Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Statements of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 280,052	$ 246,836	$ 802,539	$ 717,598
Expenses:
General and administrative expense	9,265	8,525	28,173	26,746
Interest expense	30,930	26,592	92,209	86,873
Acquisition fees and costs expensed	1,055	1,306	3,687	3,814
Depreciation and amortization	79,940	74,790	237,562	221,459
Hurricane-related charges, net	0	10,136	0	10,136
Other	1,069	1,285	3,520	4,202
Total expenses	254,724	238,025	735,049	672,800
Gain on sale of single-family properties and other, net	4,953	1,895	10,449	6,375
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0	0	(1,447)	(6,555)
Remeasurement of participating preferred units	0	8,391	1,212	1,341
Net income	30,281	19,097	77,704	45,959
Noncontrolling interest	2,881	309	845	(22)
Preferred distributions	12,223	17,253	38,804	46,122
Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders/unitholders	15,177	1,535	5,840	(141)
Rents from single-family properties
Revenues:
Total revenues	231,324	207,490	676,558	613,245
Fees from single-family properties
Revenues:
Total revenues	2,711	2,843	8,298	8,137
Tenant charge-backs
Revenues:
Total revenues	44,152	36,094	112,876	91,849
Other
Revenues:
Total revenues	1,865	409	4,807	4,367
Property operating expenses
Expenses:
Cost of goods and services sold	113,600	97,944	313,430	267,203
Property management expenses
Expenses:
Cost of goods and services sold	18,865	17,447	56,468	52,367
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P.
Revenues:
Total revenues	280,052	246,836	802,539	717,598
Expenses:
General and administrative expense	9,265	8,525	28,173	26,746
Interest expense	30,930	26,592	92,209	86,873
Acquisition fees and costs expensed	1,055	1,306	3,687	3,814
Depreciation and amortization	79,940	74,790	237,562	221,459
Hurricane-related charges, net	0	10,136	0	10,136
Other	1,069	1,285	3,520	4,202
Total expenses	254,724	238,025	735,049	672,800
Intercompany income	0	0	0	0
Intercompany expenses	0	0	0	0
Gain on sale of single-family properties and other, net	4,953	1,895	10,449	6,375
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0	0	(1,447)	(6,555)
Remeasurement of participating preferred units	0	8,391	1,212	1,341
Equity in income of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income	30,281	19,097	77,704	45,959
Noncontrolling interest	0	(31)	(259)	8
Preferred distributions	12,223	17,253	38,804	46,122
Redemption of participating preferred units			32,215
Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders/unitholders	18,058	1,875	6,944	(171)
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Rents from single-family properties
Revenues:
Total revenues	231,324	207,490	676,558	613,245
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Fees from single-family properties
Revenues:
Total revenues	2,711	2,843	8,298	8,137
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Tenant charge-backs
Revenues:
Total revenues	44,152	36,094	112,876	91,849
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Other
Revenues:
Total revenues	1,865	409	4,807	4,367
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Property operating expenses
Expenses:
Cost of goods and services sold	113,600	97,944	313,430	267,203
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Property management expenses
Expenses:
Cost of goods and services sold	18,865	17,447	56,468	52,367
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. (Parent Company)
Revenues:
Total revenues	380	310	1,114	1,029
Expenses:
General and administrative expense	5,546	5,170	17,497	15,184
Interest expense	7,355	2,490	21,584	9,005
Acquisition fees and costs expensed	0	0	0	358
Depreciation and amortization	204	369	705	1,147
Hurricane-related charges, net		0		0
Other	527	110	702	290
Total expenses	13,632	8,139	40,488	25,984
Intercompany income	38	69	1,064	190
Intercompany expenses	(253)	(86)	(395)	(413)
Gain on sale of single-family properties and other, net	0	0	0	3,031
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			(879)	0
Remeasurement of participating preferred units		8,391	1,212	1,341
Equity in income of subsidiaries	43,748	18,583	116,335	66,757
Net income	30,281	19,128	77,963	45,951
Noncontrolling interest		0	0	0
Preferred distributions	12,223	17,253	38,804	46,122
Redemption of participating preferred units			32,215
Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders/unitholders	18,058	1,875	6,944	(171)
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. (Parent Company) | Rents from single-family properties
Revenues:
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. (Parent Company) | Fees from single-family properties
Revenues:
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. (Parent Company) | Tenant charge-backs
Revenues:
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. (Parent Company) | Other
Revenues:
Total revenues	380	310	1,114	1,029
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. (Parent Company) | Property operating expenses
Expenses:
Cost of goods and services sold	0	0	0	0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. (Parent Company) | Property management expenses
Expenses:
Cost of goods and services sold	0	0	0	0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Residential Properties OP, L.P. (Guarantor Subsidiary)
Revenues:
Total revenues	22	51	67	233
Expenses:
General and administrative expense	0	0	2	2
Interest expense	1,908	1,844	5,613	5,427
Acquisition fees and costs expensed	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	2	0	8
Hurricane-related charges, net		0		0
Other	0	60	9	111
Total expenses	1,920	1,936	5,643	5,691
Intercompany income	0	0	0	0
Intercompany expenses	0	0	0	0
Gain on sale of single-family properties and other, net	(3)	685	601	(490)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			0	0
Remeasurement of participating preferred units		0	0	0
Equity in income of subsidiaries	11,009	8,655	32,276	27,143
Net income	9,108	7,455	27,301	21,195
Noncontrolling interest		0	0	0
Preferred distributions	0	0	0	0
Redemption of participating preferred units			0
Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders/unitholders	9,108	7,455	27,301	21,195
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Residential Properties OP, L.P. (Guarantor Subsidiary) | Rents from single-family properties
Revenues:
Total revenues	20	48	60	214
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Residential Properties OP, L.P. (Guarantor Subsidiary) | Fees from single-family properties
Revenues:
Total revenues	0	0	1	2
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Residential Properties OP, L.P. (Guarantor Subsidiary) | Tenant charge-backs
Revenues:
Total revenues	2	3	6	17
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Residential Properties OP, L.P. (Guarantor Subsidiary) | Other
Revenues:
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Residential Properties OP, L.P. (Guarantor Subsidiary) | Property operating expenses
Expenses:
Cost of goods and services sold	12	27	16	129
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | American Residential Properties OP, L.P. (Guarantor Subsidiary) | Property management expenses
Expenses:
Cost of goods and services sold	0	3	3	14
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Total revenues	279,650	246,475	801,358	716,336
Expenses:
General and administrative expense	3,719	3,355	10,674	11,560
Interest expense	21,667	22,258	65,012	72,441
Acquisition fees and costs expensed	1,055	1,306	3,687	3,456
Depreciation and amortization	79,736	74,419	236,857	220,304
Hurricane-related charges, net		10,136		10,136
Other	542	1,115	2,809	3,801
Total expenses	239,172	227,950	688,918	641,125
Intercompany income	253	86	395	413
Intercompany expenses	(38)	(69)	(1,064)	(190)
Gain on sale of single-family properties and other, net	4,956	1,210	9,848	3,834
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			(568)	(6,555)
Remeasurement of participating preferred units		0	0	0
Equity in income of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income	45,649	19,752	121,051	72,713
Noncontrolling interest		(31)	(259)	8
Preferred distributions	0	0	0	0
Redemption of participating preferred units			0
Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders/unitholders	45,649	19,783	121,310	72,705
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Rents from single-family properties
Revenues:
Total revenues	231,304	207,442	676,498	613,031
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Fees from single-family properties
Revenues:
Total revenues	2,711	2,843	8,297	8,135
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Tenant charge-backs
Revenues:
Total revenues	44,150	36,091	112,870	91,832
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Other
Revenues:
Total revenues	1,485	99	3,693	3,338
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Property operating expenses
Expenses:
Cost of goods and services sold	113,588	97,917	313,414	267,074
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Reportable Legal Entities | Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Property management expenses
Expenses:
Cost of goods and services sold	18,865	17,444	56,465	52,353
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Consolidating Adjustments
Revenues:
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
Expenses:
General and administrative expense	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Acquisition fees and costs expensed	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Hurricane-related charges, net		0		0
Other	0	0	0	0
Total expenses	0	0	0	0
Intercompany income	(291)	(155)	(1,459)	(603)
Intercompany expenses	291	155	1,459	603
Gain on sale of single-family properties and other, net	0	0	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			0	0
Remeasurement of participating preferred units		0	0	0
Equity in income of subsidiaries	(54,757)	(27,238)	(148,611)	(93,900)
Net income	(54,757)	(27,238)	(148,611)	(93,900)
Noncontrolling interest		0	0	0
Preferred distributions	0	0	0	0
Redemption of participating preferred units			0
Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders/unitholders	(54,757)	(27,238)	(148,611)	(93,900)
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Consolidating Adjustments | Rents from single-family properties
Revenues:
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Consolidating Adjustments | Fees from single-family properties
Revenues:
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Consolidating Adjustments | Tenant charge-backs
Revenues:
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Consolidating Adjustments | Other
Revenues:
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Consolidating Adjustments | Property operating expenses
Expenses:
Cost of goods and services sold	0	0	0	0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Consolidating Adjustments | Property management expenses
Expenses:
Cost of goods and services sold	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0