Income per Unit (Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings per Share) (Details) - shares	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	18,387,396	18,339,158	19,096,203	19,426,732
Series L Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	2,463,157		2,593,120
Digital Realty Trust, L.P.
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	10,412,695	9,277,413	10,967,744	10,281,368
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Series C Preferred Units
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	1,441,895	1,682,746	1,518,997	1,710,764
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Series G Preferred Units
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	1,787,870	2,086,512	1,883,473	2,121,252
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Series H Preferred Units
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)				1,579,691
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Series I Preferred Units
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	1,789,962	2,088,954	1,885,677	2,123,735
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)	1,428,093	1,666,639	1,504,458	1,694,389
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)	1,501,718	1,752,562	1,582,019	1,051,537
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Series L Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	2,463,157		2,593,120