CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Revenue
Resident fees	$ 4,177,127	$ 3,301,297	$ 2,515,033
Management fees	60,183	42,239	31,125
Reimbursed costs incurred on behalf of managed communities	723,298	488,170	345,808
Total revenue	4,960,608	3,831,706	2,891,966
Expense
Facility operating expense (excluding depreciation and amortization of $684,448, $503,662 and $238,153, respectively)	2,788,862	2,210,368	1,671,945
General and administrative expense (including non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $31,651, $28,299 and $25,978, respectively)	370,579	280,267	180,627
Transaction costs	8,252	66,949	3,921
Facility lease expense	367,574	323,830	276,729
Depreciation and amortization	733,165	537,035	268,757
Asset impairment	57,941	9,992	12,891
Loss on facility lease termination	76,143	0	0
Costs incurred on behalf of managed communities	723,298	488,170	345,808
Total operating expense	5,125,814	3,916,611	2,760,678
Income (loss) from operations	(165,206)	(84,905)	131,288
Interest income	1,603	1,343	1,339
Interest expense:
Debt	(173,484)	(128,002)	(96,131)
Capital and financing lease obligations	(211,132)	(109,998)	(25,194)
Amortization of deferred financing costs and debt premium (discount)	(3,351)	(7,477)	(17,054)
Change in fair value of derivatives	(797)	(2,711)	980
Debt modification and extinguishment costs	(7,020)	(6,387)	(1,265)
Equity in (loss) earnings of unconsolidated ventures	(804)	171	1,484
Other non-operating income	9,827	7,235	2,725
Income (loss) before income taxes	(550,364)	(330,731)	(1,828)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	92,209	181,305	(1,756)
Net income (loss)	(458,155)	(149,426)	(3,584)
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	678	436	0
Net (income) loss attributable to Brookdale Senior Living Inc. common stockholders	$ (457,477)	$ (148,990)	$ (3,584)
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to Brookdale Senior Living Inc. common stockholders	$ (2.48)	$ (1.01)	$ (0.03)
Weighted average shares used in computing basic and diluted net income (loss) per share (in shares)	184,333	148,185	123,671