Debt of the Operating Partnership (Debt Schedule) (Details)				12 Months Ended
	Dec. 20, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 19, 2018 extension	Oct. 24, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) extension $ / $ $ / € $ / ¥ $ / £ $ / $ $ / $ $ / $	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) $ / $ $ / € $ / ¥ $ / £ $ / $ $ / $
Global revolving credit facilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Deferred financing costs, net				$ (15,400,000)	$ (7,200,000)
Unsecured term loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Deferred financing costs, net				(4,200,000)	(4,800,000)
Senior notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Deferred financing costs, net				$ (40,600,000)	(38,300,000)
Senior notes | 5.875% notes due 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate				5.875%
Senior notes | 5.250% notes due 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate				5.25%
Senior notes | 3.625% notes due 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate				3.625%
Senior notes | 2.750% notes due 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate				2.75%
Senior notes | 2.625% notes due 2024
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate				2.625%
Senior notes | 2.750% notes due 2024
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate				2.75%
Senior notes | 4.250% notes due 2025
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate				4.25%
Senior notes | 4.750% notes due 2025
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate				4.75%
Senior notes | 3.700% notes due 2027
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate				3.70%
Senior notes | 4.450% Notes due 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate				4.45%
Senior notes | 3.300% notes due 2029
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate				3.30%
Senior notes | 3.750% Notes due 2030
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate				3.75%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P.
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 11,201,590,000
Total				11,101,479,000	$ 8,648,618,000
Unamortized discounts				(19,859,000)
Total				11,181,879,000
Unamortized net premiums				$ 148,000
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | British pound sterling (£)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative forward exchange rate (in dollars per share) | $ / £					1.35
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Canadian dollar (CAD)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative forward exchange rate (in dollars per share) | $ / $				0.73	0.80
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured Term Loan, 5 Year
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument term			5 years
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Global revolving credit facilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 1,663,156,000	$ 558,191,000
Deferred financing costs, net				(15,421,000)	(7,245,000)
Total				1,647,735,000	$ 550,946,000
Unamortized discounts				0
Total				1,663,156,000
Unamortized net premiums				$ 0
Basis spread on variable rate				0.90%
Commitment fee percentage				0.20%
Number of extension options | extension				2
Revolving credit facility commitments extension				6 months
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Global revolving credit facilities | British pound sterling (£)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative forward exchange rate (in dollars per share) | $ / £				1.28	1.23
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Global revolving credit facilities | Euro (€)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative forward exchange rate (in dollars per share) | $ / €				1.15	1.35
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Global revolving credit facilities | Australian dollar (AUD) | Interest Rate Swap
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted-average interest rate				78.09%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Global revolving credit facilities | Hong Kong dollar (HKD)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative forward exchange rate (in dollars per share) | $ / $				0.13	0.78
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Global revolving credit facilities | Japanese yen (JPY)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative forward exchange rate (in dollars per share) | $ / ¥				0.01	0.13
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Global revolving credit facilities | Singapore dollar (SGD)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative forward exchange rate (in dollars per share) | $ / $				0.73	0.69
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Global revolving credit facilities | Canadian dollar (CAD)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative forward exchange rate (in dollars per share) | $ / $				0.73	0.80
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Global revolving credit facilities | Floating Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 1,528,592,000	$ 543,191,000
Basis spread on variable rate				0.90%
Weighted-average interest rate				2.57%	2.15%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Global revolving credit facilities | Floating Rate | U.S. dollar ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 890,000,000	$ 400,000,000
Weighted-average interest rate				3.37%	2.48%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Global revolving credit facilities | Floating Rate | British pound sterling (£)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 8,290,000	$ 18,918,000
Weighted-average interest rate				1.61%	1.50%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Global revolving credit facilities | Floating Rate | Euro (€)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 451,800,000	$ 31,213,000
Weighted-average interest rate				0.90%	0.62%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Global revolving credit facilities | Floating Rate | Australian dollar (AUD)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 27,632,000	$ 0
Weighted-average interest rate				2.82%	0.00%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Global revolving credit facilities | Floating Rate | Hong Kong dollar (HKD)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 8,797,000	$ 4,100,000
Weighted-average interest rate				3.14%	2.20%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Global revolving credit facilities | Floating Rate | Japanese yen (JPY)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 4,105,000	$ 65,890,000
Weighted-average interest rate				0.90%	0.96%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Global revolving credit facilities | Floating Rate | Singapore dollar (SGD)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 77,112,000	$ 0
Weighted-average interest rate				2.79%	0.00%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Global revolving credit facilities | Floating Rate | Canadian dollar (CAD)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 60,856,000	$ 23,070,000
Weighted-average interest rate				3.16%	2.36%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Global revolving credit facilities | Base Rate | U.S. dollar ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 0	$ 15,000,000
Weighted-average interest rate				0.00%	4.50%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Global revolving credit facilities | Floating and Base Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 1,528,592,000	$ 558,191,000
Weighted-average interest rate				2.57%	2.21%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 1,183,120,000
Deferred financing costs, net				(4,216,000)	$ (4,784,000)
Total				1,178,904,000	$ 1,420,333,000
Unamortized discounts				0
Total				1,183,120,000
Unamortized net premiums				$ 0
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | Interest Rate Swap
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted-average interest rate				2.66%	2.41%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | U.S. dollar ($) | Interest Rate Swap
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted-average interest rate				2.44%	2.72%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | British pound sterling (£)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative forward exchange rate (in dollars per share) | $ / £					1.23
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | British pound sterling (£) | Interest Rate Swap
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted-average interest rate					1.89%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | Euro (€)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative forward exchange rate (in dollars per share) | $ / €				1.15	1.20
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | Australian dollar (AUD)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative forward exchange rate (in dollars per share) | $ / $				0.70
