NOTE 6 — LEASES
MGM-MGP Master Lease. The MGM-MGP Master Lease is accounted for as an operating lease and has an initial lease term of ten years that began on April 25, 2016 (other than with respect to MGM National Harbor as described below) with the potential to extend the term for four additional five-year terms thereafter at the option of the tenant (with additional renewal options with respect to MGM Springfield, as described below). The lease provides that any extension of its term must apply to all of the real estate under the lease at the time of the extension. With respect to MGM National Harbor, the initial lease term ends on August 31, 2024. Thereafter, the initial term of the lease with respect to MGM National Harbor may be renewed at the option of the tenant for an initial renewal period lasting until the earlier of the end of the then-current term of the lease or the next renewal term (depending on whether MGM elects to renew the other properties under the lease in connection with the expiration of the initial ten-year term). If, however, the tenant chooses not to renew the lease with respect to MGM National Harbor after the initial MGM National Harbor term under the lease, the tenant would also lose the right to renew the lease with respect to the rest of the properties when the initial ten-year lease term ends related to the rest of the properties in 2026. In addition to the four five-year renewal terms, the term of the lease with respect to MGM Springfield may be extended for an additional four five-year renewal terms.
The lease has a triple-net structure, which requires the tenant to pay substantially all costs associated with the lease, including real estate taxes, ground lease rent, insurance, utilities and routine maintenance, in addition to the base rent. Additionally, the lease provides MGP with a right of first offer with respect to any future gaming development by MGM on the undeveloped land adjacent to Empire City, which MGP may exercise should MGM elect to sell such property in the future.
Rent under the lease consists of a “base rent” component and a “percentage rent” component. As of December 31, 2021, the base rent represents approximately 91% of the rent payments due under the lease and the percentage rent represents approximately 9% of the rent payments due under the lease. The base rent includes a fixed annual rent escalator of 2.0% for the second through the sixth lease years (as defined in the lease). Thereafter, beginning on April 1, 2022, the annual escalator of 2.0% will be subject to the tenant and, without duplication, the MGM operating subsidiary sublessees of the tenant, collectively meeting an adjusted net revenue to rent ratio of 6.25:1.00 based on their net revenue from the leased properties subject to the lease (as determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP, adjusted to exclude net revenue attributable to certain scheduled subleases and, at the tenant’s option, reimbursed cost revenue). With respect to the additional renewal terms for MGM Springfield, for the first two additional renewal terms, base rent will include a fixed annual rent escalator of 2.0%, subject to the tenant and the MGM operating subsidiary sublessee of our tenant, collectively meeting an adjusted net revenue to rent ratio, discussed above. For each lease year subsequent to the first two additional renewal terms, the base rent shall be the Fair Market Rent (as defined in the MGM-MGP Master Lease) in respect of MGM Springfield. The percentage rent will initially be a fixed amount for approximately the first six years and will then be adjusted every five years based on the average annual adjusted net revenues of the tenant and, without duplication, the operating subtenants, from the leased properties subject to the lease at such time for the trailing five calendar-year period (calculated by multiplying the average annual adjusted net revenues, excluding net revenue attributable to certain scheduled subleases and, at the tenant’s option, reimbursed cost revenue, for the trailing five calendar-year period by 1.4%).
On January 29, 2019, Empire City was added to the MGM-MGP Master Lease. As a result, the annual rent payment to MGP increased by $50 million, prorated for the remainder of the lease year. Consistent with the lease terms, 90% of this rent is fixed and will contractually grow at 2% per year until 2022. In addition, MGP has a right of first offer with respect to certain undeveloped land adjacent to the property to the extent MGM develops additional gaming facilities and chooses to sell or transfer the property in the future.
On March 7, 2019, the Company completed the Park MGM Transaction and amended the MGM-MGP Master Lease concurrent with which the Company paid $637.5 million, of which $605.6 million was cash and the remainder in issuance of approximately 1.0 million of Operating Partnership units, to a subsidiary of MGM. As a result of the transaction, the Company recorded a lease incentive asset which represents the consideration paid, less the existing deferred revenue balance of $94.0 million relating to the non-normal tenant improvements recorded for Park MGM, which was derecognized. Further, the annual rent payment to the Company increased by $50 million, prorated for the remainder of the lease year. Consistent with the lease terms, 90% of this rent is fixed and will contractually grow at 2.0% per year until 2022. The Company was required to reassess the lease classification of the lease, which included estimating the fair value using an income approach and the residual value of the assets used in the determination of the implicit rate, and concluded that the lease continued to be an operating lease.
On April 1, 2019, MGM Northfield Park was added to the MGM-MGP Master Lease and the annual rent payment increased by $60 million. Consistent with the lease terms, 90% of this rent is fixed and will contractually grow at 2.0% per year until 2022.
On February 14, 2020, in connection with the MGP BREIT Venture Transaction, the MGM-MGP Master Lease was modified to remove the Mandalay Bay property and the annual rent payment under the lease was reduced by $133 million. The Company reassessed the lease classification of the lease, which included estimating the fair value of the properties using an income approach and the residual value used in the determination of the implicit rate, and concluded that the lease will continue to be accounted for as an operating lease.
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