Senior Housing Properties Trust (NYSE: SNH) today announced that the characterization of dividends for 2010 income tax reporting purposes is as follows:

Common Shares

        Dividend Allocation
Per Share
      Unrecaptured  
Declaration Record Paid/Payable Dividends Ordinary Qualified Capital Section 1250 Return of
Dates Dates Dates Per Share Income Dividend Gain Gain Capital
 
01/07/10 01/19/10 02/16/10 $0.3600 $0.2460 $0.0000 $0.0000 $0.0000 $0.1140
04/01/10 04/15/10 05/14/10 0.3600 0.2460 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.1140
07/02/10 07/15/10 08/13/10 0.3600 0.2460 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.1140
10/04/10 10/15/10 11/12/10 0.3700 0.2528 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.1172
TOTALS: $1.4500 $0.9908 $0.0000 $0.0000 $0.0000 $0.4592
100.00% 68.33% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 31.67%

SNH's common share CUSIP number is 81721M109. This information represents final income allocations.

Senior Housing Properties Trust is a real estate investment trust, or REIT, which owns independent and assisted living communities, nursing homes, rehabilitation hospitals, wellness centers and medical office buildings throughout the United States. SNH is headquartered in Newton, MA.

A Maryland Real Estate Investment Trust with transferable shares of beneficial interest listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

No shareholder, Trustee or officer is personally liable for any act or obligation of the Trust.

Senior Housing Properties Trust
Timothy A. Bonang, 617-796-8234
Vice President, Investor Relations
or
Elisabeth A. Heiss, 617-796-8234
Manager, Investor Relations
www.snhreit.com