CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Total Stockholders’ Equity	Preferred Stock [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-In Capital [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Member]	Accumulated Deficit [Member]	Non-Controlling Interests [Member]	Series D Preferred Stock [Member]	Series D Preferred Stock [Member] Total Stockholders’ Equity	Series D Preferred Stock [Member] Accumulated Deficit [Member]	Convertible Preferred Stock [Member]	Convertible Preferred Stock [Member] Total Stockholders’ Equity	Convertible Preferred Stock [Member] Accumulated Deficit [Member]	Convertible Preferred Stock [Member] Non-Controlling Interests [Member]	VEREIT Operating Partnership, L.P. [Member]
Beginning balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2016			42,834,138	974,146,650
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2016	$ 8,619,533	$ 8,447,361	$ 428	$ 9,741	$ 12,640,171	$ (2,556)	$ (4,200,423)	$ 172,172
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Repurchases of Common Stock under the share repurchase programs (shares)				(68,759)
Repurchases of Common Stock under the share repurchase programs	(518)	(518)		$ (1)	(517)											$ (518)
Repurchases of Common Stock to settle tax obligation (shares)				(268,550)
Repurchases of Common Stock to settle tax obligation	(2,148)	(2,148)		$ (2)	(2,146)											(2,148)
Equity-based compensation, net (shares)				399,242
Equity-based compensation, net	16,754	16,754		$ 4	16,750
Contributions from non-controlling interest holders	101							101								101
Distributions declared on Common Stock — $0.55 per common share	(535,657)	(535,657)					(535,657)
Distributions to non-controlling interest holders	(13,227)							(13,227)								(548,884)
Dividend equivalents on awards granted under the Equity Plan									$ (571)	$ (571)	$ (571)					(571)
Distributions to preferred shareholders and unitholders												$ (71,892)	$ (71,748)	$ (71,748)	$ (144)	(71,892)
Disposition of joint venture	(838)							(838)								(838)
Distributions payable relinquished	0
Net income (loss)	32,378	31,818					31,818	560								32,378
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(1,039)	(1,013)				(1,013)		(26)								(1,039)
Ending balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2017			42,834,138	974,208,583
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2017	8,042,876	7,884,278	$ 428	$ 9,742	12,654,258	(3,569)	(4,776,581)	158,598
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Conversion of OP Units to Common Stock (shares)				32,439
Conversion of OP Units to Common Stock		241			241			(241)
Repurchases of Common Stock under the share repurchase programs (shares)				(7,206,876)
Repurchases of Common Stock under the share repurchase programs	(50,154)	(50,154)		$ (72)	(50,082)											(50,154)
Repurchases of Common Stock to settle tax obligation (shares)				(324,502)
Repurchases of Common Stock to settle tax obligation	(2,326)	(2,326)		$ (2)	(2,324)											(2,326)
Equity-based compensation, net (shares)				805,521
Equity-based compensation, net	13,314	13,314		$ 7	13,307
Contributions from non-controlling interest holders	120							120								120
Distributions declared on Common Stock — $0.55 per common share	(532,144)	(532,144)					(532,144)
Distributions to non-controlling interest holders	(13,048)							(13,048)								(545,192)
Dividend equivalents on awards granted under the Equity Plan	(917)	(917)			72		(989)									(917)
Distributions to preferred shareholders and unitholders												(71,892)	(71,748)	(71,748)	(144)	(71,892)
Distributions payable relinquished	0
Net income (loss)	(88,030)	(85,774)					(85,774)	(2,256)								(88,030)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	2,345	2,289				2,289		56								2,345
Ending balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2018			42,834,138	967,515,165
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2018	7,300,144	7,157,059	$ 428	$ 9,675	12,615,472	(1,280)	(5,467,236)	143,085
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuance of Common Stock, net (shares)				108,410,070
Issuance of Common Stock, net	1,014,215	1,014,215		$ 1,084	1,013,131											1,014,215
Conversion of OP Units to Common Stock (shares)				130,291
Conversion of OP Units to Common Stock		1,167		$ 1	1,166			(1,167)
Conversion of Series F Preferred Units to Series F Preferred Stock (shares)			37,108
Conversion of Series F Preferred Units to Series F Preferred Stock		923	$ 1		922			(923)								0
Redemptions of Series F Preferred Stock (shares)			(12,000,000)
Redemptions of Series F Preferred Stock	(300,122)	(300,122)	$ (120)		(300,002)											(300,122)
Repurchases of Common Stock to settle tax obligation (shares)				(200,331)
Repurchases of Common Stock to settle tax obligation	(1,618)	(1,618)		$ (2)	(1,616)											(1,618)
Equity-based compensation, net (shares)				990,789
Equity-based compensation, net	13,101	13,101		$ 10	13,091
Contributions from non-controlling interest holders	64							64								64
Distributions declared on Common Stock — $0.55 per common share	(562,195)	(562,195)					(562,195)
Distributions to non-controlling interest holders	(9,494)							(9,494)								(571,689)
Dividend equivalents on awards granted under the Equity Plan	(1,328)	(1,328)			117		(1,445)									(1,328)
Distributions to preferred shareholders and unitholders												$ (68,488)	$ (68,397)	$ (68,397)	$ (91)	(68,488)
Distributions payable relinquished	12,522							12,522								12,522
Surrender of Limited Partner OP Units	(218,510)	(91,920)			(91,920)			(126,590)
Repurchase of convertible notes	(470)	(470)			(470)											(470)
Reallocation of equity		2,071			2,071			(2,071)
Net income (loss)	(307,106)	(300,353)					(300,353)	(6,753)								(307,106)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(27,437)	(26,390)				(26,390)		(1,047)								$ (27,437)
Ending balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2019			30,871,246	1,076,845,984
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2019	$ 6,843,278	$ 6,835,743	$ 309	$ 10,768	$ 13,251,962	$ (27,670)	$ (6,399,626)	$ 7,535