Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 301,591	$ 203,415	$ 320,449
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Gain on sale of property	(94,604)	(15,945)	0
Gain on insurance settlement	0	0	(5,597)
Gain on contribution of investment properties to unconsolidated joint venture	0	(95,404)	(115,609)
Gain on sale of investment	0	(14,551)	0
Impairment of investments in real estate	0	126,470	0
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated joint ventures	(15,491)	(13,289)	(9,796)
Change in fair value of contingent consideration	(44,276)	(8,093)	(1,762)
Distributions from unconsolidated joint ventures	14,947	9,684	30,358
Write-off of net assets due to early lease terminations	75,263	2,692	60
Gain (Loss) on Contract Termination	(14,355)	0	0
Depreciation and amortization of buildings and improvements, tenant improvements and acquired ground leases	464,694	456,204	397,592
Amortization of share-based unearned compensation	6,360	18,019	11,527
Allowance for (recovery of) doubtful accounts	(458)	726	1,967
Amortization of deferred financing costs	8,481	8,969	10,658
Write-off of deferred financing costs, included in loss on early extinguishment of debt	148	780	1,813
Amortization of debt discount/premium	2,032	1,837	875
Amortization of acquired in place lease value and deferred leasing costs	105,833	82,310	77,872
Amortization of acquired above market leases and acquired below market leases	(9,336)	(9,983)	(11,719)
Changes in assets and liabilities, net of impact of acquisition of Telx Holdings, Inc.
Restricted cash	2,392	13,523	4,850
Accounts and other receivables	(10,127)	(11,426)	(527)
Deferred rent	(48,404)	(77,483)	(83,541)
Deferred leasing costs	(11,688)	(32,068)	(16,409)
Other assets	(2,928)	(11,675)	(3,530)
Accounts payable and other accrued liabilities	36,113	24,775	34,127
Security deposits and prepaid rents	33,045	(3,599)	12,732
Net cash provided by operating activities	799,232	655,888	656,390
Cash flows from investing activities:
Telx Acquisition, net of cash acquired	(1,850,061)	0	0
Acquisitions of real estate	(99,247)	(24,305)	(170,322)
Proceeds from sale of assets, net of sales costs	185,565	37,945	11,015
Proceeds from contribution of investment properties to unconsolidated joint venture	0	178,933	328,569
Proceeds from sale of investment	0	31,635	0
Investment in unconsolidated joint ventures	(10,797)	(20,627)	(24,452)
Investment in equity securities	0	0	(17,100)
Deposits paid for acquisitions of real estate	0	0	0
Receipt of value added tax refund	17,570	18,992	11,277
Refundable value added tax paid	(30,322)	(29,585)	(15,785)
Change in restricted cash	1,479	14,899	(1,507)
Improvements to and advances for investments in real estate	(737,180)	(852,386)	(1,189,510)
Improvement advances to tenants	(40,553)	(20,059)	(7,270)
Collection of advances from tenants for improvements	37,524	20,378	5,851
Proceeds from insurance settlement	0	0	8,625
Net cash used in investing activities	(2,526,022)	(644,180)	(1,060,609)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	2,436,032	1,124,608	1,806,832
Repayments on revolving credit facility	(1,958,025)	(1,297,785)	(1,781,435)
Borrowings on unsecured term loan	0	0	264,690
Principal payments on unsecured notes	(374,927)	0	(33,000)
Borrowings on unsecured senior notes	1,445,127	495,872	630,026
Repayments on other secured loans	(67,000)	0	0
Principal payments on mortgage loans	(75,492)	(177,882)	(236,619)
Earnout payments related to acquisitions	(12,985)	(11,011)	(25,783)
Change in restricted cash	(1,502)	510	(2,274)
Payment of loan fees and costs	(13,488)	(4,860)	(18,371)
Capital (distributions to) contributions received from noncontrolling interests in consolidated joint ventures	(493)	(643)	430
Gross proceeds from the issuance of common stock	675,577	0	0
Gross proceeds from the issuance of preferred stock	250,000	365,000	250,000
