CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF EQUITY - USD ($)	General Partner Preferred Units Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	General Partner Common Units Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	Limited Partners Common Units Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	Redeemable Interests Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Joint Ventures Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests -- Operating Partnership	Preferred Stock	Common Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Accumulated Dividends in Excess of Earnings	Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net Interest Rate Swap	Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net	Noncontrolling Interests in Operating Partnership	Noncontrolling Interests Interest Rate Swap	Noncontrolling Interests	Interest Rate Swap	Total
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Cumulative effect adjustment from adoption of new accounting standard								$ 41,465,000	$ 1,434,420,000	$ 2,073,000	$ 11,577,320,000	$ (3,046,579,000)		$ (87,922,000)			$ 728,788,000		$ 10,608,100,000
Number of units (units)	58,250,000	208,900,758	8,843,155
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2019								41,465,000	1,434,420,000	$ 2,073,000	11,577,320,000	(3,046,579,000)		(87,922,000)			728,788,000		10,608,100,000
Beginning balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2019										208,900,758
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Conversion of common units to common stock										$ 6,000	52,231,000						(52,237,000)
Conversion of common units to common stock (shares)										592,953
Common stock and share-based awards issued in connection with InterXion combination		$ 6,975,252,000					$ 6,975,252,000			$ 543,000	6,974,709,000								6,975,252,000
Common stock and share-based awards issued in connection with InterXion combination (in shares)		54,298,595								54,298,595
Issuance of common stock, net of offering costs											6,505,000								6,505,000
Issuance of common stock, net of offering costs (shares)										50,000
Shares issued under employee stock purchase plan		$ 2,638,000					2,638,000				2,638,000								2,638,000
Shares issued under employee stock purchase plan (shares)		25,234								25,234
Amortization of share-based compensation		$ 14,430,000					14,430,000				15,680,000								15,680,000
Vesting of restricted stock, net (shares)		(271,978)								(271,978)
Shares repurchased and retired to satisfy tax withholding upon vesting		$ (3,068,000)					(3,068,000)				(4,318,000)								(4,318,000)
Reclassification of vested share-based awards											(15,007,000)						15,007,000
Adjustment to redeemable noncontrolling interests								2,992,000			(2,992,000)								(2,992,000)
Dividends declared on preferred stock							(21,155,000)					(21,155,000)							(21,155,000)
Dividends and distributions on common stock and common and incentive units								(175,000)				(295,630,000)					(9,022,000)		(304,652,000)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests in consolidated joint ventures, net of distributions								1,052,000									39,476,000		39,476,000
Net income (loss)	$ 21,155,000	$ 202,859,000	$ 7,653,000	$ (2,906,000)		$ (63,000)	231,604,000	(2,906,000)				224,014,000					7,590,000		231,604,000
Other comprehensive income (loss)-foreign currency translation adjustments				(2,401,000)	$ (357,202,000)	0	(357,202,000)	(2,401,000)						(344,350,000)			(12,852,000)		(357,202,000)
Cumulative effect adjustment from adoption of new accounting standard								40,027,000	1,434,420,000	$ 2,622,000	18,606,766,000	(3,139,350,000)		(444,222,000)			716,304,000		17,176,540,000
Increase (decrease) in fair value of interest rate swaps							(11,838,000)						$ (11,412,000)			$ (426,000)		$ (11,838,000)	(11,838,000)
Reclassification to interest expense from interest rate swaps					(558,000)		(558,000)							(538,000)			(20,000)		(558,000)
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2020								40,027,000	1,434,420,000	$ 2,622,000	18,606,766,000	(3,139,350,000)		(444,222,000)			716,304,000		17,176,540,000
Ending balance (shares) at Mar. 31, 2020										263,595,562
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Conversion of limited partner common units to general partner common units (units)		592,953	(592,953)
Noncontrolling interests in operating partnership converted to shares of common stock		$ 52,237,000	$ (52,237,000)
Payment of offering costs			223,184
Reclassification of vested share-based awards		(15,007,000)	15,007,000
Adjustment to redeemable partnership units		(2,992,000)		2,992,000			(2,992,000)
Partners' Capital Account, Distributions	$ (21,155,000)	$ (295,630,000)	$ (9,022,000)	(175,000)			(325,807,000)
Distributions From Noncontrolling Interests In Consolidated Joint Ventures Subsidiary				(1,052,000)		(39,476,000)	(39,476,000)
