Investments in Unconsolidated Entities (Details 1) (USD $)	11 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012	Jan. 31, 2013		Jan. 31, 2012	Jan. 31, 2011
Real Estate
Completed rental properties	$ 7,307,233,000			$ 8,631,542,000
Projects under construction and development	535,479,000			1,292,453,000
Land inventory	126,754,000			99,309,000
Total Real Estate	7,969,466,000			10,023,304,000
Less accumulated depreciation	(1,469,328,000)			(1,654,632,000)
Real Estate, net	6,500,138,000			8,368,672,000
Cash and equivalents	280,206,000			333,220,000		217,486,000	193,372,000
Other assets	415,316,000			614,592,000
Mortgage debt and notes payable, nonrecourse	4,579,506,000			5,740,660,000
Members' and partners' equity	798,590,000			637,341,000
Operations:
Operating expenses	(675,585,000)		(608,422,000)	(670,285,000)		(614,814,000)
Depreciation and amortization	(279,189,000)		(195,044,000)	(218,695,000)		(198,290,000)
Interest and other income	52,332,000		42,246,000	45,546,000		46,104,000
Net gain (loss) on land held for divestiture activity	(7,382,000)		(4,457,000)	6,480,000		(115,654,000)
Gain on disposition of partial interest in a rental property	496,092,000		0	0		17,665,000
Discontinued operations:
Gain on disposition of rental properties	68,311,000			0		0
Discontinued operations subtotal	24,343,000			106,374,000		133,370,000
Impairment of investments in unconsolidated entities with land held for divestiture	0			(40,406,000)		(41,902,000)
Gain on disposition or partial disposition of equity method investments	34,149,000			16,107,000		12,567,000
Net earnings (loss) (pre-tax) from unconsolidated entities	109,163,000			44,631,000		(61,039,000)
Investments in Unconsolidated Entities (Textual) [Abstract]
Mortgage debt and notes payable, nonrecourse related to the land held by the unconsolidated entities	0			1,700,000
Equity Method Investee [Member]
Real Estate
Completed rental properties	8,142,158,000			7,317,652,000
Projects under construction and development	205,465,000			106,705,000
Land inventory	120,592,000	[1]		89,268,000	[1]
Total Real Estate	8,468,215,000			7,513,625,000
Less accumulated depreciation	(1,676,354,000)			(1,413,510,000)
Real Estate, net	6,791,861,000			6,100,115,000
Cash and equivalents	156,491,000			120,545,000
Restricted cash - military housing bond funds	116,372,000			146,484,000
Other restricted cash and escrowed funds	316,315,000			319,989,000
Other assets	1,074,972,000			730,308,000
Total Assets	8,456,011,000			7,417,441,000
Mortgage debt and notes payable, nonrecourse	7,113,515,000	[2]		6,261,983,000	[2]
Other liabilities	543,906,000			518,117,000
Members' and partners' equity	798,590,000			637,341,000
Total Liabilities and Members' and Partners' Equity	8,456,011,000			7,417,441,000
Operations:
Revenues	1,177,189,000			1,098,412,000		974,860,000
Operating expenses	(677,524,000)			(613,282,000)		(518,463,000)
Interest expense including extinguishment of debt	(315,168,000)			(324,768,000)		(312,469,000)
Depreciation and amortization	(211,129,000)			(208,599,000)		(189,109,000)
Interest and other income	14,797,000			17,684,000		14,751,000
Net gain (loss) on land held for divestiture activity	2,742,000			(102,000)		0
Gain on disposition of partial interest in a rental property	0			131,027,000		0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	(9,093,000)			100,372,000		(30,430,000)
Discontinued operations:
Operating earnings (loss) from rental properties	2,923,000			4,181,000		(3,093,000)
Gain on disposition of rental properties	68,311,000			0		0
Discontinued operations subtotal	71,234,000			4,181,000		(3,093,000)
Net earnings (loss) (pre-tax)	62,141,000			104,553,000		(33,523,000)
Company's portion of net earnings (pre-tax)	75,014,000			69,320,000		8,580,000
Impairment of investments in unconsolidated entities	0			(390,000)		(40,284,000)
Impairment of investments in unconsolidated entities with land held for divestiture	0			(40,406,000)		(41,902,000)
Gain on disposition or partial disposition of equity method investments	34,149,000			16,107,000		12,567,000
Net earnings (loss) (pre-tax) from unconsolidated entities	109,163,000			44,631,000		(61,039,000)
Investments in Unconsolidated Entities (Textual) [Abstract]
Land held by unconsolidated entities in which the Company is currently reviewing its options to divest its interest	85,879,000			89,268,000
Mortgage debt and notes payable, nonrecourse related to the land held by the unconsolidated entities	$ 17,160,000			$ 18,638,000

[1] The amounts at December 31 and January 31, 2013 include $85,879 and $89,268 of land held by unconsolidated entities in which the Company is currently reviewing its options to divest its interest in the land held by these unconsolidated entities.

[2] The amounts at December 31 and January 31, 2013 include $17,160 and $18,638 of mortgage debt and notes payable, nonrecourse related to the land held by the unconsolidated entities discussed in footnote (1).