NEWTON, Mass.--Senior Housing Properties Trust (NYSE: SNH) today announced that the characterization of dividends for 2005 income tax reporting purposes is as follows:

                                 Dividend Allocation Per Share
                                   -----------------------------------
                                   Dividends                   Return
Declaration  Record   Paid/Payable    Per    Ordinary Capital     of
   Dates      Dates       Dates      Share    Income    Gain   Capital
----------- --------- ------------ --------- -------- -------- -------

  01/06/05  01/21/05    02/22/05   $0.3200  $0.1905  $0.0156  $0.1139
  04/04/05  04/20/05    05/20/05    0.3200   0.1905   0.0156   0.1139
  07/05/05  07/20/05    08/19/05    0.3200   0.1905   0.0156   0.1139
  10/06/05  10/20/05    11/18/05    0.3200   0.1905   0.0156   0.1139
                                  --------- -------- -------- --------
                       TOTALS:     $1.2800  $0.7620  $0.0624  $0.4556
                                  ========= ======== ======== ========
                                    100.00%   59.53%    4.88%   35.59%

SNH's common share CUSIP number is 81721M109. The Company did not incur any foreign taxes. None of the common dividends paid by the Company were Qualified Dividends. This information represents final income allocations.

Senior Housing Properties Trust is a real estate investment trust headquartered in Newton, Massachusetts which has investments in senior living properties located in 32 states.

A Maryland Real Estate 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
617-796-8149
Manager of Investor Relations
www.snhreit.com