Equity and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss, Net (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Equity [Abstract]

Schedule of Stock by Class

Redeemable Preferred Stock

								Shares Outstanding as of December 31,		Balance (in thousands, net of issuance costs) as of December 31,
Preferred Stock (1)	Date(s) Issued	Initial Date to Redeem (2)	Share Cap (3)	Total Liquidation Value (in thousands) (4)		Annual Dividend Rate (5)		2017	2016	2017		2016
6.625% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock	Sep 14, 2017	May 15, 2021	0.6389035	$	201,250	$	1.65625	8,050,000	—	$	219,250	$	—
6.625% Series F Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (6)	Apr 5, 2012	Apr 5, 2017	0.6843000	182,500		1.65625		—	7,300,000	—		176,191
5.875% Series G Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Apr 9, 2013	Apr 9, 2018	0.7532000	250,000		1.46875		10,000,000	10,000,000	241,468		241,468
7.375% Series H Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Mar 26, 2014	Mar 26, 2019	0.9632000	365,000		1.84375		14,600,000	14,600,000	353,290		353,290
6.350% Series I Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Aug 24, 2015	Aug 24, 2020	0.7623100	250,000		1.58750		10,000,000	10,000,000	242,012		242,012
5.250% Series J Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Aug 7, 2017	Aug 7, 2022	0.4252100	200,000		1.31250		8,000,000	—	193,540		—
				$	1,448,750			50,650,000	41,900,000	$	1,249,560	$	1,012,961

(1) All series of preferred stock do not have a stated maturity date and are not subject to any sinking fund or mandatory redemption provisions. Upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up, each series of preferred stock will rank senior to Digital Realty Trust, Inc. common stock and on parity with the other series of preferred stock. Holders of each series of preferred stock generally have no voting rights except for limited voting rights if Digital Realty Trust, Inc. fails to pay dividends for six or more quarterly periods (whether or not consecutive) and in certain other circumstances.

(2) Except in limited circumstances, reflects earliest date that Digital Realty Trust Inc. may exercise its option to redeem the preferred stock, at a redemption price of $25.00 per share, plus accrued and unpaid dividends up to but excluding the date of redemption.

(3) Upon the occurrence of specified changes of control, as a result of which neither Digital Realty Trust, Inc.’s common stock nor the common securities of the acquiring or surviving entity (or American Depositary Receipts representing such securities) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE MKT, LLC or the NASDAQ Stock Market or listed or quoted on a successor exchange or quotation system, each holder of preferred stock will have the right (unless, prior to the change of control conversion date specified in the applicable Articles Supplementary governing the preferred stock, Digital Realty Trust, Inc. has provided or provides notice of its election to redeem the preferred stock) to convert some or all of the preferred stock held by it into a number of shares of Digital Realty Trust, Inc.’s common stock per share of preferred stock to be converted equal to the lesser of (i) the quotient obtained by dividing (a) the sum of the $25.00 liquidation preference plus the amount of any accrued and unpaid dividends to, but not including, the change of control conversion date (unless the change of control conversion date is after a record date for a preferred stock dividend payment and prior to the corresponding dividend payment date, in which case no additional amount for such accrued and unpaid dividend will be included in this sum) by (b) the common stock price specified in the applicable Articles Supplementary governing the preferred stock; and (ii) and the Share Cap, subject to certain adjustments; subject, in each case, to provisions for the receipt of alternative consideration as described in the applicable Articles Supplementary governing the preferred stock. Except in connection with specified change of control transactions, the preferred stock is not convertible into or exchangeable for any other property or securities of Digital Realty Trust, Inc.

(4) Liquidation preference is $25.00 per share.

(5) Dividends on preferred shares are cumulative and payable quarterly in arrears.

(6) On April 5, 2017, Digital Realty Trust, Inc. redeemed all 7,300,000 outstanding shares of its series F preferred stock for $25.01840 per share. The redemption price was equal to the original issuance price of $25.00 per share, plus accrued and unpaid dividends up to but not including the redemption date. Digital Realty Trust, Inc. funded the redemption with borrowings under the global revolving credit facility, which the Operating Partnership distributed to Digital Realty Trust, Inc. in connection with the Operating Partnership’s redemption of all 7,300,000 of its outstanding series F preferred units held by Digital Realty Trust, Inc. The excess of the redemption price over the carrying value of the series F preferred stock of approximately $6.3 million relates to the original issuance costs and was recorded as a reduction to net income available to common stockholders.

Ownership Interest In The Operating Partnership

Noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership relate to the interests that are not owned by Digital Realty Trust, Inc. The following table shows the ownership interest in the Operating Partnership as of December 31, 2017 and 2016:

	December 31, 2017			December 31, 2016
	Number of units	Percentage of total		Number of units	Percentage of total
Digital Realty Trust, Inc.	205,470,300	96.0	%	159,019,118	98.5	%
Noncontrolling interests consist of:
Common units held by third parties	6,899,094	3.2	%	1,141,814	0.7	%
Incentive units held by employees and directors (see note 14)	1,590,001	0.8	%	1,333,849	0.8	%
	213,959,395	100.0	%	161,494,781	100.0	%

Summary of Activity For Noncontrolling Interests In The Operating Partnership

The following table shows activity for the noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015:

	Common Units		Incentive Units		Total
As of December 31, 2014	1,463,814		1,549,847		3,013,661
Redemption of common units for shares of Digital Realty Trust, Inc. common stock (1)	(42,500	)	—		(42,500	)
Conversion of incentive units held by employees and directors for shares of    Digital Realty Trust, Inc. common stock (1)	—		(113,508	)	(113,508	)
Cancellation of incentive units held by employees and directors	—		(151,579	)	(151,579	)
Grant of incentive units to employees and directors	—		127,252		127,252
As of December 31, 2015	1,421,314		1,412,012		2,833,326
Redemption of common units for shares of Digital Realty Trust, Inc. common stock (1)	(279,500	)	—		(279,500	)
Conversion of incentive units held by employees and directors for shares of    Digital Realty Trust, Inc. common stock (1)	—		(150,993	)	(150,993	)
Grant of incentive units to employees and directors			74,246		74,246
Cancellation of incentive units held by employees and directors			(1,416	)	(1,416	)
As of December 31, 2016	1,141,814		1,333,849		2,475,663
Common units issued in connection with the DFT merger	6,111,770		—		6,111,770
Redemption of common units for shares of Digital Realty Trust, Inc. common stock (1)	(354,490	)	—		(354,490	)
Conversion of incentive units held by employees and directors for shares of Digital Realty Trust, Inc. common stock (1)	—		(208,092	)	(208,092	)
Incentive units issued upon achievement of market performance condition	—		390,795		390,795
Grant of incentive units to employees and directors	—		73,449		73,449
As of December 31, 2017	6,899,094		1,590,001		8,489,095

(1) These redemptions and conversions were recorded as a reduction to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership and an increase to common stock and additional paid in capital based on the book value per unit in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Digital Realty Trust, Inc.

Schedule of Dividends/Distributions

We have declared and paid the following dividends on our common and preferred stock for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 (in thousands):

Date dividend  declared	Dividend payable date	Series C Preferred Stock			Series E Preferred Stock			Series F Preferred Stock			Series G Preferred Stock		Series H Preferred Stock		Series I Preferred Stock			Series J Preferred Stock			Common Stock
February 25, 2015	March 31, 2015	$	—		$	5,031		$	3,023		$	3,672	$	6,730	$	—		$	—		$	115,419	(1)
May 12, 2015	June 30, 2015	—			5,031			3,023			3,672		6,730		—			—			115,458		(1)
August 11, 2015	September 30, 2015	—			5,031			3,023			3,672		6,730		—			—			115,454		(1)
November 12, 2015	December 31, 2015 for Preferred Stock;    January 15, 2016 for Common Stock	—			5,031			3,023			3,672		6,730		5,600		(2)	—			124,417		(1)
		$	—		$	20,124		$	12,092		$	14,688	$	26,920	$	5,600		$	—		$	470,748
February 17, 2016	March 31, 2016	$	—		$	5,031		$	3,023		$	3,672	$	6,730	$	3,969		$	—		$	131,587	(3)
May 11, 2016	June 30, 2016	—			5,031			3,023			3,672		6,730		3,969			—			131,607		(3)
August 10, 2016	September 30, 2016	—			—		(4)	3,023			3,672		6,730		3,969			—			131,657		(3)
November 9, 2016	December 30, 2016 for Preferred Stock;    January 13, 2017 for Common Stock	—			—			3,023			3,672		6,730		3,969			—			141,882		(3)
		$	—		$	10,062		$	12,092		$	14,688	$	26,920	$	15,876		$	—		$	536,733
March 1, 2017	March 31, 2017	$	—		$	—		$	3,023		$	3,672	$	6,730	$	3,969		$	—		$	148,358	(5)
May 8, 2017	June 30, 2017	—			—			—		(6)	3,672		6,730		3,969			—			150,814		(5)
August 7, 2017	September 29, 2017	—			—			—			3,672		6,730		3,969			—			191,041		(5)
November 2, 2017	December 29, 2017 for Preferred Stock;    January 12, 2018 for Common Stock	3,963		(7)	—			—			3,672		6,730		3,969			4,200		(7)	191,067		(5)
		$	3,963		$	—		$	3,023		$	14,688	$	26,920	$	15,876		$	4,200		$	681,280
Annual rate of dividend per share		$	1.65625		$	1.75000		$	1.65625		$	1.46875	$	1.84375	$	1.58750		$	1.31250

(1) $3.400 annual rate of dividend per share.

(2) Represents a pro rata dividend from and including the original issue date to and including December 31, 2015.

(3) $3.520 annual rate of dividend per share.

(4) Redeemed on September 15, 2016 for $25.35972 per share, or a redemption price of $25.00 per share, plus accrued and unpaid dividends up to but not including the redemption date of approximately $4.1 million in the aggregate. In connection with the redemption, the previously incurred offering costs of approximately $10.3 million were recorded as a reduction to net income available to common stockholders.

Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The accumulated balances for each item within other comprehensive income (loss), net are as follows (in thousands):

	Foreign currency translation adjustments			Cash  flow hedge adjustments			Foreign currency net investment hedge adjustments			Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net
Balance as of December 31, 2015	$	(90,342	)	$	(6,248	)	$	—		$	(96,590	)
Net current period change	(85,300		)	6,246			35,149			(43,905		)
Reclassification to interest expense from interest rate swaps	—			4,890			—			4,890
Balance as of December 31, 2016	$	(175,642	)	$	4,888		$	35,149		$	(135,605	)
Net current period change	28,272			5,898			(9,411		)	24,759
Reclassification to interest expense from interest rate swaps	—			2,414			—			2,414
Balance as of December 31, 2017	$	(147,370	)	$	13,200		$	25,738		$	(108,432	)