Business and Organization	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Business and Organization	Business and Organization W. P. Carey Inc., or W. P. Carey, is, together with its consolidated subsidiaries and predecessors, a real estate investment trust, or REIT, that provides long-term financing via sale-leaseback and build-to-suit transactions for companies worldwide and manages a global investment portfolio. We invest primarily in commercial properties domestically and internationally. We earn revenue principally by leasing the properties we own to single corporate tenants, primarily on a triple-net leased basis, which requires each tenant to pay substantially all of the costs associated with operating and maintaining the property. Through our taxable REIT subsidiaries, or TRSs, we also earn revenue as the advisor to publicly-owned, non-listed REITs under the Corporate Property Associates, or CPA^®, brand name, which invest in similar properties. At March 31, 2014, we were the advisor to Corporate Property Associates 17 – Global Incorporated, or CPA^®:17 – Global, and Corporate Property Associates 18 – Global Incorporated, or CPA^®:18 – Global. We were also the advisor to Corporate Property Associates 16 – Global Incorporated, or CPA^®:16 – Global, until its merger with us on January 31, 2014. We refer to CPA^®:16 – Global, CPA^®:17 – Global, and CPA^®:18 – Global as the CPA^® REITs. We are also the advisor to Carey Watermark Investors Incorporated, or CWI, and together with CPA^® REITs, the Managed REITs, a publicly-owned, non-listed REIT that invests in lodging and lodging-related properties. Originally founded in 1973, we reorganized as a REIT in September 2012 in connection with our merger with Corporate Property Associates 15 Incorporated, or CPA^®:15. We refer to these transactions as the REIT Conversion and the CPA^®:15 Merger, respectively. Our shares of common stock are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WPC.” On January 31, 2014, CPA^®:16 – Global merged with and into us based on a merger agreement, dated as of July 25, 2013, which we refer to as the CPA^®:16 Merger (Note 3). We have elected to be taxed as a REIT under Section 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code. As a REIT, we are not generally subject to U.S. federal income taxation as long as we satisfy certain requirements, principally relating to the nature of our income and the level of our distributions, as well as other factors. We hold all of our real estate assets attributable to our Real Estate Ownership segment under the REIT structure, while the activities conducted by our Investment Management segment subsidiaries have been organized under TRSs. Primary Reportable Segments Real Estate Ownership — We own and invest in commercial properties principally in the United States, or the U.S. and the European Union that are then leased to companies, primarily on a triple-net lease basis. We may also invest in other properties if opportunities arise. We earn lease revenues from our wholly-owned and co-owned real estate investments. In addition, we generate equity income through co-owned real estate investments that we do not control and our investments in the shares of the Managed REITs (Note 7). Through our special member interests in the operating partnerships of the Managed REITs, we also participate in their cash flows (Note 4). At March 31, 2014, our owned portfolio was comprised of our full or partial ownership interest in 700 properties, substantially all of which were net leased to 230 tenants, with an occupancy rate of 98.3%, and totaled approximately 82.8 million square feet. Collectively, at March 31, 2014, the Managed REITs owned all or a portion of 363 properties, including certain properties in which we have an ownership interest. Substantially all of these properties, totaling approximately 37.9 million square feet, were net leased to 112 tenants, with an average occupancy rate of approximately 99.96%. The Managed REITs also had interests in 95 operating properties for an aggregate of approximately 9.4 million square feet at March 31, 2014. Investment Management — Through our TRSs, we structure and negotiate investments and debt placement transactions for the Managed REITs, for which we earn structuring revenue, and manage their portfolios of real estate investments, for which we earn asset-based management revenue. We earn disposition revenue when we negotiate and structure the sale of properties on behalf of the Managed REITs, and we may also earn incentive revenue and receive other compensation in connection with providing liquidity events for the Managed REITs’ stockholders.

Business and Organization

W. P. Carey Inc., or W. P. Carey, is, together with its consolidated subsidiaries and predecessors, a real estate investment trust, or REIT, that provides long-term financing via sale-leaseback and build-to-suit transactions for companies worldwide and manages a global investment portfolio. We invest primarily in commercial properties domestically and internationally. We earn revenue principally by leasing the properties we own to single corporate tenants, primarily on a triple-net leased basis, which requires each tenant to pay substantially all of the costs associated with operating and maintaining the property. Through our taxable REIT subsidiaries, or TRSs, we also earn revenue as the advisor to publicly-owned, non-listed REITs under the Corporate Property Associates, or CPA^®, brand name, which invest in similar properties. At March 31, 2014, we were the advisor to Corporate Property Associates 17 – Global Incorporated, or CPA^®:17 – Global, and Corporate Property Associates 18 – Global Incorporated, or CPA^®:18 – Global. We were also the advisor to Corporate Property Associates 16 – Global Incorporated, or CPA^®:16 – Global, until its merger with us on January 31, 2014. We refer to CPA^®:16 – Global, CPA^®:17 – Global, and CPA^®:18 – Global as the CPA^® REITs. We are also the advisor to Carey Watermark Investors Incorporated, or CWI, and together with CPA^® REITs, the Managed REITs, a publicly-owned, non-listed REIT that invests in lodging and lodging-related properties.

Originally founded in 1973, we reorganized as a REIT in September 2012 in connection with our merger with Corporate Property Associates 15 Incorporated, or CPA^®:15. We refer to these transactions as the REIT Conversion and the CPA^®:15 Merger, respectively. Our shares of common stock are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WPC.”

On January 31, 2014, CPA^®:16 – Global merged with and into us based on a merger agreement, dated as of July 25, 2013, which we refer to as the CPA^®:16 Merger (Note 3).

We have elected to be taxed as a REIT under Section 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code. As a REIT, we are not generally subject to U.S. federal income taxation as long as we satisfy certain requirements, principally relating to the nature of our income and the level of our distributions, as well as other factors. We hold all of our real estate assets attributable to our Real Estate Ownership segment under the REIT structure, while the activities conducted by our Investment Management segment subsidiaries have been organized under TRSs.

Primary Reportable Segments

Real Estate Ownership — We own and invest in commercial properties principally in the United States, or the U.S. and the European Union that are then leased to companies, primarily on a triple-net lease basis. We may also invest in other properties if opportunities arise. We earn lease revenues from our wholly-owned and co-owned real estate investments. In addition, we generate equity income through co-owned real estate investments that we do not control and our investments in the shares of the Managed REITs (Note 7). Through our special member interests in the operating partnerships of the Managed REITs, we also participate in their cash flows (Note 4). At March 31, 2014, our owned portfolio was comprised of our full or partial ownership interest in 700 properties, substantially all of which were net leased to 230 tenants, with an occupancy rate of 98.3%, and totaled approximately 82.8 million square feet. Collectively, at March 31, 2014, the Managed REITs owned all or a portion of 363 properties, including certain properties in which we have an ownership interest. Substantially all of these properties, totaling approximately 37.9 million square feet, were net leased to 112 tenants, with an average occupancy rate of approximately 99.96%. The Managed REITs also had interests in 95 operating properties for an aggregate of approximately 9.4 million square feet at March 31, 2014.

Investment Management — Through our TRSs, we structure and negotiate investments and debt placement transactions for the Managed REITs, for which we earn structuring revenue, and manage their portfolios of real estate investments, for which we earn asset-based management revenue. We earn disposition revenue when we negotiate and structure the sale of properties on behalf of the Managed REITs, and we may also earn incentive revenue and receive other compensation in connection with providing liquidity events for the Managed REITs’ stockholders.