Shareholders' Equity / Partners' Capital - Noncontrolling Interest (Details) - Class A Units - Operating Partnership - shares	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Operating partnership units (in shares)	351,881,447	342,099,865
American Residential Properties Inc.
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Percentage of units outstanding	0.30%	0.30%
Operating partnership units (in shares)	1,073,509	1,073,509
AH LLC
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Ownership units owned (in shares)	54,276,644	54,276,644
Percentage of units outstanding	15.40%	15.90%

The number of each class of partnership units outstanding at the balance sheet date. Units represent shares of ownership of the general, limited, and preferred partners.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 946
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.6-04.16(a))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6488278&loc=d3e603758-122996

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 946
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.6-04.16(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6488278&loc=d3e603758-122996

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 4.F)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187171-122770

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant