SUMMARIZED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING INFORMATION - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Income (unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Revenues:
Rental income	$ 57,224	$ 55,312
Interest and other income	1,945	5,332
Resident fees and services	3,481	1,915
Total revenues	62,650	62,559
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	19,137	17,766
Interest	15,788	16,918
Operating expenses	2,420	1,412
General and administrative	6,873	4,714
Provision for (recovery of) doubtful accounts and loan losses	1,770	2,523
Impairment of real estate	0	29,811
Total expenses	45,988	73,144
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	(556)
Other income	2,129	0
Net loss on sales of real estate	0	(4,602)
Total other income (expense)	2,129	(5,158)
Income in subsidiary	0	0
Net income (loss)	18,791	(15,743)
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	32	32
Net income (loss) attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	18,823	(15,711)
Preferred stock dividends	(2,561)	(2,561)
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders	$ 16,262	$ (18,272)
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders, per:
Basic common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.25	$ (0.28)
Diluted common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.25	$ (0.28)
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding, basic (in shares)	65,354,649	65,248,203
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding, diluted (in shares)	65,920,486	65,248,203
Elimination [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	$ (784)	$ (236)
Interest and other income	0	(182)
Resident fees and services	0	0
Total revenues	(784)	(418)
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Interest	0	(119)
Operating expenses	(784)	(236)
General and administrative	0	0
Provision for (recovery of) doubtful accounts and loan losses	0	0
Impairment of real estate		0
Total expenses	(784)	(355)
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt		0
Other income	0	0
Net loss on sales of real estate		0
Total other income (expense)	0	0
Income in subsidiary	(62,040)	7,357
Net income (loss)	(62,040)	7,294
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	(62,040)	7,294
Preferred stock dividends	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders	(62,040)	7,294
Parent Company [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	0	0
Interest and other income	7	0
Resident fees and services	0	0
Total revenues	7	0
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	216	183
Interest	0	0
Operating expenses	0	0
General and administrative	5,916	4,473
Provision for (recovery of) doubtful accounts and loan losses	(145)	233
Impairment of real estate		0
Total expenses	5,987	4,889
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt		0
Other income	1,367	0
Net loss on sales of real estate		0
Total other income (expense)	1,367	0
Income in subsidiary	23,436	(10,759)
Net income (loss)	18,823	(15,648)
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	18,823	(15,648)
Preferred stock dividends	(2,561)	(2,561)
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders	16,262	(18,209)
Issuers [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	0	0
Interest and other income	0	119
Resident fees and services	0	0
Total revenues	0	119
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Interest	13,409	14,302
Operating expenses	0	0
General and administrative	15	10
Provision for (recovery of) doubtful accounts and loan losses	0	0
Impairment of real estate		0
Total expenses	13,424	14,312
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt		(468)
Other income	35	500
Net loss on sales of real estate		0
Total other income (expense)	35	32
Income in subsidiary	36,825	3,402
Net income (loss)	23,436	(10,759)
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	23,436	(10,759)
Preferred stock dividends	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders	23,436	(10,759)
Combined Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	53,039	50,748
Interest and other income	1,938	5,395
Resident fees and services	0	0
Total revenues	54,977	56,143
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	16,956	16,015
Interest	728	1,019
Operating expenses	0	0
General and administrative	797	177
Provision for (recovery of) doubtful accounts and loan losses	1,915	2,290
Impairment of real estate		29,811
Total expenses	20,396	49,312
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt		(88)
Other income	727	(450)
Net loss on sales of real estate		(4,602)
Total other income (expense)	727	(5,140)
Income in subsidiary	1,779	0
Net income (loss)	37,087	1,691
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	37,087	1,691
Preferred stock dividends	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders	37,087	1,691
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Rental income	4,969	4,800
Interest and other income	0	0
Resident fees and services	3,481	1,915
Total revenues	8,450	6,715
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	1,965	1,568
Interest	1,651	1,716
Operating expenses	3,204	1,648
General and administrative	145	54
Provision for (recovery of) doubtful accounts and loan losses	0	0
Impairment of real estate		0
Total expenses	6,965	4,986
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt		0
Other income	0	(50)
Net loss on sales of real estate		0
Total other income (expense)	0	(50)
Income in subsidiary	0	0
Net income (loss)	1,485	1,679
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	32	32
Net income (loss) attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	1,517	1,711
Preferred stock dividends	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders	$ 1,517	$ 1,711