Property type decides how quickly rent can move, what the buildings consume and which debt risk reaches the dividend first. Use this map before comparing payout ratios.
Equity REITs own the real estate. The category names describe the property and lease model, not a dividend outcome.
Usually single-tenant properties with long leases. The tenant often bears operating costs, which can make rent streams look stable until tenant credit, lease expiry or acquisition funding changes.
Multi-tenant retail properties built around daily-needs, service and discretionary tenants. The question is not only occupancy; it is the economics of replacing space as leases roll.
Apartment cash flow reprices more quickly than long-lease real estate. Supply, local employment and operating costs can change the rent path before a long debt stack comes due.
Warehouses and logistics facilities generally depend on tenant demand, new supply and the ability to reset rents as leases expire. A strong rent market does not remove refinancing or development risk.
Data centers lease power, capacity and interconnection. Their economics combine contracted customer revenue with large recurring and growth capital requirements.
Tower owners lease vertical space to wireless carriers. Multiple tenants can share a site, but carrier consolidation, amendment activity and financing still shape the cash structure.
Gaming REITs typically own casino properties and lease them to operators. The key distinction is between property rent coverage and the operator’s own ability to carry the lease.
Mortgage REITs finance or own mortgage assets rather than operating buildings. Their dividend is exposed to interest-rate spreads, financing terms, hedges and book-value movement.
Identify the property.
Trace the rent or interest income.
Read what the assets consume.
Check the debt ladder.
Then judge the payout.
Explore the expanded, source-linked library: FFO, AFFO, the distribution rule, and all 36 guides.
Use the REIT and BDC comparison to distinguish property income from lending income. Then use the dividend research worksheet to record the reporting period, source, definition and unresolved questions before comparing a payout. A classification is a starting point, not a conclusion about dividend safety.