Common stock offering costs paid	799	(625)	(504)
Preferred stock offering costs paid	(7,432)	(11,710)	(8,532)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	896	711	230
Payment of distributions to preferred unitholders	(79,423)	(67,465)	(42,905)
Payment of distributions to common unitholders	(468,635)	(441,694)	(400,953)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	1,749,029	(26,974)	401,832
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	22,239	(15,266)	(2,387)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	34,814	50,080	52,467
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	57,053	34,814	50,080
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest, including amounts capitalized	192,992	200,829	192,754
Cash paid for income taxes	3,122	3,099	2,461
Supplementary disclosure of noncash investing and financing activities:
Change in net assets related to foreign currency translation adjustments	(51,745)	(52,373)	14,636
Accrual of dividends and distributions	126,925	115,019	102,509
(Decrease) increase in accounts payable and other accrued liabilities related to change in fair value of interest rate swaps	(3,407)	(7,936)	2,473
Acquisition measurement period adjustment included in accounts payable and other accrued liabilities	0	0	22,393
Noncontrolling interests in operating partnership redeemed for or converted to shares of common stock	1,843	1,655	631
Preferred stock/units converted to shares of common stock/units	0	0	119,348
Accrual for additions to investments in real estate and tenant improvement advances included in accounts payable and accrued expenses	109,394	153,080	216,520
Additional accrual of contingent purchase price for investments in real estate	0	0	6,356
Accrual for potential earnout contingency	19,364	12,338	0
Issuance of common units associated with exchange of exchangeable senior debentures	0	261,166	0
Capital Lease Obligations Incurred	63,962	0	0
Allocation of purchase price of real estate/investment in partnership to:
Investments in real estate	99,247	24,305	183,119
Acquired above market leases	0	0	203
Acquired below market leases	0	0	(5,781)
Acquired in place lease value and deferred leasing costs	0	0	20,811
Mortgage loan assumed, net of premium	0	0	(28,030)
Cash paid for acquisition of real estate	99,247	24,305	170,322
Digital Realty Trust, L.P.
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	300,226	203,415	320,449
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Gain on sale of property	(94,604)	(15,945)	0
Gain on insurance settlement	0	0	(5,597)
Gain on contribution of investment properties to unconsolidated joint venture	0	(95,404)	(115,609)
Gain on sale of investment	0	(14,551)	0
Impairment of investments in real estate	0	126,470	0
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated joint ventures	(15,491)	(13,289)	(9,796)
Change in fair value of contingent consideration	(44,276)	(8,093)	(1,762)
Distributions from unconsolidated joint ventures	14,947	9,684	30,358
Write-off of net assets due to early lease terminations	75,263	2,692	60
Gain (Loss) on Contract Termination	(14,355)	0	0
Depreciation and amortization of buildings and improvements, tenant improvements and acquired ground leases	464,694	456,204	397,592
Amortization of share-based unearned compensation	6,360	18,019	11,527
Allowance for (recovery of) doubtful accounts	(458)	726	1,967
Amortization of deferred financing costs	8,481	8,969	10,658
Write-off of deferred financing costs, included in loss on early extinguishment of debt	148	780	1,813
Amortization of debt discount/premium	2,032	1,837	875
Amortization of acquired in place lease value and deferred leasing costs	105,833	82,310	77,872
Amortization of acquired above market leases and acquired below market leases	(9,336)	(9,983)	(11,719)
Changes in assets and liabilities, net of impact of acquisition of Telx Holdings, Inc.
