ownership interest, owned and operated 21 self storage properties containing approximately 1.4 million rentable square feet, configured in approximately 9,000 storage units and located across five states.

2018 Joint Venture

As of December 31, 2025, our 2018 Joint Venture (as defined in Note 5 to the consolidated financial statements in Item 8), in which we have a 25% ownership interest, owned and operated 104 self storage properties containing approximately 7.9 million rentable square feet, configured in approximately 65,000 storage units and located across 17 states.

2016 Joint Venture

As of December 31, 2025, our 2016 Joint Venture, in which we have a 25% ownership interest, owned and operated 81 properties containing approximately 5.7 million rentable square feet, configured in approximately 47,000 storage units and located across 13 states.

IRE Investment

As of December 31, 2025, we had entered into an agreement with an affiliate of Investment Real Estate Management, LLC (the "IRE Member") to form a new venture to acquire self storage properties (the "IRE Investment"), whereby we committed to provide 75% of the equity capital, up to a maximum of $105.0 million in cash in exchange for preferred equity, and the IRE Member committed to provide 25% of the equity capital, up to a maximum of $35.0 million in cash in exchange for common equity. An affiliate of the IRE Member will serve as the manager of the IRE Investment and will manage the day-to-day operations of the self storage properties. As of December 31, 2025 the IRE Investment did not own any self storage properties.

Our Long-Term Business and Growth Strategies

With our diversified national portfolio of self storage properties, we seek to increase scale, achieve optimal revenue-producing occupancy and rent levels, and increase long-term shareholder value by achieving sustainable long-term growth. Our business and growth strategies to achieve these objectives are as follows:

High Quality Properties in Key Growth Markets. We held ownership interests in and operated a geographically diversified portfolio of 1,063 self storage properties located in 37 states and Puerto Rico, comprising approximately 69.4 million rentable square feet, configured in approximately 548,000 storage units as of December 31, 2025. Over 70% of our consolidated portfolio is located in the top 100 MSAs, based on our 2025 net operating income ("NOI"). We believe that these properties are primarily located in high quality growth markets that have attractive supply and demand characteristics and are less sensitive to the fluctuations of the general economy. Many of these markets have multiple barriers to entry against increased supply, including zoning restrictions against new construction and new construction costs that we believe are higher than our properties' fair market value. Furthermore, we believe that our significant size and the overall geographic diversification of our portfolio reduces risks associated with specific local or regional economic downturns or natural disasters.

Integrated Platform Utilizing Advanced Technology for Enhanced Operational Performance. Our national platform allows us to capture cost savings through integration and centralization, thereby eliminating redundancies and utilizing economies of scale. As compared to a stand-alone operator, our national platform has greater access to lower-cost capital, reduced Internet marketing costs per customer lead, discounted property insurance expense, and reduced overhead costs. In addition, we have sufficient scale for various centralized functions, including financial reporting, the operation of call centers, expanding cell tower leasing, a national credit card processing program, marketing, information technology, legal support, and capital market functions, to achieve substantial cost savings over smaller, individual operators.

Our national platform utilizes advanced technology for our data warehouse program, Internet marketing, our centralized call centers, financial and property analytic dashboards, revenue optimization analytics and expense management tools to enhance operational performance. These centralized programs are positively impacting our business performance, and we believe that they will continue to be a driver of organic growth going forward.

Maximize Property Level Cash Flow. We strive to maximize the cash flows at our properties by leveraging the economies of scale provided by our national platform. We believe that our efficient national platform and centralized infrastructure will enable us to achieve optimal market rents and occupancy, reduce operating expenses and increase the sale by us of ancillary products and services, including tenant insurance, of which we receive a portion of the proceeds, truck rentals and packing supplies.

Participate in Industry Consolidation Through Acquisitions. The self storage industry is highly fragmented, with the majority of self storage properties in the United States owned by private companies and owners, representing a significant consolidation opportunity. We have established an extensive network of industry relationships and contacts in our respective markets. Through these regional and local connections, we are able to access acquisition opportunities, including some opportunities that are not publicly marketed or sold through auctions. We believe our industry networks and underwriting expertise provide us with a competitive advantage in identifying and selecting attractive acquisition opportunities, in many cases, before they are publicly marketed. We also believe our reputation as a reliable, well-capitalized buyer, along with our willingness to use OP units as transactional currency for a tax-deferred transaction to self storage owners seeking to sell their properties, gives us a competitive advantage over self storage companies that do not have the same transactional history or tax-deferred alternatives.

Strategic Joint Venture Arrangements. We intend to continue to opportunistically partner with institutional funds and other institutional investors to acquire attractive portfolios utilizing a promoted return structure. We believe there is significant opportunity for continued external growth by partnering with institutional investors seeking to deploy capital in the self storage industry. We intend to leverage our property management platform to provide property and asset management services for future strategic joint ventures, generating additional operating profits and third party fee income. In addition, we consider the 75% third-party interest in our managed unconsolidated real estate ventures, which as of December 31, 2025 owned 262 properties, to present a potential acquisition opportunity. This 75% third-party share of gross real estate assets is approximately $2.1 billion based on the historical book value of the joint ventures. Were we to pursue an acquisition of these interests, it could potentially drive our future growth.

Our Financing Strategy

We expect to maintain a flexible approach in financing new property acquisitions. In general, we expect to fund our property acquisitions through a combination of borrowings under bank credit facilities (including term loans and revolving facilities), property-level debt, issuances of OP equity and public and private equity and debt issuances.

Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2025, our unsecured credit facility provided for total borrowings of $1.355 billion (the "credit facility"). The credit facility consists of the following components: (i) a revolving line of credit (the "Revolver") which provided for a total borrowing commitment up to $950.0 million, under which we could borrow, repay and re-borrow amounts, (ii) a $275.0 million tranche D term loan facility (the "Term Loan D") and (iii) a $130.0 million tranche E term loan facility (the "Term Loan E"). As of December 31, 2025, we had the entire amounts drawn on Term Loan D and Term Loan E and we had approximately $400.9 million of outstanding borrowings under the Revolver, and the capacity to borrow an additional $542.1 million under the Revolver while remaining in compliance with the credit facility's financial covenants. As of December 31, 2025, we had an expansion option under the credit facility, which, if exercised in full, would have provided for a total credit facility of $1.900 billion.

Term Loan Facilities, Senior Unsecured Notes and Fixed Rate Mortgages. We will continue to utilize a combination of borrowings, including term loans, senior unsecured notes and fixed rate mortgages, for future acquisitions and to refinance existing debt. As of December 31, 2025, we had $460.0 million of term loan facilities, $1.950 billion of senior unsecured notes and $198.6 million of fixed rate mortgages outstanding.

For additional detail regarding our Credit Facility, Term Loan Facilities and Senior Unsecured Notes, please see Part II, Item 7, "Liquidity and Capital Resources".

Our outstanding term loan facilities and senior unsecured notes are subject to customary affirmative and negative covenants that, among other things, limit the Company's ability to make distributions or certain investments, incur debt, incur liens and enter into certain transactions.

We expect to employ leverage in our capital structure in amounts determined from time to time by our board of trustees. Although our board of trustees has not adopted a policy which limits the total amount of indebtedness that we may incur, it will consider a number of factors in evaluating our level of indebtedness from time to time, as well as the amount of such indebtedness that will be either fixed and variable-rate, and in making financial decisions, including, among others, the following:

•the interest rate of the proposed financing;

•the extent to which the financing impacts our flexibility in managing our properties;

•prepayment penalties and restrictions on refinancing;

•the purchase price of properties or other assets we acquire with debt financing;

•our long-term objectives with respect to the financing;

•our target investment returns;

•the ability of particular properties, and the Company as a whole, to generate cash flow sufficient to cover expected debt service payments;

•overall level of consolidated indebtedness;

•timing of debt maturities;

•provisions that require recourse and cross-collateralization;

•corporate credit ratios including debt service coverage, debt to total market capitalization and debt to undepreciated assets; and

•the overall ratio of fixed- and variable-rate debt.

Our indebtedness may be recourse, non-recourse or cross-collateralized. If the indebtedness is non-recourse, the collateral will be limited to the particular properties to which the indebtedness relates. In addition, we may invest in properties subject to existing loans secured by mortgages or similar liens, or may refinance properties acquired on a leveraged basis. We may use the proceeds from any borrowings to refinance existing indebtedness, to refinance investments, including the redevelopment of existing properties, for general working capital or for other purposes when we believe it is advisable.

Equity. We may issue common shares or preferred shares in public offerings or private placements, or OP units in our Operating Partnership in connection with property acquisitions. On November 19, 2024, we entered into a new At the Market ("ATM") program authorizing, but not obligating, the sale of up to $400.0 million of common shares from time to time. The timing and amount of these offerings, if any, will be determined by our management based on their evaluation of market conditions, share price, legal requirements and other factors. During the year ended December 31, 2025, we did not sell any common shares through the ATM program.

Joint Ventures. As of December 31, 2025, we owned 262 of our stores through unconsolidated real estate ventures with third parties. Our unconsolidated real estate venture partners typically provide most of the equity capital required for the acquisition of stores owned in these joint ventures. Most joint venture agreements include buy-sell rights, as well as rights of first offer in connection with the sale of stores by the joint venture. We manage the day-to-day operations of the stores owned in our managed joint ventures and participate in major decisions relating to the joint ventures, including the sales of stores or financings by the applicable joint venture.

Sale of Properties. We have not historically sold a high volume of stores. However, we may sell more stores or interests in stores in the future when we conclude we are holding a non-strategic real estate asset or in response to changing economic, financial or investment conditions. For the year ended December 31, 2025, we sold 15 self storage properties to unaffiliated third parties for net proceeds of $96.9 million. For the year ended December 31, 2024, we sold 40 self storage properties to unaffiliated third parties for net proceeds of $273.1 million and contributed 56 self storage properties to the 2024 Joint Venture for net cash proceeds of $343.7 million.

Dividend Reinvestment Plan

In the future, we may adopt a dividend reinvestment plan that will permit shareholders who elect to participate in the plan to have their cash dividends reinvested in additional common shares.

Regulation

General

Generally, self storage properties are subject to various laws, ordinances and regulations, including those relating to lien sale rights and procedures, public accommodations, insurance, privacy and the environment. Changes in any of these laws, ordinances or regulations could increase the potential liability existing or created by tenants or others on our properties. Laws, ordinances, or regulations affecting development, construction, operation, upkeep, safety and taxation requirements may result in significant unanticipated expenditures, loss of self storage sites or other impairments to operations, which would adversely affect our cash flows from operating activities.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (the "ADA"), all places of public accommodation are required to meet certain federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons. A number of additional U.S. federal, state and local laws may also require modifications to our properties, or restrict certain further renovations of the properties, with respect to access thereto by disabled persons. The ADA or these other laws may also apply to our website. For additional information on the ADA, see "