Basis of Financial Statement Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Loss Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Numerator: [Abstract]
Basic and diluted loss per share - net loss	$ (4,466)	$ (2,289)	$ (9,474)	$ (4,214)
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Basic and Diluted	22,005,589	21,940,284	22,000,367	21,935,097
Denominator: [Abstract]
Basic and diluted loss per share attributable to AV Homes stockholders (in dollars per share)	$ (0.20)	$ (0.10)	$ (0.43)	$ (0.19)