Income per Unit (Summary of Basic and Diluted Earnings per Share) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Net income available to common unitholders	$ 66,145	$ 39,125
Weighted average shares/units outstanding-basic (shares/units)	159,297,027	146,565,564
Potentially dilutive common units:
Stock options (units)	4	11,286
Unvested incentive units (units)	237,336	122,601
Forward equity offering (units)	283,388	0
Market performance-based awards (units)	603,900	733,743
Weighted average shares/units outstanding-diluted (shares/units)	160,421,655	147,433,194
Income per share:
Basic (in dollars per share/unit)	$ 0.42	$ 0.27
Diluted (in dollars per share/unit)	$ 0.41	$ 0.27
Digital Realty Trust, L.P.
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Net income available to common unitholders	$ 67,049	$ 39,788
Weighted average shares/units outstanding-basic (shares/units)	161,474,901	149,047,798
Potentially dilutive common units:
Stock options (units)	4	11,286
Unvested incentive units (units)	237,336	122,601
Forward equity offering (units)	283,388	0
Market performance-based awards (units)	603,900	733,743
Weighted average shares/units outstanding-diluted (shares/units)	162,599,529	149,915,428
Income per share:
Basic (in dollars per share/unit)	$ 0.42	$ 0.27
Diluted (in dollars per share/unit)	$ 0.41	$ 0.27

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