Debt Of The Operating Partnership (Summary Of Outstanding Indebtedness Of The Operating Partnership - Mortgage Loans) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013 item property		Dec. 31, 2012
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Mortgage loans, net of premiums	$ 683,651		$ 792,376
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Unamortized net premium	813
Mortgage loans, net of premiums	683,651		792,376
Total indebtedness	4,780,397		4,278,565
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member] | Mortgage Loans [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Unamortized net premium	813	[1]	1,542
Mortgage loans, net of premiums	683,651	[1]	792,376
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member] | Mortgage Loans [Member] | Secured Term Debt [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Interest rate	5.65%	[2],[3]
Maturity Date	Nov. 11, 2014	[2],[3]
Mortgage loans, net of premiums	133,744	[2],[3]	135,991	[2],[3]
Mortgage loans on real estate, number	6
Number of properties	6
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member] | Mortgage Loans [Member] | 200 Paul Avenue 1-4 [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Interest rate	5.74%	[2]
Maturity Date	Oct. 08, 2015	[2]
Mortgage loans, net of premiums	71,210	[2]	72,646	[2]
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member] | Mortgage Loans [Member] | Mundells Roundabout [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Variable Rate Basis	3-month GBP LIBOR + 1.20%	[4]
Basis spread on variable rate	1.20%	[4]
Maturity Date	Nov. 30, 2013
Mortgage loans, net of premiums	69,317	[5],[6]	69,612	[5]
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member] | Mortgage Loans [Member] | 2045 & 2055 LaFayette Street [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Interest rate	5.93%	[2]
Maturity Date	Feb. 06, 2017	[2]
Mortgage loans, net of premiums	63,880	[2]	64,621	[2]
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member] | Mortgage Loans [Member] | 34551 Ardenwood Boulevard 1-4 [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Interest rate	5.95%	[2]
Maturity Date	Nov. 11, 2016	[2]
Mortgage loans, net of premiums	52,349	[2]	52,916	[2]
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member] | Mortgage Loans [Member] | 1100 Space Park Drive [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Interest rate	5.89%	[2]
Maturity Date	Dec. 11, 2016	[2]
Mortgage loans, net of premiums	52,315	[2]	52,889	[2]
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member] | Mortgage Loans [Member] | 600 West Seventh Street [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Interest rate	5.80%
Maturity Date	Mar. 15, 2016
Mortgage loans, net of premiums	49,964		51,174
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member] | Mortgage Loans [Member] | 150 South First Street [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Interest rate	6.30%	[2]
Maturity Date	Feb. 06, 2017	[2]
Mortgage loans, net of premiums	50,287	[2]	50,830	[2]
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member] | Mortgage Loans [Member] | 360 Spear Street [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Interest rate	6.32%	[2]
Maturity Date	Nov. 08, 2013	[2]
Mortgage loans, net of premiums	45,850	[2],[7]	46,613	[2]
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member] | Mortgage Loans [Member] | Clonshaugh Industrial Estate II [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	4.50%	[8]
Maturity Date	Sep. 04, 2014	[8]
Mortgage loans, net of premiums			39,579	[8],[9]
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member] | Mortgage Loans [Member] | 2334 Lundy Place [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Variable Rate Basis	5.96%	[2]
Maturity Date	Nov. 11, 2016	[2]
Mortgage loans, net of premiums	38,074	[2]	38,486	[2]
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member] | Mortgage Loans [Member] | 1500 Space Park Drive [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Interest rate	6.15%	[2]
Maturity Date	Oct. 05, 2013	[2]
Mortgage loans, net of premiums			35,682	[2]
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member] | Mortgage Loans [Member] | Cressex 1 [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Interest rate	5.68%	[10]
Maturity Date	Oct. 16, 2014	[10]
Mortgage loans, net of premiums	28,066	[10],[5]	28,560	[10],[5]
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member] | Mortgage Loans [Member] | Paul van Vlissingenstraat 16 [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Variable Rate Basis	3-month EURIBOR + 1.60%	[4]
Basis spread on variable rate	1.60%	[4]
Maturity Date	Jul. 18, 2013
Mortgage loans, net of premiums			13,336	[9]
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member] | Mortgage Loans [Member] | Chemin de l'Epinglier 2 [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Variable Rate Basis	3-month EURIBOR + 1.50%	[4]
Basis spread on variable rate	1.50%	[4]
Maturity Date	Jul. 18, 2013
Mortgage loans, net of premiums			9,649	[9]
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member] | Mortgage Loans [Member] | Gyroscoopweg 2E-2F [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Variable Rate Basis	3-month EURIBOR + 1.50%	[4]
Basis spread on variable rate	1.50%	[4]
Maturity Date	Oct. 18, 2013
Mortgage loans, net of premiums	8,598	[6],[9]	8,492	[9]
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member] | Mortgage Loans [Member] | Manchester Technopark [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Interest rate	5.68%	[10]
Maturity Date	Oct. 16, 2014	[10]
Mortgage loans, net of premiums	8,538	[10],[5]	8,688	[10],[5]
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member] | Mortgage Loans [Member] | 8025 North Interstate 35 [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Interest rate	4.09%
Maturity Date	Mar. 06, 2016
Mortgage loans, net of premiums	6,377		6,561
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member] | Mortgage Loans [Member] | 731 East Trade Street [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Interest rate	8.22%
Maturity Date	Jul. 01, 2020
Mortgage loans, net of premiums	$ 4,269		$ 4,509
GBP [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Exchange rate	1.62		1.63
EUR [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Exchange rate	1.35		1.32

[1] Our mortgage loans are generally non-recourse to us, subject to carve-outs for specified actions by us or specified undisclosed environmental liabilities. As of September 30, 2013, we provided partial letter of credit support with respect to approximately $36.6 million of the outstanding mortgage indebtedness (based on exchange rates as of September 30, 2013).

[2] The respective borrower’s assets and credit are not available to satisfy the debts and other obligations of affiliates or any other person.

[3] This amount represents six mortgage loans secured by our interests in 36 NE 2nd Street, 3300 East Birch Street, 100 & 200 Quannapowitt Parkway, 300 Boulevard East, 4849 Alpha Road, and 11830 Webb Chapel Road. Each of these loans is cross-collateralized by the six properties.

[4] We have entered into interest rate swap agreements as a cash flow hedge for interest generated by these US LIBOR, EURIBOR and GBP LIBOR based loans as well as the U.S. dollar and Singapore dollar tranches of the unsecured term loan. See note 14, “Derivative Instruments” for further information.

[5] Based on exchange rate of $1.62 to £1.00 as of September 30, 2013 and $1.63 to £1.00 as of December 31, 2012.

[6] These loans were repaid in full in October 2013.

[7] This loan was repaid in full in November 2013.

[8] The Operating Partnership or its subsidiary provides a limited recourse guarantee with respect to this loan.

[9] Based on exchange rate of $1.35 to €1.00 as of September 30, 2013 and $1.32 to €1.00 as of December 31, 2012.

[10] These loans are also secured by a £7.8 million letter of credit. These loans are cross-collateralized by the two properties.