Selected Consolidated Financial Statements of Parent, Guarantors, Canada Company and Non-Guarantors - Consolidated Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Consolidating financial statements
Ownership percentage of subsidiaries	100.00%
Current Assets:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	$ 128,381	$ 125,933	$ 120,526	$ 243,415
Restricted Cash	0	33,860
Accounts Receivable	564,401	604,265
Intercompany Receivable	0	0
Other Current Assets	165,130	153,661
Total Current Assets	857,912	917,719
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	2,497,158	2,550,727
Other Assets, Net:
Long-term Notes Receivable from Affiliates and Intercompany Receivable	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Goodwill	2,360,978	2,423,783
Other	634,539	631,036
Total Other Assets, net	2,995,517	3,054,819
Total Assets	6,350,587	6,523,265	6,607,398
Liabilities and Equity
Intercompany Payable	0	0
Current Portion of Long-term Debt	88,068	52,095
Total Other Current Liabilities	753,763	804,641
Long-term debt, net of current portion	4,757,610	4,564,359
Long-term Notes Payable to Affiliates and Intercompany Payable	0	0
Other Long-term Liabilities	$ 222,539	$ 232,215
Commitments and Contingencies
Total Iron Mountain Incorporated Stockholders' Equity	$ 508,841	$ 856,355
Noncontrolling Interests	19,766	13,600
Total Equity	528,607	869,955	1,051,734	1,157,148
Total Liabilities and Equity	6,350,587	6,523,265
Eliminations
Current Assets:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0	0	0
Restricted Cash		0
Accounts Receivable	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	(1,038,141)	(586,725)
Other Current Assets	(29)	(34)
Total Current Assets	(1,038,170)	(586,759)
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Other Assets, Net:
Long-term Notes Receivable from Affiliates and Intercompany Receivable	(3,256,918)	(2,854,344)
Investment in Subsidiaries	(1,287,688)	(1,698,153)
Goodwill	0	0
Other	0	0
Total Other Assets, net	(4,544,606)	(4,552,497)
Total Assets	(5,582,776)	(5,139,256)
Liabilities and Equity
Intercompany Payable	(1,038,141)	(586,725)
Current Portion of Long-term Debt	(29)	(34)
Total Other Current Liabilities	0	0
Long-term debt, net of current portion	0	0
Long-term Notes Payable to Affiliates and Intercompany Payable	(3,256,918)	(2,854,344)
Other Long-term Liabilities	$ 0	$ 0
Commitments and Contingencies
Total Iron Mountain Incorporated Stockholders' Equity	$ (1,287,688)	$ (1,698,153)
Noncontrolling Interests	0	0
Total Equity	(1,287,688)	(1,698,153)
Total Liabilities and Equity	(5,582,776)	(5,139,256)
Parent | Reportable legal entities
Current Assets:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	151	2,399	1,243	0
Restricted Cash		33,860
Accounts Receivable	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	0	0
Other Current Assets	898	153
Total Current Assets	1,049	36,412
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	661	840
Other Assets, Net:
Long-term Notes Receivable from Affiliates and Intercompany Receivable	3,255,049	2,851,651
Investment in Subsidiaries	797,666	917,170
Goodwill	0	0
Other	623	1,459
Total Other Assets, net	4,053,338	3,770,280
Total Assets	4,055,048	3,807,532
Liabilities and Equity
Intercompany Payable	879,649	505,083
Current Portion of Long-term Debt	0	0
Total Other Current Liabilities	56,740	60,097
Long-term debt, net of current portion	2,608,818	2,384,997
Long-term Notes Payable to Affiliates and Intercompany Payable	1,000	1,000
Other Long-term Liabilities	$ 0	$ 0
Commitments and Contingencies
Total Iron Mountain Incorporated Stockholders' Equity	$ 508,841	$ 856,355
