SUMMARIZED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING INFORMATION - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Income (unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Revenues:
Rental income	$ 56,833	$ 53,173	$ 167,442	$ 152,574
Interest and other income	3,157	6,211	25,482	17,594
Resident fees and services	1,937	550	5,811	1,924
Total revenues	61,927	59,934	198,735	172,092
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	17,102	16,306	51,273	44,953
Interest	15,794	15,176	49,139	43,108
Operating expenses	1,404	444	4,256	1,442
General and administrative	6,171	3,547	15,521	19,270
(Recovery of) provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	540	2,489	3,286	6,605
Impairment of real estate	0	0	29,811	0
Total expenses	41,011	37,962	153,286	115,378
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	0	(556)	0
Other income (expense)	2,945	(100)	5,345	(300)
Net loss on sales of real estate	1,451	(3,838)	(3,203)	(2,115)
Total other income (expense)	4,396	(3,938)	1,586	(2,415)
Income in subsidiary	0	0	0	0
Net income	25,312	18,034	47,035	54,299
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	25	27	66	47
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	25,337	18,061	47,101	54,346
Preferred stock dividends	(2,561)	(2,561)	(7,682)	(7,682)
Net income attributable to common stockholders	$ 22,776	$ 15,500	$ 39,419	$ 46,664
Net income attributable to common stockholders, per:
Basic common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.35	$ 0.24	$ 0.60	$ 0.76
Diluted common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.35	$ 0.24	$ 0.60	$ 0.76
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding, basic (in shares)	65,312,288	65,160,290	65,285,591	61,244,991
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding, diluted (in shares)	65,591,428	65,398,175	65,470,589	61,468,603
Elimination [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	$ (239)	$ 0	$ (716)	$ 0
Interest and other income	(68)	(129)	(207)	(154)
Resident fees and services	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	(307)	(129)	(923)	(154)
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Interest	0	(129)	0	(154)
Operating expenses	(239)	0	(727)	0
General and administrative	0	0	0	0
(Recovery of) provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	0	0	0	0
Impairment of real estate			0
Total expenses	(239)	(129)	(727)	(154)
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt			0
Other income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Net loss on sales of real estate	0	0	0	0
Total other income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Income in subsidiary	(71,724)	(56,774)	(160,445)	(175,546)
Net income	(71,792)	(56,774)	(160,641)	(175,546)
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	(71,792)	(56,774)	(160,641)	(175,546)
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders	(71,792)	(56,774)	(160,641)	(175,546)
Parent Company [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	0	0	0	0
Interest and other income	1	0	3	1
Resident fees and services	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	1	0	3	1
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	211	14	595	41
Interest	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	0	0	0	0
General and administrative	4,528	2,759	12,715	12,251
(Recovery of) provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	566	113	(89)	(488)
Impairment of real estate			0
Total expenses	5,305	2,886	13,221	11,804
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt			0
Other income (expense)	2,636	0	4,732	0
Net loss on sales of real estate	0	0	0	0
Total other income (expense)	2,636	0	4,732	0
Income in subsidiary	28,073	20,947	55,783	66,149
Net income	25,405	18,061	47,297	54,346
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	25,405	18,061	47,297	54,346
Preferred stock dividends	(2,561)	(2,561)	(7,682)	(7,682)
Net income attributable to common stockholders	22,844	15,500	39,615	46,664
Issuers [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	0	0	0	0
Interest and other income	0	129	0	226
Resident fees and services	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	0	129	0	226
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Interest	13,215	13,211	41,238	38,427
Operating expenses	0	0	0	0
General and administrative	21	18	43	21
(Recovery of) provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	0	0	0	0
Impairment of real estate			0
Total expenses	13,236	13,229	41,281	38,448
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt			(468)
Other income (expense)	400	502	916	1,671
Net loss on sales of real estate	0	0	0	0
Total other income (expense)	400	502	448	1,671
Income in subsidiary	40,909	33,545	96,616	102,700
Net income	28,073	20,947	55,783	66,149
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	28,073	20,947	55,783	66,149
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders	28,073	20,947	55,783	66,149
Combined Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	50,346	47,760	147,989	137,249
Interest and other income	3,224	6,211	25,711	17,521
Resident fees and services	1,411	0	4,169	0
Total revenues	54,981	53,971	177,869	154,770
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	14,838	14,674	44,485	40,357
Interest	778	676	2,372	836
Operating expenses	993	0	2,977	0
General and administrative	1,579	731	2,607	6,858
(Recovery of) provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	(26)	2,376	3,375	7,093
Impairment of real estate			29,811
Total expenses	18,162	18,457	85,627	55,144
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt			(88)
Other income (expense)	(91)	(602)	(230)	(1,971)
Net loss on sales of real estate	1,451	(3,838)	(3,203)	(2,115)
Total other income (expense)	1,360	(4,440)	(3,521)	(4,086)
Income in subsidiary	2,742	2,282	8,046	6,697
Net income	40,921	33,356	96,767	102,237
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	40,921	33,356	96,767	102,237
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders	40,921	33,356	96,767	102,237
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	6,726	5,413	20,169	15,325
Interest and other income	0	0	(25)	0
Resident fees and services	526	550	1,642	1,924
Total revenues	7,252	5,963	21,786	17,249
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	2,053	1,618	6,193	4,555
Interest	1,801	1,418	5,529	3,999
Operating expenses	650	444	2,006	1,442
General and administrative	43	39	156	140
(Recovery of) provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	0	0	0	0
Impairment of real estate			0
Total expenses	4,547	3,519	13,884	10,136
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt			0
Other income (expense)	0	0	(73)	0
Net loss on sales of real estate	0	0	0	0
Total other income (expense)	0	0	(73)	0
Income in subsidiary	0	0	0	0
Net income	2,705	2,444	7,829	7,113
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	25	27	66	47
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	2,730	2,471	7,895	7,160
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders	$ 2,730	$ 2,471	$ 7,895	$ 7,160