Capitalization (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended					1 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2005	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012 Behringer Harvard Holdings, LLC	Sep. 30, 2012 Behringer OP	Mar. 31, 2006 Non-participating, non-voting convertible stock Behringer Advisors	Aug. 31, 2012 Participating, voting, convertible preferred stock Services Holdings	Sep. 30, 2012 Participating, voting, convertible preferred stock Services Holdings
Capitalization
Common stock outstanding (in shares)		298,712,342	297,255,771
Number of shares of common stock issued through primary offerings		271,352,628
Shares issued as a result of stock dividend	5,521,002
Shares issued through distribution reinvestment		34,539,889
Shares issued				22,000
Shares repurchased		12,723,177
Options outstanding (in shares)		107,875
Weighted average exercise price (in dollars per share)		$ 7.34
Units of limited partnership interest held by third parties (in shares)					432,586
Shares sold						1,000
Value of shares sold						$ 1,000
Stock issued during period in exchange of surrender of non-participating and non-voting convertible preferred stock							10,000
Aggregate price of stock issued during period in exchange of surrender of non-participating and non-voting convertible preferred stock (in dollars per share)							$ 1.00
Percentage on the basis of which the number of shares of common stock issuable upon conversion is determined								10.00%
Redemption value of preferred stock								100,000
Redemption price (in dollars per share)								$ 10.00
Fair value of preferred stock		$ 2,700,000						$ 2,700,000