Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Operating activities
Net income	$ 45,959	$ 1,108
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	221,459	224,513
Noncash amortization of deferred financing costs	6,285	7,912
Noncash amortization of discount on exchangeable senior notes	2,624	1,955
Noncash amortization of discount on ARP 2014-SFR1 securitization	0	1,744
Noncash share-based compensation	3,175	2,744
Provision for bad debt	5,142	5,092
Hurricane-related charges, net	10,136	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	6,555	13,408
Gain on conversion of Series E units to Series D units	0	(11,463)
Remeasurement of participating preferred shares/units	(1,341)	2,940
Equity in net earnings of unconsolidated ventures	(1,367)	(418)
Net gain on sale of single-family properties and other	(6,375)	(12,574)
Loss on impairment of single-family properties	3,786	1,467
Net gain on resolutions of mortgage loans	(17)	(7,205)
Other changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Rent and other receivables	(11,929)	(12,110)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(5,690)	(429)
Deferred leasing costs	(5,361)	(6,199)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	71,325	47,920
Amounts payable to affiliates	5,009	(5,425)
Net cash provided by operating activities	349,375	254,980
Investing activities
Cash paid for single-family properties	(462,875)	(187,886)
Change in escrow deposits for purchase of single-family properties	(2,710)	(821)
Cash acquired in noncash business combinations	0	25,020
Payoff of credit facility in connection with ARPI merger	0	(350,000)
Net proceeds received from sales of single-family properties and other	68,618	71,894
Net proceeds received from sales of non-performing loans	0	44,538
Purchase of commercial office buildings	0	(27,105)
Collections from mortgage financing receivables	83	17,687
Distributions from unconsolidated joint ventures	5,981	6,400
Renovations to single-family properties	(31,208)	(21,710)
Other capital expenditures for single-family properties	(26,725)	(22,026)
Other purchases of productive assets	(38,060)	0
Net cash used for investing activities	(486,896)	(444,009)
Financing activities
Proceeds from issuance of Class A common shares	694,765	0
Proceeds from issuance of perpetual preferred shares/units	270,000	498,750
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	988	2,777
Repurchase of Class A common shares/units	0	(96,098)
Redemptions of Class A units	(169)	(399)
Payments on asset-backed securitizations	(472,470)	(374,031)
Payments on secured note payable	(721)	(687)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(8,333)	(8,582)
Distributions to common shareholders/units	(38,890)	(35,997)
Distributions to preferred shareholders/units	(46,122)	(26,650)
Deferred financing costs paid	(3,974)	(10,425)
Net cash provided by financing activities	250,401	257,736
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	112,880	68,707
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	250,241	168,968
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period (see Note 3)	363,121	237,675
Supplemental cash flow information
Cash payments for interest, net of amounts capitalized	(77,964)	(87,707)
Supplemental schedule of noncash investing and financing activities
Accounts payable and accrued expenses related to property acquisitions and renovations	7,151	(226)
Transfer of term loan borrowings to revolving credit facility	50,000	0
Transfer of deferred financing costs from term loan to revolving credit facility	1,524	0
Transfers of completed homebuilding deliveries to properties	3,010	0
Note receivable related to a bulk sale of properties, net of discount	5,635	0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P.
