SUMMARIZED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING INFORMATION - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Income (unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Revenues:
Rental income	$ 55,312	$ 49,505
Interest and other income	5,332	5,385
Resident fees and services	1,915	682
Total revenues	62,559	55,572
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	17,766	14,150
Interest	16,918	13,880
Operating expenses	1,412	498
General and administrative	4,714	6,361
Provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	2,523	1,144
Impairment of real estate	29,811	0
Total expenses	73,144	36,033
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt	(556)	0
Other income (loss)	0	(100)
Net loss on sale of real estate	(4,602)	0
Total other income (expense)	(5,158)	(100)
Income in subsidiary	0	0
Net (loss) income	(15,743)	19,439
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	32	11
Net (loss) income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	(15,711)	19,450
Preferred stock dividends	(2,561)	(2,561)
Net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders	$ (18,272)	$ 16,889
Net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders, per:
Basic common share (in dollars per share)	$ (0.28)	$ 0.29
Diluted common share (in dollars per share)	$ (0.28)	$ 0.28
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding, basic (in shares)	65,248,203	59,185,225
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding, diluted (in shares)	65,248,203	59,559,253
Parent Company [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	$ 0	$ 0
Interest and other income	0	1
Resident fees and services	0	0
Total revenues	0	1
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	183	13
Interest	0	0
Operating expenses	0	0
General and administrative	4,473	5,902
Provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	233	(464)
Impairment of real estate	0
Total expenses	4,889	5,451
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0
Other income (loss)	0	0
Net loss on sale of real estate	0
Total other income (expense)	0	0
Income in subsidiary	(10,759)	24,900
Net (loss) income	(15,648)	19,450
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	(15,648)	19,450
Preferred stock dividends	(2,561)	(2,561)
Net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders	(18,209)	16,889
Issuers [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	0	0
Interest and other income	119	0
Resident fees and services	0	0
Total revenues	119	0
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Interest	14,302	12,550
Operating expenses	0	0
General and administrative	10	0
Provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	0	0
Impairment of real estate	0
Total expenses	14,312	12,550
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt	(468)
Other income (loss)	500	0
Net loss on sale of real estate	0
Total other income (expense)	32	0
Income in subsidiary	3,402	37,450
Net (loss) income	(10,759)	24,900
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	(10,759)	24,900
Preferred stock dividends	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders	(10,759)	24,900
Combined Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	48,858	44,601
Interest and other income	5,410	5,384
Resident fees and services	1,344	0
Total revenues	55,612	49,985
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	15,509	12,702
Interest	869	0
Operating expenses	967	0
General and administrative	169	415
Provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	2,290	1,608
Impairment of real estate	29,811
Total expenses	49,615	14,725
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt	(88)
Other income (loss)	(450)	(100)
Net loss on sale of real estate	(4,602)
Total other income (expense)	(5,140)	(100)
Income in subsidiary	0	1,395
Net (loss) income	857	36,555
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	857	36,555
Preferred stock dividends	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders	857	36,555
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	6,690	4,904
Interest and other income	(15)	0
Resident fees and services	571	682
Total revenues	7,246	5,586
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	2,074	1,435
Interest	1,866	1,330
Operating expenses	681	498
General and administrative	62	44
Provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	0	0
Impairment of real estate	0
Total expenses	4,683	3,307
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0
Other income (loss)	(50)	0
Net loss on sale of real estate	0
Total other income (expense)	(50)	0
Income in subsidiary	0	0
Net (loss) income	2,513	2,279
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	32	11
Net (loss) income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	2,545	2,290
Preferred stock dividends	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders	2,545	2,290
Elimination [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	(236)	0
Interest and other income	(182)	0
Resident fees and services	0	0
Total revenues	(418)	0
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Interest	(119)	0
Operating expenses	(236)	0
General and administrative	0	0
Provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	0	0
Impairment of real estate	0
Total expenses	(355)	0
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0
Other income (loss)	0	0
Net loss on sale of real estate	0
Total other income (expense)	0	0
Income in subsidiary	7,357	(63,745)
Net (loss) income	7,294	(63,745)
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	7,294	(63,745)
Preferred stock dividends	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders	$ 7,294	$ (63,745)