EXHIBIT

FROM:     Simon R. C. Wadsworth

SUBJECT:  MID-AMERICA ANNOUNCES PARTIAL EXERCISE OF UNDERWRITERS' OVER-ALLOTMENT
          OPTION

DATE:     July 17, 2003
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                     Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc.
        Announces Partial Exercise of Underwriters' Over-Allotment Option

MEMPHIS,   Tenn.-(BUSINESS   WIRE)-July   17,  2003  -   Mid-America   Apartment
Communities,   Inc.   (NYSE:MAA)  (the  "Company")   announced  today  that  the
underwriters of its July 9, 2003 public  offering of 5,600,000  shares of 8.30 %
Series H Cumulative  Redeemable Preferred Stock (the "Series H Preferred Stock")
have exercised 525,000 shares of their over-allotment option to purchase 600,000
additional  shares of the Series H Preferred Stock for the offering price of $25
per share,  less an underwriting  discount.  A total of 6,125,000  shares of the
Series H  Preferred  Stock have now been sold,  and the  underwriters  expect to
deliver these shares to purchasers on or before August 11, 2003. Raymond James &
Associates, Inc., served as lead managing underwriter for the public offering of
the Series H Preferred Stock.

The Company will receive net  proceeds of  $12,711,563  from the exercise of the
underwriter's over-allotment option, all of which will be used by the Company to
redeem all of its  remaining  issued and  outstanding 8 7/8% Series B Cumulative
Preferred Stock.

A copy of the final prospectus  supplement related to the public offering of the
Series H  Preferred  Stock  may be  obtained  from  the  Company's  website,  at
www.maac.net.

MAA is a self-administered,  self-managed  apartment-only real estate investment
trust that currently owns or has ownership  interest in 34,815  apartment  units
throughout  the  southeast and south  central U.S. For further  details,  please
refer to our website at  www.maac.net  or contact Simon R.C.  Wadsworth at (901)
682-6668, ext.105, 6584 Poplar Ave., Suite 300, Memphis, TN 38138.

Certain matters in this press release may constitute  forward-looking statements
within the meaning of Section 27-A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E
of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. Such statements include, but are not
limited to, statements made about anticipated growth rate of revenues, expenses,
and net operating income at Mid-America's properties,  anticipated lease-up (and
rental  concessions)  at  development   properties,   planned  acquisitions  and
dispositions,  and property financing.  Actual results and the timing of certain
events could differ  materially  from those  projected in or contemplated by the
forward-looking  statements due to a number of factors,  including a downturn in
general  economic  conditions  or  the  capital  markets,   competitive  factors
including  overbuilding or other supply/demand  imbalances in some or all of our
markets, changes in interest rates and other items that are difficult to control
such as insurance rates,  increases in real estate taxes in numerous markets, as
well  as  other  general  risks  inherent  in  the  apartment  and  real  estate
businesses.  Reference  is hereby made to the filings of  Mid-America  Apartment
Communities,  Inc.,  with the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission,  including
quarterly  reports on Form  10-Q,  current  reports on Form 8-K,  and its Annual
Report on Form 10-K,  particularly  including the risk factors  contained in the
latter filing.

Contact:
Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc.
Simon R.C. Wadsworth, 901/682-6668 Ext.105
www.maac.net