Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Operating activities
Net income	$ 33,091	$ 21,525
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	81,161	79,303
Noncash amortization of deferred financing costs	1,956	1,900
Noncash amortization of discounts on debt instruments	95	935
Noncash amortization of cash flow hedging instrument	(241)	(120)
Noncash share-based compensation	952	975
Provision for bad debt	1,768	2,000
Remeasurement of participating preferred shares	0	(1,212)
Equity in net earnings of unconsolidated ventures	26	(314)
Net gain on sale of single-family properties and other	(5,649)	(2,256)
Loss on impairment of single-family properties	504	700
Other changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Rent and other receivables	(5,569)	(3,886)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(1,096)	(13,476)
Deferred leasing costs	(999)	(2,723)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	42,010	29,150
Amounts payable to affiliates	(73)	(10)
Net cash provided by operating activities	147,936	112,491
Investing activities
Cash paid for single-family properties	(57,740)	(149,674)
Change in escrow deposits for purchase of single-family properties	(870)	(4,115)
Net proceeds received from sales of single-family properties and other	32,919	11,967
Proceeds received from hurricane-related insurance claims	0	4,000
Distributions from joint ventures	282	1,230
Initial renovations to single-family properties	(9,727)	(20,400)
Recurring and other capital expenditures for single-family properties	(15,703)	(11,167)
Cash paid for development activity	(79,990)	0
Other purchases of productive assets	(40)	(53,472)
Net cash provided by (used for) investing activities	(130,869)	(221,631)
Financing activities
Repurchase of Class A common shares/units	0	(34,969)
Share-based compensation (payments) proceeds, net	(770)	(414)
Payments on asset-backed securitizations	(5,556)	(5,312)
Payments on secured note payable	0	(255)
Settlement of cash flow hedging instrument	0	9,628
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(2,748)	(5,457)
Distributions to common shareholders/unitholders	(14,832)	(14,337)
Distributions to preferred shareholders/unitholders	0	(14,597)
Deferred financing costs paid	(3,572)	(5,025)
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	120,466	286,472
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	137,533	177,332
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	175,214	182,823
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period (see Note 3)	312,747	360,155
Supplemental cash flow information
Cash payments for interest, net of amounts capitalized	(32,042)	(22,690)
Supplemental schedule of noncash investing and financing activities
Accrued property acquisitions, renovations and development expenditures	6,769	9,375
Transfers of completed homebuilding deliveries to properties	23,055	8,693
Accrued distributions to affiliates	4,768	(2,719)
Accrued distributions to non-affiliates	26,633	25
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P.
Operating activities
Net income	33,091	21,525
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	81,161	79,303
Noncash amortization of deferred financing costs	1,956	1,900
Noncash amortization of discounts on debt instruments	95	935
Noncash amortization of cash flow hedging instrument	(241)	(120)
Noncash share-based compensation	952	975
Provision for bad debt	1,768	2,000
Remeasurement of participating preferred shares	0	(1,212)
Equity in net earnings of unconsolidated ventures	26	(314)
Net gain on sale of single-family properties and other	(5,649)	(2,256)
Loss on impairment of single-family properties	504	700
Other changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Rent and other receivables	(5,569)	(3,886)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(1,096)	(13,476)
Deferred leasing costs	(999)	(2,723)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	42,010	29,150
Amounts payable to affiliates	(73)	(10)
Net cash provided by operating activities	147,936	112,491
Investing activities
Cash paid for single-family properties	(57,740)	(149,674)
Change in escrow deposits for purchase of single-family properties	(870)	(4,115)
Net proceeds received from sales of single-family properties and other	32,919	11,967
Proceeds received from hurricane-related insurance claims	0	4,000
Distributions from joint ventures	282	1,230
Initial renovations to single-family properties	(9,727)	(20,400)
Recurring and other capital expenditures for single-family properties	(15,703)	(11,167)
Cash paid for development activity	(79,990)	0
Other purchases of productive assets	(40)	(53,472)
Net cash provided by (used for) investing activities	(130,869)	(221,631)
Financing activities
Repurchase of Class A common shares/units	0	(34,969)
Share-based compensation (payments) proceeds, net	(770)	(414)
Payments on asset-backed securitizations	(5,556)	(5,312)
Payments on secured note payable	0	(255)
Settlement of cash flow hedging instrument	0	9,628
Distributions to common shareholders/unitholders	(17,580)	(19,794)
Distributions to preferred shareholders/unitholders	0	(14,597)
Deferred financing costs paid	(3,572)	(5,025)
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	120,466	286,472
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	137,533	177,332
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	175,214	182,823
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period (see Note 3)	312,747	360,155
Supplemental cash flow information
Cash payments for interest, net of amounts capitalized	(32,042)	(22,690)
Supplemental schedule of noncash investing and financing activities
Accrued property acquisitions, renovations and development expenditures	6,769	9,375
Transfers of completed homebuilding deliveries to properties	23,055	8,693
Accrued distributions to affiliates	4,768	(2,719)
Accrued distributions to non-affiliates	26,633	25
Unsecured Senior Notes
Financing activities
Proceeds from unsecured senior notes, net of discount	397,944	497,210
Unsecured Senior Notes | American Homes 4 Rent, L.P.
Financing activities
Proceeds from unsecured senior notes, net of discount	397,944	497,210
Revolving Credit Facility
Financing activities
Proceeds from revolving credit facility	0	100,000
Payments on revolving credit facility	(250,000)	(240,000)
Revolving Credit Facility | American Homes 4 Rent, L.P.
Financing activities
Proceeds from revolving credit facility	0	100,000
Payments on revolving credit facility	$ (250,000)	$ (240,000)