Debt of the Operating Partnership (3.400% Notes Due 2020 and 4.750% Notes Due 2025) (Narrative) (Details)		12 Months Ended
Oct. 01, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016
Unsecured senior notes \| 3.400% Notes Due 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Redemption price percentage		100.00%
Unsecured senior notes \| 4.750% Notes Due 2025
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Redemption price percentage		100.00%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P.
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of business days following consummation of acquisition by wholly owned subsidiary to merge with parent company	5 days
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. \| 3.400% Notes Due 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unencumbered assets to unsecured debt		150.00%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. \| 4.750% Notes Due 2025
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unencumbered assets to unsecured debt		150.00%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. \| Unsecured senior notes \| 3.400% Notes Due 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt face amount	$ 500,000,000
Interest rate	3.40%
Issuance as a percentage of par	99.777%
Leverage ratio percentage		60.00%
Covenant, secured leverage ration allowable maximum		40.00%
Covenant, interest coverage ratio required minimum		1.50
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. \| Unsecured senior notes \| 4.750% Notes Due 2025
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt face amount	$ 450,000,000.0
Interest rate	4.75%
Issuance as a percentage of par	100.00%
Leverage ratio percentage		60.00%
Covenant, secured leverage ration allowable maximum		40.00%
Covenant, interest coverage ratio required minimum		1.50

Debt Instrument, Covenant, Interest Coverage Ratio

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Debt Instrument, Covenant, Secured Leverage Ratio Allowable, Maximum

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Debt Instrument, Covenant, Unencumbered Assets Relative to Aggregate Principal Amount of Unsecured Debt Required, Minimum

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Debt Instrument, Issuance As A Percentage Of Par

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Debt Instrument, Leverage Ratio Percentage

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Number Of Business Days Following Consummation Of Acquisition By Wholly Owned Subsidiary To Merge With Parent Company

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- Definition

Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930739&loc=d3e28878-108400

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930785&loc=d3e28551-108399

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Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

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Percentage price of original principal amount of debt at which debt can be redeemed by the issuer.

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 470
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph e
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6479336&loc=d3e64711-112823

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