Restricted cash	2,392	13,523	4,850
Accounts and other receivables	(10,127)	(11,426)	(527)
Deferred rent	(48,404)	(77,483)	(83,541)
Deferred leasing costs	(11,688)	(32,068)	(16,409)
Other assets	(2,928)	(11,675)	(3,530)
Accounts payable and other accrued liabilities	37,478	24,775	34,127
Security deposits and prepaid rents	33,045	(3,599)	12,732
Net cash provided by operating activities	799,232	655,888	656,390
Cash flows from investing activities:
Telx Acquisition, net of cash acquired	(1,850,061)	0	0
Acquisitions of real estate	(99,247)	(24,305)	(170,322)
Proceeds from sale of assets, net of sales costs	185,565	37,945	11,015
Proceeds from contribution of investment properties to unconsolidated joint venture	0	178,933	328,569
Proceeds from sale of investment	0	31,635	0
Investment in unconsolidated joint ventures	(10,797)	(20,627)	(24,452)
Investment in equity securities	0	0	(17,100)
Receipt of value added tax refund	17,570	18,992	11,277
Refundable value added tax paid	(30,322)	(29,585)	(15,785)
Change in restricted cash	1,479	14,899	(1,507)
Improvements to and advances for investments in real estate	(737,180)	(852,386)	(1,189,510)
Improvement advances to tenants	(40,553)	(20,059)	(7,270)
Collection of advances from tenants for improvements	37,524	20,378	5,851
Proceeds from insurance settlement	0	0	8,625
Net cash used in investing activities	(2,526,022)	(644,180)	(1,060,609)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	2,436,032	1,124,608	1,806,832
Repayments on revolving credit facility	(1,958,025)	(1,297,785)	(1,781,435)
Borrowings on unsecured term loan	0	0	264,690
Principal payments on unsecured notes	(374,927)	0	(33,000)
Borrowings on unsecured senior notes	1,445,127	495,872	630,026
Repayments on other secured loans	(67,000)	0	0
Principal payments on mortgage loans	(75,492)	(177,882)	(236,619)
Earnout payments related to acquisitions	(12,985)	(11,011)	(25,783)
Change in restricted cash	(1,502)	510	(2,274)
Payment of loan fees and costs	(13,488)	(4,860)	(18,371)
Capital (distributions to) contributions received from noncontrolling interests in consolidated joint ventures	(493)	(643)	430
General partner contributions	919,840	353,376	241,194
Payment of distributions to preferred unitholders	(79,423)	(67,465)	(42,905)
Payment of distributions to common unitholders	(468,635)	(441,694)	(400,953)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	1,749,029	(26,974)	401,832
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	22,239	(15,266)	(2,387)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	34,814	50,080	52,467
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	57,053	34,814	50,080
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest, including amounts capitalized	192,992	200,829	192,754
Cash paid for income taxes	3,122	3,099	2,461
Supplementary disclosure of noncash investing and financing activities:
Change in net assets related to foreign currency translation adjustments	(51,745)	(52,373)	14,636
Accrual of dividends and distributions	126,925	115,019	102,509
(Decrease) increase in accounts payable and other accrued liabilities related to change in fair value of interest rate swaps	(3,407)	(7,936)	2,473
Acquisition measurement period adjustment included in accounts payable and other accrued liabilities	0	0	22,393
Preferred stock/units converted to shares of common stock/units	0	0	119,348
Accrual for additions to investments in real estate and tenant improvement advances included in accounts payable and accrued expenses	109,394	153,080	216,520
Additional accrual of contingent purchase price for investments in real estate	0	0	6,356
Accrual for potential earnout contingency	19,364	12,338	0
Issuance of common units associated with exchange of exchangeable senior debentures	0	261,166	0
Allocation of purchase price of real estate/investment in partnership to:
Investments in real estate	99,247	24,305	183,119
Acquired above market leases	0	0	203
Acquired below market leases	0	0	(5,781)
Acquired in place lease value and deferred leasing costs	0	0	20,811
Mortgage loan assumed, net of premium	0	0	(28,030)
Cash paid for acquisition of real estate	$ 99,247	$ 24,305	$ 170,322