Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Organization, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies

v3.7.0.1
Organization, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Organization, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies
Organization, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies

Gladstone Commercial Corporation is a real estate investment trust ("REIT") that was incorporated under the General Corporation Law of the State of Maryland on February 14, 2003. We focus on acquiring, owning and managing primarily office and industrial properties. On a selective basis, we may make long term industrial and commercial mortgage loans; however, we do not have any mortgage loans currently outstanding. Subject to certain restrictions and limitations, our business is managed by Gladstone Management Corporation, a Delaware corporation, or the Adviser, and administrative services are provided by Gladstone Administration, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, or the Administrator, each pursuant to a contractual arrangement with us. Our Adviser and Administrator collectively employ all of our personnel and pay their salaries, benefits, and general expenses directly. Gladstone Commercial Corporation conducts substantially all of its operations through a subsidiary, Gladstone Commercial Limited Partnership, a Delaware limited partnership, or the Operating Partnership.

All further references herein to “we,” “our,” and “us” mean Gladstone Commercial Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries, except where it is made clear that the term means only Gladstone Commercial Corporation.

Interim Financial Information

Our interim financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") for interim financial information and pursuant to the requirements for reporting on Form 10-Q and in accordance with Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, certain disclosures accompanying annual financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP are omitted. The year-end balance sheet data presented herein was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. In the opinion of our management, all adjustments, consisting solely of normal recurring accruals, necessary for the fair statement of financial statements for the interim period, have been included. The interim financial statements and notes thereto should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on February 15, 2017. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for other interim periods or for the full fiscal year.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.

Critical Accounting Policies

The preparation of our financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make judgments that are subjective in nature to make certain estimates and assumptions. Application of these accounting policies involves the exercise of judgment regarding the use of assumptions as to future uncertainties, and as a result, actual results could materially differ from these estimates. A summary of all of our significant accounting policies is provided in Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. There were no material changes to our critical accounting policies during the three months ended March 31, 2017.

Reclassifications

Certain items on condensed consolidated statement of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2016 have been reclassified to conform to the current period's presentation. These reclassifications had no impact on previously-reported equity, net loss, or net change in cash and cash equivalents.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2017-05 ("ASU 2017-05") to provide guidance for recognizing gains and losses from the transfer of nonfinancial assets and in-substance non-financial assets in contracts with non-customers, unless other specific guidance applies. The standard requires a company to derecognize nonfinancial assets once it transfers control of a distinct nonfinancial asset or distinct in substance nonfinancial asset. Additionally, when a company transfers its controlling interest in a nonfinancial asset, but retains a noncontrolling ownership interest, the company is required to measure any non-controlling interest it receives or retains at fair value. The guidance requires companies to recognize a full gain or loss on the transaction. As a result of the new guidance, the guidance specific to real estate sales in ASC 360-20 will be eliminated, and partial sales of real estate assets will now be subject to the same derecognition model as all other nonfinancial assets. The amendments to the nonfinancial asset guidance are effective at the same time an entity adopts the new revenue guidance. We are in the process of evaluating the impact of this new guidance on our consolidated financial statements. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. The effective date of this guidance coincides with revenue recognition guidance. We expect to utilize the modified retrospective approach.