SUMMARIZED CONSOLIDATING INFORMATION - Consolidating Statement of Income (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Revenues:
Rental income	$ 536,605	$ 364,191	$ 225,275
Interest and other income	16,667	15,026	27,463
Resident fees and services	70,137	26,430	7,788
Total revenues	623,409	405,647	260,526
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	191,379	113,882	68,472
Interest	147,106	88,440	64,873
Operating expenses	49,546	17,860	5,703
General and administrative	36,458	32,401	17,672
Merger and acquisition costs	636	30,255	1,197
Provision for doubtful accounts, straight-line rental income and loan losses	39,075	17,113	5,543
Impairment of real estate	1,413	1,326	29,811
Total expenses	465,613	301,277	193,271
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt	(2,917)	(553)	(556)
Other income	4,480	3,170	10,677
Net gain (loss) on sales of real estate	128,198	52,029	(6,122)
Total other income	129,761	54,646	3,999
Income in subsidiary	0	0	0
Income before loss from unconsolidated joint venture and income tax expense	287,557	159,016	71,254
Loss from unconsolidated joint venture	(5,431)	0	0
Income tax expense	(3,011)	(651)	(1,049)
Net income	279,115	158,365	70,205
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(33)	18	71
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	279,082	158,383	70,276
Preferred stock dividends	(9,768)	(10,242)	(10,242)
Net income attributable to common stockholders	$ 269,314	$ 148,141	$ 60,034
Net income attributable to common stockholders, per:
Basic common share (in dollars per share)	$ 1.51	$ 1.40	$ 0.92
Diluted common share (in dollars per share)	$ 1.51	$ 1.40	$ 0.92
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding, basic (in shares)	178,305,738	105,621,242	65,284,251
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding, diluted (in shares)	178,721,744	105,842,434	65,520,672
Elimination
Revenues:
Rental income	$ (17,425)	$ (7,513)	$ (2,328)
Interest and other income	(399)	(161)	(253)
Resident fees and services	0	0	0
Total revenues	(17,824)	(7,674)	(2,581)
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0
Interest	(399)	(143)	0
Operating expenses	(17,425)	(7,531)	(2,363)
General and administrative	0	0	0
Merger and acquisition costs	0	0	0
Provision for doubtful accounts, straight-line rental income and loan losses	0	0	0
Impairment of real estate	0	0	0
Total expenses	(17,824)	(7,674)	(2,363)
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	0	0
Other income	0	0	0
Net gain (loss) on sales of real estate	0	0	0
Total other income	0	0	0
Income in subsidiary	(773,612)	(509,045)	(219,716)
Income before loss from unconsolidated joint venture and income tax expense	(773,612)	(509,045)	(219,934)
Loss from unconsolidated joint venture	0
Income tax expense	0	0	0
Net income	(773,612)	(509,045)	(219,934)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	(773,612)	(509,045)	(219,934)
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders	(773,612)	(509,045)	(219,934)
Parent Company | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Rental income	0	0	0
Interest and other income	110	39	3
Resident fees and services	0	0	0
Total revenues	110	39	3
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	887	867	816
Interest	0	0	0
Operating expenses	0	0	0
General and administrative	26,801	24,810	15,798
Merger and acquisition costs	642	30,208	(7)
Provision for doubtful accounts, straight-line rental income and loan losses	822	227	(1,376)
Impairment of real estate	0	0	0
Total expenses	29,152	56,112	15,231
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	0	0
Other income	1,977	2,634	7,366
Net gain (loss) on sales of real estate	0	0	0
Total other income	1,977	2,634	7,366
Income in subsidiary	307,736	212,432	78,783
Income before loss from unconsolidated joint venture and income tax expense	280,671	158,993	70,921
Loss from unconsolidated joint venture	0
Income tax expense	(1,589)	(610)	(427)
Net income	279,082	158,383	70,494
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	279,082	158,383	70,494
Preferred stock dividends	(9,768)	(10,242)	(10,242)
Net income attributable to common stockholders	269,314	148,141	60,252
Operating Partnership | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Rental income	0	0	0
Interest and other income	399	143	0
Resident fees and services	0	0	0
Total revenues	399	143	0
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0
Interest	134,096	77,767	54,589