Operating activities
Net income	45,959	1,108
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	221,459	224,513
Noncash amortization of deferred financing costs	6,285	7,912
Noncash amortization of discount on exchangeable senior notes	2,624	1,955
Noncash amortization of discount on ARP 2014-SFR1 securitization	0	1,744
Noncash share-based compensation	3,175	2,744
Provision for bad debt	5,142	5,092
Hurricane-related charges, net	10,136	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	6,555	13,408
Gain on conversion of Series E units to Series D units	0	(11,463)
Remeasurement of participating preferred shares/units	(1,341)	2,940
Equity in net earnings of unconsolidated ventures	(1,367)	(418)
Net gain on sale of single-family properties and other	(6,375)	(12,574)
Loss on impairment of single-family properties	3,786	1,467
Net gain on resolutions of mortgage loans	(17)	(7,205)
Other changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Rent and other receivables	(11,929)	(12,110)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(5,690)	(429)
Deferred leasing costs	(5,361)	(6,199)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	71,325	47,920
Amounts payable to affiliates	5,009	(5,425)
Net cash provided by operating activities	349,375	254,980
Investing activities
Cash paid for single-family properties	(462,875)	(187,886)
Change in escrow deposits for purchase of single-family properties	(2,710)	(821)
Cash acquired in noncash business combinations	0	25,020
Payoff of credit facility in connection with ARPI merger	0	(350,000)
Net proceeds received from sales of single-family properties and other	68,618	71,894
Net proceeds received from sales of non-performing loans	0	44,538
Purchase of commercial office buildings	0	(27,105)
Collections from mortgage financing receivables	83	17,687
Distributions from unconsolidated joint ventures	5,981	6,400
Renovations to single-family properties	(31,208)	(21,710)
Other capital expenditures for single-family properties	(26,725)	(22,026)
Other purchases of productive assets	(38,060)	0
Net cash used for investing activities	(486,896)	(444,009)
Financing activities
Proceeds from issuance of Class A common shares	694,765	0
Proceeds from issuance of perpetual preferred shares/units	270,000	498,750
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	988	2,777
Repurchase of Class A common shares/units	0	(96,098)
Redemptions of Class A units	(169)	(399)
Payments on asset-backed securitizations	(472,470)	(374,031)
Payments on secured note payable	(721)	(687)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	0	(230)
Distributions to common shareholders/units	(47,223)	(43,493)
Distributions to preferred shareholders/units	(46,122)	(26,650)
Deferred financing costs paid	(3,974)	(10,425)
Net cash provided by financing activities	250,401	257,736
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	112,880	68,707
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	250,241	168,968
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period (see Note 3)	363,121	237,675
Supplemental cash flow information
Cash payments for interest, net of amounts capitalized	(77,964)	(87,707)
Supplemental schedule of noncash investing and financing activities
Accounts payable and accrued expenses related to property acquisitions and renovations	7,151	(226)
Transfer of term loan borrowings to revolving credit facility	50,000	0
Transfer of deferred financing costs from term loan to revolving credit facility	1,524	0
Transfers of completed homebuilding deliveries to properties	3,010	0
Note receivable related to a bulk sale of properties, net of discount	5,635	0
American Residential Properties Inc.
Merger with ARPI
Single-family properties	0	1,277,253
Restricted cash	0	9,521
Rent and other receivables, net	0	843
Escrow deposits, prepaid expenses and other assets	0	35,134
Deferred costs and other intangibles, net	0	22,696
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	0	(38,485)
American Residential Properties Inc. | American Homes 4 Rent, L.P.
Merger with ARPI
Single-family properties	0	1,277,253
Restricted cash	0	9,521
Rent and other receivables, net	0	843
Escrow deposits, prepaid expenses and other assets	0	35,134
Deferred costs and other intangibles, net	0	22,696
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	0	(38,485)
Class A common shares and units issued	0	(530,460)
American Residential Properties Inc. | Asset-backed securitization
Merger with ARPI
Debt assumed or extinguished	0	(329,703)
American Residential Properties Inc. | Asset-backed securitization | American Homes 4 Rent, L.P.
Merger with ARPI
Debt assumed or extinguished	0	(329,703)
American Residential Properties Inc. | Senior Notes
Merger with ARPI
Debt assumed or extinguished	0	(112,298)
American Residential Properties Inc. | Senior Notes | American Homes 4 Rent, L.P.
Merger with ARPI
Debt assumed or extinguished	0	(112,298)
Term Loan facility
Financing activities
Proceeds from credit facility	25,000	250,000
Payments on credit facility	(100,000)	0
Term Loan facility | American Homes 4 Rent, L.P.
Financing activities
Proceeds from credit facility	25,000	250,000
Payments on credit facility	(100,000)	0
Revolving Credit Facility
Financing activities
Proceeds from credit facility	62,000	951,000
Payments on credit facility	(112,000)	(876,000)
Revolving Credit Facility | American Homes 4 Rent, L.P.
Financing activities
Proceeds from credit facility	62,000	951,000
Payments on credit facility	(112,000)	(876,000)
Class A common shares/units
Financing activities
Stock issuance costs	(10,444)	0
Class A common shares/units | American Homes 4 Rent, L.P.
Financing activities
Stock issuance costs	(10,444)	0
Class A common shares/units | American Residential Properties Inc.
Merger with ARPI
Class A common shares and units issued	0	(530,460)
Preferred Shares/Units
Financing activities
Stock issuance costs	(9,229)	(15,922)
Preferred Shares/Units | American Homes 4 Rent, L.P.
Financing activities
Stock issuance costs	(9,229)	(15,922)
Series D Perpetual Preferred Shares/Units | American Homes 4 Rent, L.P.
Financing activities
Distributions to preferred shareholders/units	$ 0	$ (856)