Change in Investment from Foreign Currency Exchange Rates

No definition available.

Name:	psa_ChangeInInvestmentFromForeignCurrencyExchangeRates
Namespace Prefix:	psa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Closing Share Price

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	psa_ClosingSharePrice
Namespace Prefix:	psa_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Aggregate dividends paid during the period for each share of common stock outstanding.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187085-122770

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareCashPaid
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of distribution received from equity method investee for return on investment, classified as operating activities. Excludes distribution for return of investment, classified as investing activities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118932676&loc=d3e3602-108585

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 220
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04(10))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116637232&loc=SL114874131-224263

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03(12))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116634182&loc=SL114868664-224227

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 21D
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118932676&loc=SL94080555-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentDividendsOrDistributions
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee accounted for under the equity method of accounting.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 323
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114001798&loc=d3e33918-111571

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This item represents the aggregate value of each identified investment accounted for under the equity method of accounting based on the quoted market price for those investments in common stock for which a quoted market price is available.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 323
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114001798&loc=d3e33918-111571

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentQuotedMarketValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Foreign exchange rate used to translate amounts denominated in functional currency to reporting currency.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 830
-SubTopic 30
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6897108&loc=SL6897125-166521

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyExchangeRateTranslation1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:pureItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of shares issued which are neither cancelled nor held in the treasury.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharesOutstanding
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	srt_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=psa_ShurgardSelfStorageSaMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_ProductOrServiceAxis=us-gaap_LicenseMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Investments In Unconsolidated Real Estate Entities (Investment In Shurgard) (Narrative) (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2020 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Jun. 30, 2019 $ / shares	Jun. 30, 2020 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Jun. 30, 2020 USD ($) € / shares shares	Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($) $ / shares	Jun. 30, 2019 € / shares	Jun. 30, 2020 € / shares	Dec. 31, 2019 shares
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Exchange rate translation	1.123		1.123	1.123				1.122
Common stock dividends paid per share \| $ / shares	$ 2.00	$ 2.00	$ 4.00		$ 4.00
Shurgard [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Shares owned \| shares	31,268,459		31,268,459	31,268,459				31,268,459
Ownership interest, percentage	35.00%		35.00%	35.00%
Closing price per share \| € / shares							€ 33.45
Exchange rate translation	1.123		1.123	1.123
Market value	$ 1,200.0		$ 1,200.0	$ 1,200.0
Cash distribution received			17.0		$ 7.7
Change in investment from foreign currency exchange rates			(8.2)		(3.5)
Common stock dividends paid per share \| € / shares				$ 0.50		€ 0.22
Trademark License [Member] \| Shurgard [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Cash distribution received			$ 0.5		$ 0.5