Segment Reporting - Geography (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss)
Revenues	$ 110,740	$ 107,396	$ 106,513	$ 123,005	$ 113,875	$ 110,076	$ 109,185	$ 107,226	$ 447,654	$ 440,362	$ 426,947
Operating expenses	(65,817)	(53,313)	(55,581)	(59,615)	(60,118)	(87,442)	(60,037)	(56,205)	(234,326)	(263,802)	(218,892)
Interest expense									(88,270)	(98,813)	(93,551)
Other income and (expenses), excluding interest expense									7,719	27,080	16,304
Benefit from (provision for) income taxes									513	(8,477)	(8,885)
Gain on sale of real estate, net of tax									2,879	132,858	2,197
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(9,747)	(9,081)	(10,919)	(9,135)	(10,459)	(8,827)	(9,383)	(10,194)	(38,882)	(38,863)	(39,915)
Net Income Attributable to CPA:17 – Global	3,741	$ 24,729	$ 30,806	$ 38,011	4,846	$ 58,218	$ 81,858	$ 45,423	97,287	190,345	84,205
Long-lived assets	3,736,921				3,745,466				3,736,921	3,745,466
Equity investments in real estate	409,254				451,105				409,254	451,105
Debt	1,951,390				2,072,001				1,951,390	2,072,001
Texas
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss)
Revenues									67,317	67,860	63,933
Operating expenses									(28,389)	(75,455)	(42,934)
Interest expense									(10,053)	(11,774)	(12,465)
Other income and (expenses), excluding interest expense									688	(2,859)	787
Benefit from (provision for) income taxes									(53)	(67)	(4)
Gain on sale of real estate, net of tax									1,647	10,565	0
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Net Income Attributable to CPA:17 – Global									31,157	(11,730)	9,317
Long-lived assets	308,195				337,379				308,195	337,379
Equity investments in real estate	16,072				17,603				16,072	17,603
Debt	216,542				249,336				216,542	249,336
New York
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss)
Revenues									45,430	42,912	37,567
Operating expenses									(12,211)	(13,152)	(1,624)
Interest expense									(6,937)	(7,098)	(3,602)
Other income and (expenses), excluding interest expense									(257)	49,483	(1,857)
Benefit from (provision for) income taxes									162	(682)	0
Gain on sale of real estate, net of tax									0	0	0
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									(11,222)	(10,972)	(11,068)
Net Income Attributable to CPA:17 – Global									14,965	60,491	19,416
Long-lived assets	388,336				395,508				388,336	395,508
Equity investments in real estate	0				0				0	0
Debt	179,775				173,823				179,775	173,823
Other Domestic
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss)
Revenues									208,562	213,027	212,394
Operating expenses									(121,672)	(124,776)	(131,013)
Interest expense									(50,087)	(54,760)	(52,853)
Other income and (expenses), excluding interest expense									(665)	(10,428)	15,277
Benefit from (provision for) income taxes									1,532	(4,102)	(3,354)
Gain on sale of real estate, net of tax									755	122,293	2,197
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									(27,206)	(26,608)	(26,105)
Net Income Attributable to CPA:17 – Global									11,219	114,646	16,543
Long-lived assets	1,694,242				1,770,506				1,694,242	1,770,506
Equity investments in real estate	116,302				308,741				116,302	308,741
Debt	981,081				1,012,929				981,081	1,012,929
International
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss)
Revenues									126,345	116,563	113,053
Operating expenses									(72,054)	(50,419)	(43,321)
Interest expense									(21,193)	(25,181)	(24,631)
Other income and (expenses), excluding interest expense									7,953	(9,116)	2,097
Benefit from (provision for) income taxes									(1,128)	(3,626)	(5,527)
Gain on sale of real estate, net of tax									477	0	0
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									(454)	(1,283)	(2,742)
Net Income Attributable to CPA:17 – Global									39,946	26,938	$ 38,929
Long-lived assets	1,346,148				1,242,073				1,346,148	1,242,073
Equity investments in real estate	276,880				124,761				276,880	124,761
Debt	$ 573,992				$ 635,913				$ 573,992	$ 635,913