Condensed consolidating financial information Balance Sheet (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Assets
Investments in real estate, net	$ 6,776,914	$ 6,424,578
Cash and cash equivalents	57,696	140,971	78,539	91,232
Restricted cash	27,709	39,947
Tenant receivables	9,918	8,449
Deferred rent	190,425	170,396
Deferred leasing and financing costs, net	192,658	160,048
Investments	140,288	115,048
Investments in and advances to affiliates	0	0
Intercompany note receivable		0
Other assets	134,156	90,679
Total assets	7,529,764	7,150,116
Liabilities, Noncontrolling Interests, and Equity
Secured notes payable	708,831	716,144
Unsecured senior notes payable	1,048,230	549,805
Unsecured senior line of credit	204,000	566,000
Unsecured senior bank term loans	1,100,000	1,350,000
Accounts payable, accrued expenses, and tenant security deposits	435,342	423,708
Dividends payable	54,420	41,401
Intercompany notes payable		0
Total liabilities	3,550,823	3,647,058
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	14,444	14,564
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.’s stockholders’ equity	3,916,789	3,441,851
Noncontrolling interests	47,708	46,643
Total equity	3,964,497	3,488,494	3,416,859	2,970,408
Total liabilities, noncontrolling interests, and equity	7,529,764	7,150,116
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (Issuer)
Assets
Investments in real estate, net	0	38,616
Cash and cash equivalents	14,790	98,567	10,608	48,623
Restricted cash	55	52
Tenant receivables	0	1
Deferred rent	0	1,876
Deferred leasing and financing costs, net	36,901	31,373
Investments	0	0
Investments in and advances to affiliates	6,299,551	5,833,368
Intercompany note receivable		3,021
Other assets	20,226	17,613
Total assets	6,371,523	6,024,487
Liabilities, Noncontrolling Interests, and Equity
Secured notes payable	0	0
Unsecured senior notes payable	1,048,230	549,805
Unsecured senior line of credit	204,000	566,000
Unsecured senior bank term loans	1,100,000	1,350,000
Accounts payable, accrued expenses, and tenant security deposits	48,373	75,728
Dividends payable	54,131	41,103
Intercompany notes payable		0
Total liabilities	2,454,734	2,582,636
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.’s stockholders’ equity	3,916,789	3,441,851
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	3,916,789	3,441,851
Total liabilities, noncontrolling interests, and equity	6,371,523	6,024,487
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, L.P. (Guarantor Subsidiary)
Assets
Investments in real estate, net	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents	0	1,914	0	602
Restricted cash	0	0
Tenant receivables	0	0
Deferred rent	0	0
Deferred leasing and financing costs, net	0	0
Investments	10,868	12,591
Investments in and advances to affiliates	5,823,058	5,358,882
Intercompany note receivable		0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	5,833,926	5,373,387
Liabilities, Noncontrolling Interests, and Equity
Secured notes payable	0	0
Unsecured senior notes payable	0	0
Unsecured senior line of credit	0	0
Unsecured senior bank term loans	0	0
Accounts payable, accrued expenses, and tenant security deposits	0	0
Dividends payable	0	0
Intercompany notes payable		0
Total liabilities	0	0
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.’s stockholders’ equity	5,833,926	5,373,387
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	5,833,926	5,373,387
Total liabilities, noncontrolling interests, and equity	5,833,926	5,373,387
Combined Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries
Assets
Investments in real estate, net	6,776,914	6,385,962
Cash and cash equivalents	42,906	40,490	67,931	42,007
Restricted cash	27,654	39,895
Tenant receivables	9,918	8,448
Deferred rent	190,425	168,520
Deferred leasing and financing costs, net	155,757	128,675
Investments	129,420	102,457
Investments in and advances to affiliates	119,421	110,101
Intercompany note receivable		0
Other assets	113,930	73,066
Total assets	7,566,345	7,057,614
Liabilities, Noncontrolling Interests, and Equity
Secured notes payable	708,831	716,144
Unsecured senior notes payable	0	0
Unsecured senior line of credit	0	0
Unsecured senior bank term loans	0	0
Accounts payable, accrued expenses, and tenant security deposits	386,969	347,980
Dividends payable	289	298
Intercompany notes payable		3,021
Total liabilities	1,096,089	1,067,443
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	14,444	14,564
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.’s stockholders’ equity	6,408,104	5,928,964
Noncontrolling interests	47,708	46,643
Total equity	6,455,812	5,975,607
Total liabilities, noncontrolling interests, and equity	7,566,345	7,057,614
Eliminations
Assets
Investments in real estate, net	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0
Tenant receivables	0	0
Deferred rent	0	0
Deferred leasing and financing costs, net	0	0
Investments	0	0
Investments in and advances to affiliates	(12,242,030)	(11,302,351)
Intercompany note receivable		(3,021)
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(12,242,030)	(11,305,372)
Liabilities, Noncontrolling Interests, and Equity
Secured notes payable	0	0
Unsecured senior notes payable	0	0
Unsecured senior line of credit	0	0
Unsecured senior bank term loans	0	0
Accounts payable, accrued expenses, and tenant security deposits	0	0
Dividends payable	0	0
Intercompany notes payable		(3,021)
Total liabilities	0	(3,021)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.’s stockholders’ equity	(12,242,030)	(11,302,351)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	(12,242,030)	(11,302,351)
Total liabilities, noncontrolling interests, and equity	$ (12,242,030)	$ (11,305,372)