Operating expenses	0	0	0
General and administrative	71	65	56
Merger and acquisition costs	0	0	0
Provision for doubtful accounts, straight-line rental income and loan losses	0	0	0
Impairment of real estate	0	0	0
Total expenses	134,167	77,832	54,645
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	(422)	(468)
Other income	(55)	1,130	(196)
Net gain (loss) on sales of real estate	0	0	0
Total other income	(55)	708	(664)
Income in subsidiary	441,560	289,414	134,093
Income before loss from unconsolidated joint venture and income tax expense	307,737	212,433	78,784
Loss from unconsolidated joint venture	0
Income tax expense	(1)	(1)	(1)
Net income	307,736	212,432	78,783
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	307,736	212,432	78,783
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders	307,736	212,432	78,783
Sabra Capital Corporation | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Rental income	0	0	0
Interest and other income	0	0	0
Resident fees and services	0	0	0
Total revenues	0	0	0
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0
Interest	0	0	0
Operating expenses	0	0	0
General and administrative	0	0	0
Merger and acquisition costs	0	0	0
Provision for doubtful accounts, straight-line rental income and loan losses	0	0	0
Impairment of real estate	0	0	0
Total expenses	0	0	0
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	0	0
Other income	0	0	0
Net gain (loss) on sales of real estate	0	0	0
Total other income	0	0	0
Income in subsidiary	0	0	0
Income before loss from unconsolidated joint venture and income tax expense	0	0	0
Loss from unconsolidated joint venture	0
Income tax expense	0	0	0
Net income	0	0	0
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	0	0	0
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders	0	0	0
Combined Guarantor Subsidiaries of 2021 Notes and 2023 Notes | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Rental income	170,400	213,162	206,897
Interest and other income	5,632	9,098	27,712
Resident fees and services	0	0	0
Total revenues	176,032	222,260	234,609
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	57,143	67,723	61,371
Interest	3,334	2,989	3,497
Operating expenses	0	0	0
General and administrative	2,078	3,854	1,652
Merger and acquisition costs	0	47	1,204
Provision for doubtful accounts, straight-line rental income and loan losses	30,710	16,886	6,498
Impairment of real estate	1,413	1,326	29,811
Total expenses	94,678	92,825	104,033
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	(131)	(88)
Other income	990	(617)	3,507
Net gain (loss) on sales of real estate	108,697	54,627	(6,143)
Total other income	109,687	53,879	(2,724)
Income in subsidiary	24,316	7,199	6,840
Income before loss from unconsolidated joint venture and income tax expense	215,357	190,513	134,692
Loss from unconsolidated joint venture	0
Income tax expense	(1,114)	(139)	(538)
Net income	214,243	190,374	134,154
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	214,243	190,374	134,154
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders	214,243	190,374	134,154
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries of 2021 Notes and 2023 Notes | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Rental income	383,630	158,542	20,706
Interest and other income	10,925	5,907	1
Resident fees and services	70,137	26,430	7,788
Total revenues	464,692	190,879	28,495
Expenses:
Depreciation and amortization	133,349	45,292	6,285
Interest	10,075	7,827	6,787
Operating expenses	66,971	25,391	8,066
General and administrative	7,508	3,672	166
Merger and acquisition costs	(6)	0	0
Provision for doubtful accounts, straight-line rental income and loan losses	7,543	0	421
Impairment of real estate	0	0	0
Total expenses	225,440	82,182	21,725
Other income (expense):
Loss on extinguishment of debt	(2,917)	0	0
Other income	1,568	23	0
Net gain (loss) on sales of real estate	19,501	(2,598)	21
Total other income	18,152	(2,575)	21
Income in subsidiary	0	0	0
Income before loss from unconsolidated joint venture and income tax expense	257,404	106,122	6,791
Loss from unconsolidated joint venture	(5,431)
Income tax expense	(307)	99	(83)
Net income	251,666	106,221	6,708
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(33)	18	71
Net income attributable to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.	251,633	106,239	6,779
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0
Net income attributable to common stockholders	$ 251,633	$ 106,239	$ 6,779