UISearchController SearchBar Overlapping Status Bar and Spaces

Question

I have a view controller with a search button as a button element of the right navigation bar. When the search button is pressed, I want the UISearchController to be presented. Here is the relevant code:

@interface BaseViewController ()

@property (nonatomic, strong) UISearchController *searchController;
@property (nonatomic, strong) UIBarButtonItem *searchBarButtonItem;
@property (nonatomic, strong) UIBarButtonItem *accountBarButtonItem;
@property (nonatomic, strong) UITableViewController *searchResultsController;

@end

@implementation BaseViewController

- (instancetype)init {
    if (self = [super init]) {

        UIImage *accountIcon = [UIImage imageNamed:@"[e-mail]"];

        UIBarButtonItem *accountBarButtonItem = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithImage:accountIcon style:UIBarButtonItemStylePlain target:self action:@selector(accountButtonPressed:)];
        UIBarButtonItem *searchBarButtonItem = [[UIBarButtonItem alloc] initWithBarButtonSystemItem:UIBarButtonSystemItemSearch target:self action:@selector(searchButtonPressed:)];

        [self setSearchResultsController:[[UITableViewController alloc] init]];
        [self setSearchController:[[UISearchController alloc] initWithSearchResultsController:[self searchResultsController]]];

        [[[self searchResultsController] tableView] setDataSource:self];
        [[[self searchResultsController] tableView] setDelegate:self];
        [[[self searchResultsController] tableView] setTableHeaderView:[[self searchController] searchBar]];

        [[self searchController] setSearchResultsUpdater:self];
        [[self searchController] setDelegate:self];
        [[self searchController] setHidesNavigationBarDuringPresentation:YES];
        [[self searchController] setDimsBackgroundDuringPresentation:YES];
        [[[self searchController] searchBar] setDelegate:self];

        [self setDefinesPresentationContext:YES];

        [self setSearchBarButtonItem:searchBarButtonItem];
        [self setAccountBarButtonItem:accountBarButtonItem];
    }
    return self;
}

- (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];

    [[self navigationItem] setLeftBarButtonItem:[self accountBarButtonItem]];
    [[self navigationItem] setRightBarButtonItem:[self searchBarButtonItem]];
}

- (IBAction)searchButtonPressed:(id)sender {
    [self presentViewController:[self searchController] animated:YES completion:nil];
}

When the search button is pressed, searchController is displayed. All is well, except for the following two things:

1.) The search bar overrides the status bar

2.) There is a space in the first row of the table view

Below are photos illustrating the problem:

How can I solve the problem in the status bar and remove the space in the first line?