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | Hong Kong dollar (HKD)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative forward exchange rate (in dollars per share) | $ / $					0.13
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | Japanese yen (JPY)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative forward exchange rate (in dollars per share) | $ / ¥					0.01
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | Singapore dollar (SGD)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative forward exchange rate (in dollars per share) | $ / $					0.75
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | Canadian dollar (CAD)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative forward exchange rate (in dollars per share) | $ / $					0.74
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | Canadian dollar (CAD) | Interest Rate Swap
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted-average interest rate				1.78%	1.88%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | 2019 Term Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 375,000,000	$ 0
Debt instrument term			1 year
Interest rate at period end		3.47%
Number of extension options | extension		1
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | 2019 Term Loan | Base Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate				1.00%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | 2023 Term Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 300,000,000	300,000,000
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | 2024 Term Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 508,120,000	1,125,117,000
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | Unsecured Term Loan, 5 Year
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate				1.00%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | 2023 and 2024 Term Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 808,120,000	$ 1,425,117,000
Weighted-average interest rate				3.17%	2.42%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | 2023 and 2024 Term Loan | U.S. dollar ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 300,000,000	$ 606,911,000
Weighted-average interest rate				3.46%	2.78%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | 2023 and 2024 Term Loan | British pound sterling (£)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 0	$ 229,011,000
Weighted-average interest rate				0.00%	1.59%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | 2023 and 2024 Term Loan | Australian dollar (AUD)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 204,632,000	$ 179,841,000
Weighted-average interest rate				2.94%	2.79%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | 2023 and 2024 Term Loan | Hong Kong dollar (HKD)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 85,188,000	$ 85,762,000
Weighted-average interest rate				3.32%	2.20%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | 2023 and 2024 Term Loan | Japanese yen (JPY)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 0	$ 11,447,000
Weighted-average interest rate				0.00%	1.05%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | 2023 and 2024 Term Loan | Singapore dollar (SGD)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 146,080,000	$ 233,788,000
Weighted-average interest rate				2.76%	2.17%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loan | 2023 and 2024 Term Loan | Canadian dollar (CAD)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 72,220,000	$ 78,357,000
Weighted-average interest rate				3.24%	2.44%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Senior notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 7,649,538,000
Deferred financing costs, net				(40,553,000)	$ (37,788,000)
Total				7,589,126,000	6,570,757,000
Unamortized discounts				(19,859,000)	(18,508,000)
Total				7,629,679,000	6,608,545,000
Unamortized net premiums				0
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Senior notes | Floating rate notes due 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 143,338,000	150,063,000
Weighted-average interest rate				0.18%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Senior notes | Floating rate notes due 2019 | EURIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate				0.50%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Senior notes | 5.875% notes due 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 500,000,000	500,000,000
Stated interest rate				5.875%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Senior notes | 3.400% notes due 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 500,000,000	500,000,000
Stated interest rate				3.40%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Senior notes | 5.250% notes due 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 400,000,000	400,000,000
Stated interest rate				5.25%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Senior notes | 3.950% notes due 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 500,000,000	500,000,000
Stated interest rate				3.95%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Senior notes | 3.625% notes due 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 300,000,000	300,000,000
Stated interest rate				3.625%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Senior notes | 2.750% notes due 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 350,000,000	350,000,000
Stated interest rate				2.75%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Senior notes | 4.750% notes due 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 382,620,000	405,390,000
Stated interest rate				4.75%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Senior notes | 2.625% notes due 2024
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 688,020,000	720,300,000
Stated interest rate				2.625%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Senior notes | 2.750% notes due 2024
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 318,850,000	337,825,000
Stated interest rate				2.75%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Senior notes | 4.250% notes due 2025
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 510,160,000	540,520,000
Stated interest rate				4.25%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Senior notes | 4.750% notes due 2025
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 450,000,000	450,000,000
Stated interest rate				4.75%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Senior notes | 3.700% notes due 2027
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 1,000,000,000	1,000,000,000
Stated interest rate				3.70%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Senior notes | 4.450% Notes due 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 650,000,000	0
Stated interest rate				4.45%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Senior notes | 3.300% notes due 2029
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 446,390,000	472,955,000
Stated interest rate				3.30%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Senior notes | 3.750% Notes due 2030
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 510,160,000	0
Stated interest rate				3.75%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Senior notes | Secured note due December 2023 | Base Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate				4.25%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Senior notes | Secured note due March 2023 | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate				1.10%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Secured debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 705,776,000
Deferred financing costs, net				(20,210,000)	(29,000)
Total				685,714,000	106,582,000
Unamortized discounts				0
Total				705,924,000	106,611,000
Unamortized net premiums				148,000	241,000
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Secured debt | 731 East Trade Street
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 1,776,000	2,370,000
Interest rate at period end				8.22%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Secured debt | Secured note due December 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 600,000,000			$ 104,000,000	104,000,000
Debt instrument term	5 years
Interest rate at period end				7.04%
Basis spread on variable rate	4.25%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Secured debt | Secured note due March 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 600,000,000	0
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Yen Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 134,564,000	$ 0
Basis spread on variable rate				0.50%
Commitment fee percentage				0.10%
Weighted-average interest rate				0.50%	0.00%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross				$ 1,663,156,000	$ 558,191,000
Weighted-average interest rate				2.41%	2.21%