Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Assets
Single-family properties, net	$ 8,258,557	$ 8,064,980
Cash and cash equivalents	110,138	46,156	$ 243,547	$ 118,799
Restricted cash	156,026	136,667	119,574	131,442
Rent and other receivables, net	36,078	30,144
Deferred costs and other intangibles, net	13,437	13,025
Goodwill	120,279	120,279
Total assets	8,971,426	8,608,768
Liabilities
Asset-backed securitizations, net	1,965,417	1,977,308
Unsecured senior notes, net	492,603	0
Exchangeable senior notes, net	114,507	111,697
Secured note payable	0	48,859
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	305,935	222,867
Amounts payable to affiliates	4,784	4,720
Participating preferred units derivative liability	0	29,470	$ 68,469	$ 69,810
Total liabilities	2,982,422	2,732,944
Capital
Accumulated other comprehensive income	9,026	75
Total liabilities and equity/capital	8,971,426	8,608,768
Term loan facility, net
Liabilities
Revolving credit facility and Term loan facility, net	99,176	198,023
Revolving Credit Facility
Liabilities
Revolving credit facility and Term loan facility, net	0	140,000
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P.
Assets
Single-family properties, net	8,258,557	8,064,980
Cash and cash equivalents	110,138	46,156
Restricted cash	156,026	136,667
Rent and other receivables, net	36,078	30,144
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Escrow deposits, prepaid expenses and other assets, including due from affiliates	276,911	197,517
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Deferred costs and other intangibles, net	13,437	13,025
Goodwill	120,279	120,279
Total assets	8,971,426	8,608,768
Liabilities
Asset-backed securitizations, net	1,965,417	1,977,308
Unsecured senior notes, net	492,603	0
Exchangeable senior notes, net	114,507	111,697
Secured note payable	0	48,859
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	305,935	222,867
Amounts payable to affiliates	4,784	4,720
Intercompany payables	0	0
Participating preferred units derivative liability	0	29,470
Total liabilities	2,982,422	2,732,944
Capital
Limited partners, capital account	720,345	727,544
Accumulated other comprehensive income	9,026	75
Total partners' capital	5,989,004	5,877,173
Noncontrolling interest	0	(1,349)
Total capital	5,989,004	5,875,824
Total liabilities and equity/capital	8,971,426	8,608,768
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Common Units
Capital
General partner, capital account	4,405,198	4,248,236
Limited partners, capital account	720,345	727,544
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Preferred Shares/Units
Capital
General partner, capital account	854,435	901,318
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Term loan facility, net
Liabilities
Revolving credit facility and Term loan facility, net	99,176	198,023
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Revolving Credit Facility
Liabilities
Revolving credit facility and Term loan facility, net	0	140,000
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. (Parent Company)
Assets
Single-family properties, net	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents	92,343	22,157
Restricted cash	26,935	14,742
Rent and other receivables, net	0	114
Intercompany receivables	280,514	154,621
Escrow deposits, prepaid expenses and other assets, including due from affiliates	71,364	59,271
Investments in subsidiaries	6,009,862	5,889,146
Deferred costs and other intangibles, net	7,866	9,652
Goodwill	120,279	120,279
Total assets	6,609,163	6,269,982
Liabilities
Asset-backed securitizations, net	0	0
Unsecured senior notes, net	492,603
Exchangeable senior notes, net	0	0
Secured note payable		0
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	30,566	27,566
Amounts payable to affiliates	4,784	4,720
Intercompany payables	0	0
Participating preferred units derivative liability		29,470
Total liabilities	627,129	399,779
Capital
Limited partners, capital account	720,345	727,544
Accumulated other comprehensive income	9,026	75
Total partners' capital	5,982,034	5,870,203
Noncontrolling interest		0
Total capital	5,982,034	5,870,203
Total liabilities and equity/capital	6,609,163	6,269,982
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. (Parent Company) | Common Units
Capital
General partner, capital account	4,398,228	4,241,266
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. (Parent Company) | Preferred Shares/Units
Capital
General partner, capital account	854,435	901,318
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. (Parent Company) | Term loan facility, net
Liabilities
Revolving credit facility and Term loan facility, net	99,176	198,023
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. (Parent Company) | Revolving Credit Facility
Liabilities
Revolving credit facility and Term loan facility, net	0	140,000
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Residential Properties OP, L.P. (Guarantor Subsidiary)
Assets
Single-family properties, net	656	1,732
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Restricted cash	29	31
Rent and other receivables, net	56	57
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Escrow deposits, prepaid expenses and other assets, including due from affiliates	170	164
