SUMMARIZED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING INFORMATION - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Income (unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Revenues:
Rental income	$ 55,297	$ 49,896	$ 110,609	$ 99,401
Interest and other income	16,993	5,999	22,325	11,383
Resident fees and services	1,959	691	3,874	1,374
Total revenues	74,249	56,586	136,808	112,158
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	16,405	14,497	34,171	28,647
Interest	16,427	14,052	33,345	27,932
Operating expenses	1,440	499	2,852	997
General and administrative	4,636	9,363	9,350	15,724
Provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	223	2,972	2,746	4,116
Impairment of real estate	0	0	29,811	0
Total expenses	39,131	41,383	112,275	77,416
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	0	(556)	0
Other income (loss)	2,400	(100)	2,400	(200)
Gain (loss) on sale of real estate	(52)	1,723	(4,654)	1,723
Total other income (expense)	2,348	1,623	(2,810)	1,523
Income in subsidiary	0	0	0	0
Net income	37,466	16,826	21,723	36,265
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	9	9	41	20
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	37,475	16,835	21,764	36,285
Preferred stock dividends	(2,560)	(2,560)	(5,121)	(5,121)
Net income attributable to common stockholders	$ 34,915	$ 14,275	$ 16,643	$ 31,164
Net income attributable to common stockholders, per:
Basic common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.53	$ 0.24	$ 0.25	$ 0.53
Diluted common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.53	$ 0.24	$ 0.25	$ 0.52
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding, basic (in shares)	65,303,057	59,323,799	65,274,845	59,254,895
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding, diluted (in shares)	65,503,383	59,543,781	65,454,337	59,510,164
Elimination [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	$ (239)	$ 0	$ (477)	$ 0
Interest and other income	(196)	0	(377)	0
Resident fees and services	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	(435)	0	(854)	0
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Interest	(119)	0	(238)	0
Operating expenses	(250)	0	(489)	0
General and administrative	0	0	0	0
Provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	0	0	0	0
Impairment of real estate			0
Total expenses	(369)	0	(727)	0
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt			0
Other income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on sale of real estate	0	0	0	0
Total other income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Income in subsidiary	(93,219)	(54,666)	(88,477)	(118,415)
Net income	(93,285)	(54,666)	(88,604)	(118,415)
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	(93,285)	(54,666)	(88,604)	(118,415)
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders	(93,285)	(54,666)	(88,604)	(118,415)
Parent Company [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	0	0	0	0
Interest and other income	1	0	2	1
Resident fees and services	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	1	0	2	1
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	201	14	384	27
Interest	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	0	0	0	0
General and administrative	3,713	3,589	8,187	9,491
Provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	(888)	(136)	(655)	(600)
Impairment of real estate			0
Total expenses	3,026	3,467	7,916	8,918
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt			0
Other income (loss)	2,098	0	2,098	0
Gain (loss) on sale of real estate	0	0	0	0
Total other income (expense)	2,098	0	2,098	0
Income in subsidiary	38,468	20,302	27,707	45,202
Net income	37,541	16,835	21,891	36,285
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	37,541	16,835	21,891	36,285
Preferred stock dividends	(2,560)	(2,560)	(5,121)	(5,121)
Net income attributable to common stockholders	34,981	14,275	16,770	31,164
Issuers [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	0	0	0	0
Interest and other income	119	74	238	72
Resident fees and services	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	119	74	238	72
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Interest	13,720	12,665	28,023	25,216
Operating expenses	0	0	0	0
General and administrative	12	2	22	3
Provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	0	0	0	0
Impairment of real estate			0
Total expenses	13,732	12,667	28,045	25,219
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt			(468)
Other income (loss)	16	0	516	0
Gain (loss) on sale of real estate	0	0	0	0
Total other income (expense)	16	0	48	0
Income in subsidiary	52,065	32,895	55,466	70,349
Net income	38,468	20,302	27,707	45,202
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	38,468	20,302	27,707	45,202
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders	38,468	20,302	27,707	45,202
Combined Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	48,782	44,888	97,642	89,489
Interest and other income	17,078	5,925	22,488	11,309
Resident fees and services	1,413	0	2,758	0
Total revenues	67,273	50,813	122,888	100,798
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	14,138	12,981	29,647	25,683
Interest	964	136	1,832	136
Operating expenses	1,015	0	1,985	0
General and administrative	857	5,714	1,029	6,128
Provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	1,111	3,108	3,401	4,716
Impairment of real estate			29,811
Total expenses	18,085	21,939	67,705	36,663
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt			(88)
Other income (loss)	309	(100)	(141)	(200)
Gain (loss) on sale of real estate	(52)	1,723	(4,654)	1,723
Total other income (expense)	257	1,623	(4,883)	1,523
Income in subsidiary	2,686	1,469	5,304	2,864
Net income	52,131	31,966	55,604	68,522
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	52,131	31,966	55,604	68,522
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders	52,131	31,966	55,604	68,522
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	6,754	5,008	13,444	9,912
Interest and other income	(9)	0	(26)	1
Resident fees and services	546	691	1,116	1,374
Total revenues	7,291	5,699	14,534	11,287
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	2,066	1,502	4,140	2,937
Interest	1,862	1,251	3,728	2,580
Operating expenses	675	499	1,356	997
General and administrative	54	58	112	102
Provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	0	0	0	0
Impairment of real estate			0
Total expenses	4,657	3,310	9,336	6,616
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt			0
Other income (loss)	(23)	0	(73)	0
Gain (loss) on sale of real estate	0	0	0	0
Total other income (expense)	(23)	0	(73)	0
Income in subsidiary	0	0	0	0
Net income	2,611	2,389	5,125	4,671
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	9	9	41	20
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	2,620	2,398	5,166	4,691
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders	$ 2,620	$ 2,398	$ 5,166	$ 4,691