Common Stock/Partner's Capital	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Equity [Abstract]
Common Stock/Partner's Capital	9. Common Stock/Partner’s Capital Medical Properties Trust, Inc. 2018 Activity In the 2018 fourth quarter, we sold 5.6 million shares of common stock under our at-the-market equity offering program, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $95 million. 2017 Activity On May 1, 2017, we completed an underwritten public offering of 43.1 million shares (including the exercise of the underwriters’ 30-day option to purchase an additional 5.6 million shares) of our common stock, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $548 million, after deducting offering expenses. On November 13, 2017, we entered into a new at-the-market equity offering program, which gives us the ability to sell up to $750 million of stock with a commission rate up to 2.0%. During 2017, we did not sell any shares of our common stock under this program. 2016 Activity On October 7, 2016, we sold 10.3 million shares of common stock in a private placement to an affiliate of Cerberus, the controlling member of Steward, and certain members of Steward management. We sold these shares at a price per share of $14.50, equal to the public offering price of our September 2016 equity offering, generating total proceeds of $150 million. On September 30, 2016, we completed an underwritten public offering of 57.5 million shares (including the exercise of the underwriters’ 30-day option to purchase an additional 7.5 million shares) of our common stock, resulting in net proceeds of $799.5 million, after deducting estimated offering expenses. During 2016, we sold approximately 15 million shares of our common stock under a previously existing at-the-market equity offering program (that ended in 2016), resulting in net proceeds of approximately $224 million, after deducting approximately $2.8 million of commissions. MPT Operating Partnership, L.P. At December 31, 2018 the Operating Partnership is made up of a general partner, Medical Properties Trust, LLC (“General Partner”) and limited partners, including the Company (which owns 100% of the General Partner) and two other partners. By virtue of its ownership of the General Partner, the Company has a 99.9% ownership interest in Operating Partnership via its ownership of all the common units. The remaining ownership interest is held by the two employees via their ownership of LTIP units. These LTIP units were issued pursuant to the 2007 Multi-Year Incentive Plan, which is now part of the Equity Incentive Plan discussed in Note 7 and once vested in accordance with their award agreement, may be converted to common units per the Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of MPT Operating Partnership, L.P. (“Operating Partnership Agreement”). In regards to distributions, the Operating Partnership shall distribute cash at such times and in such amounts as are determined by the General Partner in its sole and absolute discretion, to common unit holders who are common unit holders on the record date. However, per the Operating Partnership Agreement, the General Partner shall use its reasonable efforts to cause the Operating Partnership to distribute amounts sufficient to enable the Company to pay stockholder dividends that will allow the Company to (i) meet its distribution requirement for qualification as a REIT and (ii) avoid any U.S. federal income or excise tax liability imposed by the Code, other than to the extent the Company elects to retain and pay income tax on its net capital gain. In accordance with the Operating Partnership Agreement, LTIP units are treated as common units for distribution purposes. The Operating Partnership’s net income will generally be allocated first to the General Partner to the extent of any cumulative losses and then to the limited partners in accordance with their respective percentage interests in the common units issued by the Operating Partnership. Any losses of the Operating Partnership will generally be allocated first to the limited partners until their capital account is zero and then to the General Partner. In accordance with the Operating Partnership Agreement, LTIP units are treated as common units for purposes of income and loss allocations. Limited partners have the right to require the Operating Partnership to redeem part or all of their common units. It is at the Operating Partnership’s discretion to redeem such common units for cash based on the fair market value of an equivalent number of shares of the Company’s common stock at the time of redemption or, alternatively, redeem the common units for shares of the Company’s common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment in the event of stock splits, stock dividends, or similar events. LTIP units must wait two years from the issuance of the LTIP units to be redeemed, and then converted to common units. In 2018, approximately 60 thousand LTIP units were converted to common units and then redeemed for approximately $0.8 million of cash. For each share of common stock issued by Medical Properties Trust, Inc., the Operating Partnership issues a corresponding number of operating partnership units.

Common Stock/Partner's Capital

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

9. Common Stock/Partner’s Capital

Medical Properties Trust, Inc.

2018 Activity

In the 2018 fourth quarter, we sold 5.6 million shares of common stock under our at-the-market equity offering program, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $95 million.

2017 Activity

On May 1, 2017, we completed an underwritten public offering of 43.1 million shares (including the exercise of the underwriters’ 30-day option to purchase an additional 5.6 million shares) of our common stock, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $548 million, after deducting offering expenses.

On November 13, 2017, we entered into a new at-the-market equity offering program, which gives us the ability to sell up to $750 million of stock with a commission rate up to 2.0%. During 2017, we did not sell any shares of our common stock under this program.

2016 Activity

On October 7, 2016, we sold 10.3 million shares of common stock in a private placement to an affiliate of Cerberus, the controlling member of Steward, and certain members of Steward management. We sold these shares at a price per share of $14.50, equal to the public offering price of our September 2016 equity offering, generating total proceeds of $150 million.

On September 30, 2016, we completed an underwritten public offering of 57.5 million shares (including the exercise of the underwriters’ 30-day option to purchase an additional 7.5 million shares) of our common stock, resulting in net proceeds of $799.5 million, after deducting estimated offering expenses.

During 2016, we sold approximately 15 million shares of our common stock under a previously existing at-the-market equity offering program (that ended in 2016), resulting in net proceeds of approximately $224 million, after deducting approximately $2.8 million of commissions.

MPT Operating Partnership, L.P.

At December 31, 2018 the Operating Partnership is made up of a general partner, Medical Properties Trust, LLC (“General Partner”) and limited partners, including the Company (which owns 100% of the General Partner) and two other partners. By virtue of its ownership of the General Partner, the Company has a 99.9% ownership interest in Operating Partnership via its ownership of all the common units. The remaining ownership interest is held by the two employees via their ownership of LTIP units. These LTIP units were issued pursuant to the 2007 Multi-Year Incentive Plan, which is now part of the Equity Incentive Plan discussed in Note 7 and once vested in accordance with their award agreement, may be converted to common units per the Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of MPT Operating Partnership, L.P. (“Operating Partnership Agreement”).

In regards to distributions, the Operating Partnership shall distribute cash at such times and in such amounts as are determined by the General Partner in its sole and absolute discretion, to common unit holders who are common unit holders on the record date. However, per the Operating Partnership Agreement, the General Partner shall use its reasonable efforts to cause the Operating Partnership to distribute amounts sufficient to enable the Company to pay stockholder dividends that will allow the Company to (i) meet its distribution requirement for qualification as a REIT and (ii) avoid any U.S. federal income or excise tax liability imposed by the Code, other than to the extent the Company elects to retain and pay income tax on its net capital gain. In accordance with the Operating Partnership Agreement, LTIP units are treated as common units for distribution purposes.

The Operating Partnership’s net income will generally be allocated first to the General Partner to the extent of any cumulative losses and then to the limited partners in accordance with their respective percentage interests in the common units issued by the Operating Partnership. Any losses of the Operating Partnership will generally be allocated first to the limited partners until their capital account is zero and then to the General Partner. In accordance with the Operating Partnership Agreement, LTIP units are treated as common units for purposes of income and loss allocations. Limited partners have the right to require the Operating Partnership to redeem part or all of their common units. It is at the Operating Partnership’s discretion to redeem such common units for cash based on the fair market value of an equivalent number of shares of the Company’s common stock at the time of redemption or, alternatively, redeem the common units for shares of the Company’s common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment in the event of stock splits, stock dividends, or similar events. LTIP units must wait two years from the issuance of the LTIP units to be redeemed, and then converted to common units. In 2018, approximately 60 thousand LTIP units were converted to common units and then redeemed for approximately $0.8 million of cash.

For each share of common stock issued by Medical Properties Trust, Inc., the Operating Partnership issues a corresponding number of operating partnership units.