CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Revenue
Resident fees	$ 4,168,621	$ 4,177,127	$ 3,301,297
Management fees	70,762	60,183	42,239
Reimbursed costs incurred on behalf of managed communities	737,597	723,298	488,170
Total revenue	4,976,980	4,960,608	3,831,706
Expense
Facility operating expense (excluding depreciation and amortization of $469,388, $684,448 and $503,662, respectively)	2,799,402	2,788,862	2,210,368
General and administrative expense (including non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $32,285, $31,651 and $28,299, respectively)	313,409	370,579	280,267
Transaction costs	3,990	8,252	66,949
Facility lease expense	373,635	367,574	323,830
Depreciation and amortization	520,402	733,165	537,035
Asset impairment	248,515	57,941	9,992
Loss on facility lease termination	11,113	76,143	0
Costs incurred on behalf of managed communities	737,597	723,298	488,170
Total operating expense	5,008,063	5,125,814	3,916,611
Income (loss) from operations	(31,083)	(165,206)	(84,905)
Interest income	2,933	1,603	1,343
Interest expense:
Debt	(174,027)	(173,484)	(128,002)
Capital and financing lease obligations	(202,012)	(211,132)	(109,998)
Amortization of deferred financing costs and debt premium (discount)	(9,400)	(3,351)	(7,477)
Change in fair value of derivatives	(178)	(797)	(2,711)
Debt modification and extinguishment costs	(9,170)	(7,020)	(6,387)
Equity in earnings (loss) of unconsolidated ventures	1,660	(804)	171
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties, before Applicable Income Taxes	7,218	1,270	446
Other non-operating income	14,801	8,557	6,789
Income (loss) before income taxes	(399,258)	(550,364)	(330,731)
(Provision) benefit for income taxes	(5,378)	92,209	181,305
Net income (loss)	(404,636)	(458,155)	(149,426)
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	239	678	436
Net (income) loss attributable to Brookdale Senior Living Inc. common stockholders	$ (404,397)	$ (457,477)	$ (148,990)
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to Brookdale Senior Living Inc. common stockholders	$ (2.18)	$ (2.48)	$ (1.01)
Weighted average shares used in computing basic and diluted net income (loss) per share	185,653	184,333	148,185