As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 1, 1999
                                                              File No. 333-_____
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


                       EQUITY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES TRUST
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

            Maryland                                    13-3675988
(State or other jurisdiction of            (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
Incorporation or Organization)

  Two North Riverside Plaza, Suite 400, Chicago, Illinois 60606 (312) 474-1300
                    (Address of Principal Executive Offices)

                           LEXFORD SUBSTITUTE OPTIONS
                            (Full Title of the Plan)

                               Douglas Crocker II
                      President and Chief Executive Officer
                      Two North Riverside Plaza, Suite 400
                             Chicago, Illinois 60606
                     (Name and Address of Agent for Service)

                                 (312) 474-1300
          (Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

                                   Copies to:
                            William C. Hermann, Esq.
                                 Rudnick & Wolfe
                            203 North LaSalle Street,
                                   Suite 1800
                             Chicago, Illinois 60601

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE


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                                                                      Proposed Maximum       Proposed Maximum
                                                  Amount to be         Offering Price            Aggregate            Amount of
    Title of Securities to be Registered           Registered           Per Share (1)       Offering Price (1)    Registration Fee
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                      
Common Shares of Beneficial Interest,
$.01 par value.........................           84,946              $30.72                $2,609,542            $726
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- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(1)      Estimated solely for purposes of calculating the amount of the
         registration fee based upon the weighted average price at which the
         options may be exercised, pursuant to Rule 457(h)(1).



                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

         The following documents, which have heretofore been filed by the
Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission")
pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), are
incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and shall be deemed to
be a part hereof:

         (a)   Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998;

         (b)   Quarterly  Reports on Form 10-Q for the  quarterly  periods
               ending  March 31,  1999 and June 30, 1999;

         (c)   Current Reports on Form 8-K dated June 25, 1998, July 23,
               1998, (report on Form 8-K and Form 8 K/A), February 24, 1999
               and June 30, 1999 (two reports on Form 8-K); and

         (d)   Report on Form 8-A/A dated August 10, 1993 (File No. 1-12252).

         All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant with the Commission
pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the
filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered
have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall
be deemed to be incorporated herein by reference and shall be deemed a part
hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

         Not applicable.

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

         Errol R. Halperin, a partner at Rudnick & Wolfe, is a trustee of the
Registrant. Attorneys of Rudnick & Wolfe beneficially own less than 1% of the
outstanding Common Shares of Beneficial Interest of the Registrant, either
directly or upon the exercise of options.

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS.

         Under Maryland law, a REIT organized in Maryland is permitted to
eliminate, by provision in its Declaration of Trust, the liability of its
trustees, officers and shareholders for money damages except for liability
resulting from (a) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money,
property or services or (b) active and deliberate dishonesty established by
final judgment as being material to the cause of action. The Declaration of
Trust of EQR includes such a provision eliminating the liability of its
trustees, officers and shareholders to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland
law.

         The Maryland REIT law permits a Maryland real estate investment trust
to indemnify and advance expenses to its trustees, officers, employees and
agents to the same extent as permitted by the Maryland General Corporation Law
for directors and officers of Maryland corporations. The Maryland General
Corporation Law permits a corporation to indemnify its present and former
directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines,
settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with
any proceeding to which they may be made a party by reason of their service in
those or other capacities unless it is established that (a) the act or omission
of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the
proceeding and (i) was committed in bad faith or (ii) was the result of active
and deliberate dishonesty, (b) the director or officer actually received an
improper personal benefit in money, property or services or (c) in the case of
any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe
that the act or omission was unlawful. However, under the Maryland General
Corporation Law, a Maryland corporation may not indemnify for an adverse
judgment in a suit by or in the right of the corporation or for a judgment of
liability on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received, unless in
either case a court orders indemnification and then only for expenses. In
addition, the Maryland General Corporation Law permits a corporation to advance
reasonable expenses to a director or officer

                                       II-1


upon the corporation's receipt of (a) a written affirmation by the director or
officer of his good faith belief that he has met the standard of conduct
necessary for indemnification by the corporation and (b) a written undertaking
by him or on his behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the
corporation if it shall ultimately be determined that the standard of conduct
was not met.

         Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") may be permitted to trustees and
officers of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions or otherwise,
the Registrant has been advised that, although the validity and scope of the
governing statute have not been tested in court, in the opinion of the
Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In addition, indemnification
may be limited by state securities laws.

         The partnership agreements of ERP Operating Limited Partnership, of
which the Registrant is the general partner, and Equity Residential Properties
Management Limited Partnership (the "Management Partnership") of which the
Operating Partnership is general partner, also provide for indemnification of
the Registrant and its officers and trustees to the same extent indemnification
is provided to officers and trustees of the Registrant in its declaration of
trust, and limit the liability of the Registrant and its officers and trustees
to the Operating Partnership and the Management Partnership and their respective
partners to the same extent the liability of the officers and trustees of the
Registrant to the Registrant and its shareholders is limited under the
Registrant's declaration of trust.

ITEM 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

         Not applicable.

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.

         See Exhibit Index which is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.

