Variable Interest Entities Consolidating Income Statement (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011
Property revenues	$ 4,145,933	$ 4,031,179	$ 8,384,862	$ 7,596,732
Mortgage revenue bond investment income	2,288,646	2,407,760	4,660,050	4,628,673
Gain on sale of bonds	667,821	0	667,821	0
Other income	43,427	148,950	82,772	400,311
Revenues	7,145,827	6,587,889	13,795,505	12,625,716
Real estate operating (exclusive of items shown below)	2,447,042	2,374,329	4,726,976	4,506,537
Provision for loss on receivables	238,175	710,690	476,350	710,690
Depreciation and amortization	1,527,403	1,316,112	2,966,308	2,449,171
Interest expense	1,546,688	1,630,527	2,865,223	2,404,261
General and Administrative Expense	1,048,366	677,422	1,698,945	1,319,017
Total expenses	6,807,674	6,709,080	12,733,802	11,389,676
Income (loss) from continuing operations	338,153	(121,191)	1,061,703	1,236,040
Income from discontinued operations	90,113	379	136,147	14,383
Net income (loss)	428,266	(120,812)	1,197,850	1,250,423
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	122,218	122,436	261,370	304,497
Net income (loss) - America First Tax Exempt Investors, L.P.	306,048	(243,248)	936,480	945,926
Partnership [Member]
Property revenues	2,946,188	2,370,614	5,990,208	4,049,929
Mortgage revenue bond investment income	2,669,348	2,975,786	5,422,425	5,880,460
Gain on sale of bonds	667,821		667,821
Other income	43,427	148,951	82,772	295,324
Revenues	6,326,784	5,495,351	12,163,226	10,225,713
Real estate operating (exclusive of items shown below)	1,715,747	1,333,989	3,287,640	2,410,073
Provision for loss on receivables	238,175	710,690	476,350	710,690
Depreciation and amortization	1,180,646	846,992	2,274,497	1,448,581
Interest expense	1,546,688	1,630,527	2,865,223	2,404,261
General and Administrative Expense	1,048,366	677,422	1,698,945	1,319,017
Total expenses	5,729,622	5,199,620	10,602,655	8,292,622
Income (loss) from continuing operations	597,162	295,731	1,560,571	1,933,091
Income from discontinued operations	90,113	379	136,147	14,383
Net income (loss)	687,275	296,110	1,696,718	1,947,474
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	122,218	122,436	261,370	304,497
Net income (loss) - America First Tax Exempt Investors, L.P.	565,057	173,674	1,435,348	1,642,977
Consolidated VIEs [Member]
Property revenues	1,199,745	1,660,565	2,394,654	3,546,803
Mortgage revenue bond investment income	0	0	0	0
Gain on sale of bonds	0		0
Other income	0	716,639	0	4,133,477
Revenues	1,199,745	2,377,204	2,394,654	7,680,280
Real estate operating (exclusive of items shown below)	731,295	1,040,340	1,439,336	2,096,464
Provision for loss on receivables	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	357,661	474,333	713,647	1,019,059
Interest expense	803,693	1,130,108	1,602,835	2,454,406
General and Administrative Expense	0	0	0	0
Total expenses	1,892,649	2,644,781	3,755,818	5,569,929
Income (loss) from continuing operations	(692,904)	(267,577)	(1,361,164)	2,110,351
Income from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)	(692,904)	(267,577)	(1,361,164)	2,110,351
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) - America First Tax Exempt Investors, L.P.	(692,904)	(267,577)	(1,361,164)	2,110,351
Consolidations, Eliminations for VIEs [Member]
Property revenues	0	0	0	0
Mortgage revenue bond investment income	(380,702)	(568,026)	(762,375)	(1,251,787)
Gain on sale of bonds	0		0
Other income	0	(716,640)	0	(4,028,490)
Revenues	(380,702)	(1,284,666)	(762,375)	(5,280,277)
Real estate operating (exclusive of items shown below)	0	0	0	0
Provision for loss on receivables	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	(10,904)	(5,213)	(21,836)	(18,469)
Interest expense	(803,693)	(1,130,108)	(1,602,835)	(2,454,406)
General and Administrative Expense	0	0	0	0
Total expenses	(814,597)	(1,135,321)	(1,624,671)	(2,472,875)
Income (loss) from continuing operations	433,895	(149,345)	862,296	(2,807,402)
Income from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)	433,895	(149,345)	862,296	(2,807,402)
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) - America First Tax Exempt Investors, L.P.	$ 433,895	$ (149,345)	$ 862,296	$ (2,807,402)