SUMMARIZED CONSOLIDATING INFORMATION - Schedule of Consolidating Statement of Income (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Revenues:
Rental income	$ 225,275,000	$ 209,851,000	$ 161,483,000
Interest and other income	27,463,000	25,505,000	19,367,000
Resident fees and services	7,788,000	3,508,000	2,668,000
Total revenues	260,526,000	238,864,000	183,518,000
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	68,472,000	63,079,000	43,332,000
Interest	64,873,000	59,218,000	46,958,000
Operating expenses	5,703,000	2,576,000	1,930,000
General and administrative	19,918,000	23,865,000	23,815,000
Provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	5,543,000	12,842,000	3,594,000
Impairment of real estate	29,811,000	0	0
Total expenses	194,320,000	161,580,000	119,629,000
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt	(556,000)	0	(22,454,000)
Other income	10,677,000	2,260,000	1,560,000
Net (loss) gain on sales of real estate	(6,122,000)	(161,000)	3,914,000
Total other income (expense)	3,999,000	2,099,000	(16,980,000)
Income in subsidiary	0	0	0
Net income	70,205,000	79,383,000	46,909,000
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	71,000	30,000	43,000
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	70,276,000	79,413,000	46,952,000
Preferred stock dividends	(10,242,000)	(10,242,000)	(10,242,000)
Net income attributable to common stockholders	$ 60,034,000	$ 69,171,000	$ 36,710,000
Net income attributable to common stockholders, per:
Basic common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.92	$ 1.11	$ 0.79
Diluted common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.92	$ 1.11	$ 0.78
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding, basic (in shares)	65,284,251	62,235,014	46,351,544
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding, diluted (in shares)	65,520,672	62,460,239	46,889,531
Elimination [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	$ (2,328,000)	$ (1,201,000)	$ 0
Interest and other income	(253,000)	(304,000)	0
Resident fees and services	0	0	0
Total revenues	(2,581,000)	(1,505,000)	0
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0
Interest	0	(261,000)	0
Operating expenses	(2,363,000)	(1,213,000)	0
General and administrative	0	0	0
Provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	0	0	0
Impairment of real estate	0
Total expenses	(2,363,000)	(1,474,000)	0
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0		0
Other income	0	0	0
Net (loss) gain on sales of real estate	0	0	0
Total other income (expense)	0	0	0
Income in subsidiary	(219,716,000)	(250,001,000)	(195,709,000)
Net income	(219,934,000)	(250,032,000)	(195,709,000)
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	(219,934,000)	(250,032,000)	(195,709,000)
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders	(219,934,000)	(250,032,000)	(195,709,000)
Parent Company [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	0	0	0
Interest and other income	3,000	2,000	9,000
Resident fees and services	0	0	0
Total revenues	3,000	2,000	9,000
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	816,000	47,000	52,000
Interest	0	0	0
Operating expenses	0	0	0
General and administrative	16,218,000	14,910,000	17,922,000
Provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	(1,376,000)	1,291,000	600,000
Impairment of real estate	0
Total expenses	15,658,000	16,248,000	18,574,000
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0		0
Other income	7,366,000	0	0
Net (loss) gain on sales of real estate	0	0	0
Total other income (expense)	7,366,000	0	0
Income in subsidiary	78,783,000	95,690,000	65,517,000
Net income	70,494,000	79,444,000	46,952,000
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	70,494,000	79,444,000	46,952,000
Preferred stock dividends	(10,242,000)	(10,242,000)	(10,242,000)
Net income attributable to common stockholders	60,252,000	69,202,000	36,710,000
Issuers [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	0	0	0
Interest and other income	0	334,000	0
Resident fees and services	0	0	0
Total revenues	0	334,000	0
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0
Interest	54,589,000	52,208,000	37,129,000
Operating expenses	0	0	0
General and administrative	57,000	30,000	2,000
Provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	0	0	0
Impairment of real estate	0
Total expenses	54,646,000	52,238,000	37,131,000
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt	(468,000)		(21,846,000)
Other income	(196,000)	1,651,000	0
Net (loss) gain on sales of real estate	0	0	0
Total other income (expense)	(664,000)	1,651,000	(21,846,000)
Income in subsidiary	134,093,000	145,943,000	124,494,000
Net income	78,783,000	95,690,000	65,517,000
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	78,783,000	95,690,000	65,517,000
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders	78,783,000	95,690,000	65,517,000
Combined Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	206,406,000	190,582,000	142,249,000
Interest and other income	27,712,000	25,472,000	19,357,000
Resident fees and services	0	0	0
Total revenues	234,118,000	216,054,000	161,606,000
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	60,910,000	57,141,000	37,645,000
Interest	3,497,000	1,536,000	4,642,000
Operating expenses	0	0	0
General and administrative	3,284,000	8,566,000	5,561,000
Provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	6,498,000	11,551,000	2,994,000
Impairment of real estate	29,811,000
Total expenses	104,000,000	78,794,000	50,842,000
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt	(88,000)		(472,000)
Other income	3,507,000	(101,000)	1,560,000
Net (loss) gain on sales of real estate	(6,143,000)	(161,000)	3,914,000
Total other income (expense)	(2,724,000)	(262,000)	5,002,000
Income in subsidiary	6,840,000	8,368,000	5,698,000
Net income	134,234,000	145,366,000	121,464,000
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	134,234,000	145,366,000	121,464,000
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders	134,234,000	145,366,000	121,464,000
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	21,197,000	20,470,000	19,234,000
Interest and other income	1,000	1,000	1,000
Resident fees and services	7,788,000	3,508,000	2,668,000
Total revenues	28,986,000	23,979,000	21,903,000
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	6,746,000	5,891,000	5,635,000
Interest	6,787,000	5,735,000	5,187,000
Operating expenses	8,066,000	3,789,000	1,930,000
General and administrative	359,000	359,000	330,000
Provision for doubtful accounts and loan losses	421,000	0	0
Impairment of real estate	0
Total expenses	22,379,000	15,774,000	13,082,000
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0		(136,000)
Other income	0	710,000	0
Net (loss) gain on sales of real estate	21,000	0	0
Total other income (expense)	21,000	710,000	(136,000)
Income in subsidiary	0	0	0
Net income	6,628,000	8,915,000	8,685,000
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	71,000	30,000	43,000
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	6,699,000	8,945,000	8,728,000
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders	$ 6,699,000	$ 8,945,000	$ 8,728,000