         The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

         (1)      To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
                  made, a post-effective amendment to this registration
                  statement:

               (i)  To include any prospectus required by section 10(a) (3) of
                    the Securities Act of 1933;

               (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
                    after the effective date of the registration statement (or
                    the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which,
                    individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental
                    change in the information set forth in this registration
                    statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or
                    decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total
                    dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that
                    which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high
                    end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected
                    in the form of the prospectus filed with the Commission
                    pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in
                    volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change
                    in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the
                    "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective
                    registration statement;

              (iii) To include any material information with respect to the
                    plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the
                    registration statement or any material change to such
                    information in this registration statement;

         PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that subparagraphs (i) and (ii) above do not apply
         if the registration statement is on Form S-3 or Form S-8, and the
         information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by
         those paragraphs is contained in the periodic reports filed with or
         furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or
         Section 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 that are
         incorporated by reference in this registration statement.

                                       II-2


         (2)      That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
                  Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment
                  shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to
                  the securities offered herein, and the offering of such
                  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial BONA
                  FIDE offering thereof.

         (3)      To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
                  amendment any of the securities being registered which remain
                  unsold at the termination of the offering.

         The undersigned Registrant hereby further undertakes that, for the
purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each
filing of the Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference
in this registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration
statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the offering of such
securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering
thereof.

         Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of
the registrant pursuant to existing provisions or arrangements whereby the
registrant may indemnify a trustee, officer or controlling person of the
registrant against liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, or
otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities
and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as
expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim
for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling
person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.


                                       II-3


                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Chicago, State of Illinois, on October 1, 1999.

                       EQUITY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES TRUST

                  By:      /s/ Douglas Crocker II
                          -----------------------------------------
                          Douglas Crocker II, President, Chief  Executive
                          Officer and Trustee

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature
appears below, hereby constitutes and appoints Douglas Crocker II, David
Neithercut and Bruce C. Strohm, or any of them, his attorneys-in-fact and
agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution for him in any and
all capacities, to sign any or all amendments or post-effective amendments to
this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and
other documents in connection therewith or in connection with the registration
of the Securities under the Exchange Act, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, granting unto each of such attorneys-in-fact and agents full power
and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and
necessary in connection with such matters as fully to all intents and purposes
as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each
of such attorneys-in-fact and agents or his substitute or substitutes may
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated:



Name                                     Title                                              Date
- ----                                     -----                                              ----
                                                                                      
                                         Chairman of the Board of Trustees                  October 1, 1999
- ------------------------------------
Samuel Zell

/s/ Douglas Crocker II                   President, Chief Executive Officer and Trustee     October 1, 1999
- ------------------------------------
Douglas Crocker II

/s/ David J. Neithercut                  Executive Vice President and Chief Financial       October 1, 1999
- ------------------------------------     Officer
David J. Neithercut

/s/ Michael J. McHugh                    Executive Vice President, Chief Accounting         October 1, 1999
- ------------------------------------     Officer and Treasurer
Michael J. McHugh

/s/ Gerald A. Spector                    Executive Vice President, Chief Operating          October 1, 1999
- ------------------------------------     Officer and Trustee
Gerald A. Spector

/s/ Sheli Z. Rosenberg                   Trustee                                            October 1, 1999
- ------------------------------------
Sheli Z. Rosenberg

/s/ James D. Harper, Jr.                 Trustee                                            October 1, 1999
- ------------------------------------
James D. Harper, Jr.

/s/ Errol R. Halperin                    Trustee                                            October 1, 1999
- ------------------------------------
Errol R. Halperin

/s/ John  W. Alexander                   Trustee                                            October 1, 1999
- ------------------------------------
John Alexander

/s/ B. Joseph White                      Trustee                                            October 1, 1999
- ------------------------------------
B. Joseph White

/s/ Henry H. Goldberg                    Trustee                                            October 1, 1999
- ------------------------------------
Henry H. Goldberg

/s/ Edward Lowenthal                     Trustee                                            October 1, 1999
- ------------------------------------
Edward Lowenthal





/s/ Jeffrey H. Lynford                   Trustee                                            October 1, 1999
- ------------------------------------
Jeffrey H. Lynford

/s/ Stephen O. Evans                     Trustee                                            October 1, 1999
- ------------------------------------
Stephen O. Evans

/s/ Boone A. Knox                        Trustee                                            October 1, 1999
- ------------------------------------
Boone A. Knox

/s/ Michael N. Thompson                  Trustee                                            October 1, 1999
- ------------------------------------
Michael N. Thompson




                                  EXHIBIT INDEX



                                                                                                    Sequentially
        Exhibit                                            Exhibit                                    Numbered
        Number                                           Description                                    Page
        ------                                           -----------                                ------------
                                                                                              
         4.1               *    Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, as amended

         4.2              **    Amendment  to Second  Amended  and  Restated  Declaration  of
                                Trust, as amended

         4.3              ***   Third Amended and Restated Bylaws

         5                      Opinion of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP

         23.1                   Consent of Ernst & Young LLP

         23.2                   Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP

         23.3                   Consent of Ballard Spahr  Andrews & Ingersoll,  LLP (included
                                in Exhibit 5)

         24                     Power of  Attorney  (filed as part of the  signature  page to
                                the Registration Statement)


- -------------------
*        Included as Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K
         dated May 30, 1997 and incorporated herein by reference.
**       Included as Exhibit A to Appendix B to the Registrant's Proxy Statement
         dated August 27, 1999 and incorporated herein by reference.
***      Included as Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form
         10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 1999 and incorporated
         herein by reference.