Noncontrolling Interests	0	0
Total Equity	508,841	856,355
Total Liabilities and Equity	4,055,048	3,807,532
Guarantors | Reportable legal entities
Current Assets:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	6,472	4,713	10,366	13,472
Restricted Cash		0
Accounts Receivable	14,069	361,330
Intercompany Receivable	1,038,141	586,725
Other Current Assets	106,670	88,709
Total Current Assets	1,165,352	1,041,477
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	1,600,886	1,580,337
Other Assets, Net:
Long-term Notes Receivable from Affiliates and Intercompany Receivable	1,869	245
Investment in Subsidiaries	459,429	656,877
Goodwill	1,618,593	1,611,957
Other	392,987	371,912
Total Other Assets, net	2,472,878	2,640,991
Total Assets	5,239,116	5,262,805
Liabilities and Equity
Intercompany Payable	0	0
Current Portion of Long-term Debt	41,159	24,955
Total Other Current Liabilities	454,924	470,122
Long-term debt, net of current portion	674,190	905,261
Long-term Notes Payable to Affiliates and Intercompany Payable	3,255,049	2,851,384
Other Long-term Liabilities	$ 115,950	$ 115,789
Commitments and Contingencies
Total Iron Mountain Incorporated Stockholders' Equity	$ 697,844	$ 895,294
Noncontrolling Interests	0	0
Total Equity	697,844	895,294
Total Liabilities and Equity	5,239,116	5,262,805
Canada Company | Reportable legal entities
Current Assets:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	13,182	4,979	1,094	103,346
Restricted Cash		0
Accounts Receivable	30,428	37,137
Intercompany Receivable	0	0
Other Current Assets	2,305	2,925
Total Current Assets	45,915	45,041
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	137,100	160,977
Other Assets, Net:
Long-term Notes Receivable from Affiliates and Intercompany Receivable	0	2,448
Investment in Subsidiaries	27,731	30,751
Goodwill	152,975	180,342
Other	22,637	23,965
Total Other Assets, net	203,343	237,506
Total Assets	386,358	443,524
Liabilities and Equity
Intercompany Payable	5,892	3,564
Current Portion of Long-term Debt	0	0
Total Other Current Liabilities	26,804	35,142
Long-term debt, net of current portion	284,798	243,154
Long-term Notes Payable to Affiliates and Intercompany Payable	869	0
Other Long-term Liabilities	$ 37,402	$ 37,558
Commitments and Contingencies
Total Iron Mountain Incorporated Stockholders' Equity	$ 30,593	$ 124,106
Noncontrolling Interests	0	0
Total Equity	30,593	124,106
Total Liabilities and Equity	386,358	443,524
Non-Guarantors | Reportable legal entities
Current Assets:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	108,576	113,842	$ 107,823	$ 126,597
Restricted Cash		0
Accounts Receivable	519,904	205,798
Intercompany Receivable	0	0
Other Current Assets	55,286	61,908
Total Current Assets	683,766	381,548
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	758,511	808,573
Other Assets, Net:
Long-term Notes Receivable from Affiliates and Intercompany Receivable	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	2,862	93,355
Goodwill	589,410	631,484
Other	218,292	233,700
Total Other Assets, net	810,564	958,539
Total Assets	2,252,841	2,148,660
Liabilities and Equity
Intercompany Payable	152,600	78,078
Current Portion of Long-term Debt	46,938	27,174
Total Other Current Liabilities	215,295	239,280
Long-term debt, net of current portion	1,189,804	1,030,947
Long-term Notes Payable to Affiliates and Intercompany Payable	0	1,960
Other Long-term Liabilities	$ 69,187	$ 78,868
Commitments and Contingencies
Total Iron Mountain Incorporated Stockholders' Equity	$ 559,251	$ 678,753
Noncontrolling Interests	19,766	13,600
Total Equity	579,017	692,353
Total Liabilities and Equity	$ 2,252,841	$ 2,148,660