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2019								41,465,000	1,434,420,000	$ 2,073,000	11,577,320,000	(3,046,579,000)		(87,922,000)			728,788,000		10,608,100,000
Beginning balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2019										208,900,758
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Cumulative effect adjustment from adoption of new accounting standard								41,465,000	1,434,420,000	$ 2,073,000	11,577,320,000	(3,046,579,000)		(87,922,000)			728,788,000		10,608,100,000
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2020								42,011,000	950,940,000	$ 2,788,000	20,626,897,000	(3,997,938,000)		135,010,000			728,639,000		18,446,336,000
Ending balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2020										280,289,726
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Cumulative effect adjustment from adoption of new accounting standard								40,027,000	1,434,420,000	$ 2,622,000	18,606,766,000	(3,139,350,000)		(444,222,000)			716,304,000		17,176,540,000
Number of units (units)	58,250,000	263,595,562	8,473,386
Cumulative effect adjustment from adoption of new accounting standard								42,011,000	950,940,000	2,788,000	20,626,897,000	(3,997,938,000)		135,010,000			728,639,000		$ 18,446,336,000
Number of units (units)	38,250,000	280,289,726	8,046,267												288,335,993				280,289,726
Conversion of common units to common stock										$ 6,000	53,607,000						(53,613,000)
Conversion of common units to common stock (shares)										642,190
Common stock issued in connection with acquisition		$ 18,270,000					18,270,000			$ 1,000	18,269,000								$ 18,270,000
Common stock issued in connection with acquisition (shares)		125,395								125,395
Payment of offering costs											(232,000)								(232,000)
Shares issued under employee stock purchase plan		$ 3,427,000					3,427,000				3,427,000								3,427,000
Shares issued under employee stock purchase plan (shares)		29,475								29,475
Amortization of share-based compensation		$ 28,788,000					28,788,000				28,788,000								28,788,000
Vesting of restricted stock, net (shares)		285,524								285,524
Shares repurchased and retired to satisfy tax withholding upon vesting		$ (9,718,000)					(9,718,000)				(9,718,000)								(9,718,000)
Reclassification of vested share-based awards											(20,548,000)						20,548,000
Adjustment to redeemable noncontrolling interests								208,000			(208,000)								(208,000)
Dividends declared on preferred stock							(13,514,000)					(13,514,000)							(13,514,000)
Dividends and distributions on common stock and common and incentive units								(181,000)				(326,965,000)					(8,701,000)		(335,666,000)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests in consolidated joint ventures, net of distributions				(2,150,000)		31,680,000	31,680,000	(2,150,000)									31,680,000		31,680,000
Net income (loss)	$ 13,514,000	372,506,000	$ 9,491,000	209,000		(1,044,000)	394,467,000	209,000				385,920,000					8,547,000		394,467,000
Other comprehensive income (loss)-foreign currency translation adjustments					(219,002,000)	$ 0	(219,002,000)							(213,471,000)			(5,531,000)		(219,002,000)
Cumulative effect adjustment from adoption of new accounting standard								40,097,000	950,940,000	$ 2,795,000	20,700,282,000	(3,952,497,000)		(77,783,000)			721,587,000		18,446,336,000
Increase (decrease) in fair value of interest rate swaps							337,000						$ 328,000			$ 9,000		$ 337,000	337,000
Common units and share-based awards issued in connection with acquisition		$ 18,270,000					18,270,000			1,000	18,269,000								18,270,000
Reclassification to interest expense from interest rate swaps					$ 359,000		359,000							350,000			9,000		359,000
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2021								40,097,000	950,940,000	$ 2,795,000	20,700,282,000	(3,952,497,000)		(77,783,000)			721,587,000		18,345,324,000
Ending balance (shares) at Mar. 31, 2021										281,372,310
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Conversion of limited partner common units to general partner common units (units)		642,190	(642,190)
Noncontrolling interests in operating partnership converted to shares of common stock		$ 53,613,000	$ (53,613,000)
Issuance of common units, net of forfeitures (units)			337,194
Reclassification of vested share-based awards		(20,548,000)	$ 20,548,000
Adjustment to redeemable partnership units		(208,000)		208,000			(208,000)
Partners' Capital Account, Distributions	$ (13,514,000)	$ (326,965,000)	$ (8,701,000)	$ (181,000)			$ (349,180,000)
Cumulative effect adjustment from adoption of new accounting standard								$ 40,097,000	$ 950,940,000	$ 2,795,000	$ 20,700,282,000	$ (3,952,497,000)		$ (77,783,000)			$ 721,587,000		$ 18,345,324,000
Number of units (units)	38,250,000	281,372,310	7,741,271												289,113,581				281,372,310