CAPREIT Announces March 2012 Distribution

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 8, 2012) - Canadian Apartment Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (TSX:CAR.UN) ("CAPREIT") announced today its March 2012 monthly distribution in the amount of $0.09 per Unit. The March distribution will be payable on April 16, 2012 to Unitholders of record on March 30, 2012.

To encourage participation and reward our loyal Unitholders, investors registered in our Distribution Reinvestment Plan will continue to receive an additional amount equal to 5% of their distributions paid in the form of additional Units.

As one of Canada's largest residential landlords, CAPREIT is a growth-oriented investment trust owning interests in 30,878 residential units, comprised of 29,545 residential suites and two manufactured home communities comprising 1,333 land lease sites located in and near major urban centres across Canada. Since its Initial Public Offering in May 1997, CAPREIT has grown monthly cash distributions per Unit by 51%. For more information about CAPREIT, its business and its investment highlights, please refer to our website at www.capreit.net and our public disclosure, which can be found under our profile at www.sedar.com.