Income per Unit (Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings per Share) (Details) - shares	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	20,522,727	20,668,019
Digital Realty Trust, L.P.
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	11,292,816	12,372,732
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Potentially dilutive Series C Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Units
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	1,738,781	1,967,430
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Potentially dilutive Series G Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Units
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	2,155,992	2,439,505
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Potentially dilutive Series H Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Units
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	3,159,382	3,574,840
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Potentially dilutive Series I Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Units
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	2,158,515	2,442,359
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Potentially dilutive Series J Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Units
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	1,722,138	1,948,598
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Potentially dilutive Series K Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Units
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	358,008	0