CRE Debt and Preferred Equity Investments (Parenthetical) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Commercial Mortgage
Transaction to Real Estate Investments [Line Items]
Net origination fees	$ 7.1	$ 6.9

Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Origination Fees, Net

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	nly_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant