Condensed Consolidated Statements of Capital - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Common units issued under share-based compensation plans, net of units withheld for employee taxes	$ 10,263	$ (760)	$ 3,068	$ (408)
Repurchases of Class A units				(34,969)
Distributions to equity holders:
Net income	40,304		25,898		$ 73,395	$ 47,423
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	(240)	(241)	(241)	9,433	(481)	9,192
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P.
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Total capital, beginning balance	5,975,372	5,973,742	5,840,650	5,875,824	5,973,742	5,875,824
Share-based compensation	1,269	952	943	975
Common units issued under share-based compensation plans, net of units withheld for employee taxes	10,263	(760)	3,068	(408)
Repurchases of Class A units				(34,969)
Redemption of units	0	0	28,258
Liquidation of consolidated joint venture			(241)
Distributions to equity holders:
Preferred units	(13,782)	(13,782)	(11,984)	(14,597)
Common units	(17,663)	(17,630)	(17,589)	(17,133)
Net income	40,304	33,091	25,898	21,525	73,395	47,423
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	(240)	(241)	(241)	9,433	(481)	9,192
Total capital, ending balance	5,995,523	5,975,372	5,868,762	5,840,650	5,995,523	5,868,762
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Total partners' capital
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Total capital, beginning balance			5,842,010	5,877,173		5,877,173
Share-based compensation			943	975
Common units issued under share-based compensation plans, net of units withheld for employee taxes			3,068	(408)
Repurchases of Class A units				(34,969)
Redemption of units			28,258
Liquidation of consolidated joint venture			(1,849)
Distributions to equity holders:
Preferred units			(11,984)	(14,597)
Common units			(17,589)	(17,133)
Net income			26,146	21,536
Total other comprehensive income (loss)			(241)	9,433
Total capital, ending balance			5,868,762	5,842,010		5,868,762
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Accumulated other comprehensive income
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Total capital, beginning balance	8,545	8,786	9,508	75	8,786	75
Distributions to equity holders:
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	(240)	(241)	(241)	9,433
Total capital, ending balance	8,305	8,545	9,267	9,508	8,305	9,267
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Noncontrolling interest
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Total capital, beginning balance			(1,360)	(1,349)		(1,349)
Liquidation of consolidated joint venture			1,608
Distributions to equity holders:
Net income			(248)	(11)
Total capital, ending balance			0	(1,360)		0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | General Partner | Common Units
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Total capital, beginning balance	$ 4,398,233	$ 4,390,137	$ 4,205,283	$ 4,248,236	$ 4,390,137	$ 4,248,236
Total capital, beginning balance (in shares)	297,227,451	296,649,621	285,004,736	286,749,712	296,649,621	286,749,712
Share-based compensation	$ 1,269	$ 952	$ 943	$ 975
Common units issued under share-based compensation plans, net of units withheld for employee taxes	$ 10,263	$ (760)	$ 3,068	$ (408)
Common units issued under share-based compensation plans, net of units withheld for employee taxes (in shares)	645,567	77,830	164,671	59,187
Repurchases of Class A units				$ (34,969)
Repurchases of Class A units (in shares)				(1,804,163)
Redemption of units	$ 33,736	$ 6,510	$ 186,119
Redemption of units (in shares)	2,589,846	500,000	10,848,827
Liquidation of consolidated joint venture			$ (1,849)
Liquidation of consolidated joint venture (in units)			0
Distributions to equity holders:
Common units	$ (15,052)	$ (14,889)	$ (14,822)	$ (14,365)
Net income	22,518	16,283	17,064	5,814
Total capital, ending balance	$ 4,450,967	$ 4,398,233	$ 4,395,806	$ 4,205,283	$ 4,450,967	$ 4,395,806
Total capital, ending balance (in shares)	300,462,864	297,227,451	296,018,234	285,004,736	300,462,864	296,018,234
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | General Partner | Preferred Shares/Units
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Total capital, beginning balance	$ 854,435	$ 854,435	$ 901,318	$ 901,318	$ 854,435	$ 901,318
Redemption of units			(157,861)
Distributions to equity holders:
Preferred units	(13,782)	(13,782)	(11,984)	(14,597)
Net income	13,782	13,782	11,984	14,597
Total capital, ending balance	854,435	854,435	743,457	901,318	854,435	743,457
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. | Limited Partners | Common Units
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Total capital, beginning balance	$ 714,159	$ 720,384	$ 725,901	$ 727,544	$ 720,384	$ 727,544
Total capital, beginning balance (in shares)	54,816,826	55,316,826	55,350,153	55,350,153	55,316,826	55,350,153
Redemption of units	$ (33,736)	$ (6,510)
Redemption of units (in shares)	2,589,846	500,000
Distributions to equity holders:
Common units	$ (2,611)	$ (2,741)	$ (2,767)	$ (2,768)
Net income	4,004	3,026	(2,902)	1,125
Total capital, ending balance	$ 681,816	$ 714,159	$ 720,232	$ 725,901	$ 681,816	$ 720,232
Total capital, ending balance (in shares)	52,226,980	54,816,826	55,350,153	55,350,153	52,226,980	55,350,153