Investments in subsidiaries	115,619	115,303
Deferred costs and other intangibles, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Total assets	116,530	117,287
Liabilities
Asset-backed securitizations, net	0	0
Unsecured senior notes, net	0
Exchangeable senior notes, net	114,507	111,697
Secured note payable		0
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	3,524	2,757
Amounts payable to affiliates	0	0
Intercompany payables	9,071	8,428
Participating preferred units derivative liability		0
Total liabilities	127,102	122,882
Capital
Limited partners, capital account	0	0
Accumulated other comprehensive income	0	0
Total partners' capital	(10,572)	(5,595)
Noncontrolling interest		0
Total capital	(10,572)	(5,595)
Total liabilities and equity/capital	116,530	117,287
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Residential Properties OP, L.P. (Guarantor Subsidiary) | Common Units
Capital
General partner, capital account	(10,572)	(5,595)
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Residential Properties OP, L.P. (Guarantor Subsidiary) | Preferred Shares/Units
Capital
General partner, capital account	0	0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Residential Properties OP, L.P. (Guarantor Subsidiary) | Term loan facility, net
Liabilities
Revolving credit facility and Term loan facility, net	0	0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Residential Properties OP, L.P. (Guarantor Subsidiary) | Revolving Credit Facility
Liabilities
Revolving credit facility and Term loan facility, net	0	0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Assets
Single-family properties, net	8,257,901	8,063,248
Cash and cash equivalents	17,795	23,999
Restricted cash	129,062	121,894
Rent and other receivables, net	36,022	29,973
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Escrow deposits, prepaid expenses and other assets, including due from affiliates	205,377	138,082
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Deferred costs and other intangibles, net	5,571	3,373
Goodwill	0	0
Total assets	8,651,728	8,380,569
Liabilities
Asset-backed securitizations, net	1,965,417	1,977,308
Unsecured senior notes, net	0
Exchangeable senior notes, net	0	0
Secured note payable		48,859
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	271,845	192,544
Amounts payable to affiliates	0	0
Intercompany payables	271,443	146,193
Participating preferred units derivative liability		0
Total liabilities	2,508,705	2,364,904
Capital
Limited partners, capital account	0	0
Accumulated other comprehensive income	0	0
Total partners' capital	6,143,023	6,017,014
Noncontrolling interest		(1,349)
Total capital	6,143,023	6,015,665
Total liabilities and equity/capital	8,651,728	8,380,569
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Common Units
Capital
General partner, capital account	6,143,023	6,017,014
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Preferred Shares/Units
Capital
General partner, capital account	0	0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Term loan facility, net
Liabilities
Revolving credit facility and Term loan facility, net	0	0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Revolving Credit Facility
Liabilities
Revolving credit facility and Term loan facility, net	0	0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Consolidating Adjustments
Assets
Single-family properties, net	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0
Rent and other receivables, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	(280,514)	(154,621)
Escrow deposits, prepaid expenses and other assets, including due from affiliates	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	(6,125,481)	(6,004,449)
Deferred costs and other intangibles, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Total assets	(6,405,995)	(6,159,070)
Liabilities
Asset-backed securitizations, net	0	0
Unsecured senior notes, net	0
Exchangeable senior notes, net	0	0
Secured note payable		0
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	0	0
Amounts payable to affiliates	0	0
Intercompany payables	(280,514)	(154,621)
Participating preferred units derivative liability		0
Total liabilities	(280,514)	(154,621)
Capital
Limited partners, capital account	0	0
Accumulated other comprehensive income	0	0
Total partners' capital	(6,125,481)	(6,004,449)
Noncontrolling interest		0
Total capital	(6,125,481)	(6,004,449)
Total liabilities and equity/capital	(6,405,995)	(6,159,070)
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Consolidating Adjustments | Common Units
Capital
General partner, capital account	(6,125,481)	(6,004,449)
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Consolidating Adjustments | Preferred Shares/Units
Capital
General partner, capital account	0	0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Consolidating Adjustments | Term loan facility, net
Liabilities
Revolving credit facility and Term loan facility, net	0	0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Consolidating Adjustments | Revolving Credit Facility
Liabilities
Revolving credit facility and Term loan facility, net	$ 0	$ 0