INVESTMENTS IN RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE LOANS - Carrying Value of Mortgage Loans (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Movement in Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Roll Forward]
Accretion of loan discount and premium amortization, net	$ 811,922	$ 514,522
Transfer of loans to real estate owned	(91,414)
PCD Loans
Movement in Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning	190,761
Purchases/additional fundings	58,884
Sales	0
Proceeds from repayments	(25,166)
Accretion of loan discount and premium amortization, net	14,898
Transfer of loans to real estate owned	(21,370)
Transfer of loans to held-for-sale	(23,080)
Balance, ending	194,927
Residential Portfolio Segment \| Performing Loans
Movement in Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning	0
Purchases/additional fundings	527,098
Proceeds from repayments	(23,704)
Accretion of loan discount and premium amortization, net	4,387
Charge-offs	(481)
Transfer of loans to other assets	0
Transfer of loans to real estate owned	0
Balance, ending	$ 507,300

Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Sales

No definition available.

Name:	nrz_MortgageLoansonRealEstateSales
Namespace Prefix:	nrz_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Transfer of Loans to Other Assets

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nrz_MortgageLoansonRealEstateTransferofLoanstoOtherAssets
Namespace Prefix:	nrz_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Transfer to Loans Held-for-Sale

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	nrz_MortgageLoansonRealEstateTransfertoLoansHeldforSale
Namespace Prefix:	nrz_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The sum of the periodic adjustments of the differences between securities' face values and purchase prices that are charged against earnings. This is called accretion if the security was purchased at a discount and amortization if it was purchased at premium. As a noncash item, this element is an adjustment to net income when calculating cash provided by or used in operations using the indirect method.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3602-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccretionAmortizationOfDiscountsAndPremiumsInvestments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, after recoveries, of loans and leases that have been written-off.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesWriteoffsNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The carrying amount of the outstanding balance due under the mortgage loan.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 6
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-04.(c) Schedule IV)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27047687&loc=d3e5864-122674

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 948
-SubTopic 310
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-29)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6589523&loc=d3e617274-123014

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateCarryingAmountOfMortgages
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of principal collected on mortgage loans on real estate during the reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 948
-SubTopic 310
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-29.6)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6589523&loc=d3e617274-123014

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 6
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-04.(c) Schedule IV)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27047687&loc=d3e5864-122674

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateCollectionsOfPrincipal
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Total amount of new mortgage loans on real estate during the reporting period.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateNewMortgageLoans
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MovementInMortgageLoansOnRealEstateRollForward
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Value transferred from mortgage loans to real estate owned (REO) in noncash transactions.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98513485&loc=d3e4332-108586

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98513485&loc=d3e4304-108586

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98513485&loc=d3e4313-108586

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_TransferToOtherRealEstate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis=nrz_PurchasedCreditDeterioratedLoansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablePortfolioSegmentAxis=us-gaap_ResidentialPortfolioSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentPerformanceStatusAxis=us-gaap_PerformingFinancingReceivableMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: