RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]
Accounting Changes [Text Block]	RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS EastGroup has evaluated all ASUs recently released by the FASB through the date the financial statements were issued and determined that the following ASUs apply to the Company. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The FASB issued further guidance in ASU 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients, that provides clarifying guidance in certain narrow areas and adds some practical expedients. The new standard was effective for the Company on January 1, 2018, and the Company used the modified retrospective approach upon adoption. The adoption of ASU 2014-09 did not have a material impact on the Company's financial condition or results of operations. In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities,which requires public business entities to use the exit price notion when measuring the fair value of financial instruments for disclosure purposes, requires separate presentation of financial assets and financial liabilities by measurement category and form of financial asset, and eliminates the requirement for public business entities to disclose the methods and significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value that is required to be disclosed for financial instruments measured at amortized costs on the balance sheet. EastGroup adopted ASU 2016-01 effective January 1, 2018. The adoption of ASU 2016-01 did not have a material impact on the Company's financial condition or results of operations. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which requires lessees to recognize the following for all leases (with the exception of short-term leases) at the commencement date: (1) a lease liability, which is a lessee's obligation to make lease payments arising from a lease, measured on a discounted basis; and (2) a right-of-use asset, which is an asset that represents the lessee's right to use, or control the use of, a specified asset for the lease term. The Company is a lessee on a limited number of leases, including office and ground leases, and while the adoption of ASU 2016-02 will impact the Company's accounting for office and ground leases, the Company anticipates the impact will not be material to its overall financial condition and results of operations. Lessor accounting is largely unchanged under ASU 2016-02. The Company's primary revenue is rental income; as such, the Company is a lessor on a significant number of leases. The Company is continuing to evaluate the potential impacts of the ASU and believes it will continue to account for its leases in substantially the same manner. The most significant change for the Company related to lessor accounting includes the new standard's narrow definition of initial direct costs for leases. The new definition will result in certain costs (primarily legal costs related to lease negotiations) being expensed rather than capitalized upon adoption of the new standard. EastGroup estimates the new definition of initial direct costs will result in an increase of expenses, and therefore a decrease in earnings, of approximately $200,000 on an annual basis. EastGroup plans to elect the practical expedient permitting lessors to make an accounting policy election by class of underlying asset to not separate non-lease components of a contract from the lease component to which they relate when specific criteria are met (the Company believes its leases meet the criteria). Public business entities are required to apply the amendments in ASU 2016-02 for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. EastGroup plans to adopt ASU 2016-02 effective January 1, 2019. The Company is continuing the process of evaluating and quantifying the effect that ASU 2016-02 will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures beginning with the Form 10-Q for the period ending March 31, 2019. In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting, which clarifies what constitutes a modification of a share-based payment award. The ASU is intended to provide clarity and reduce both diversity in practice and cost and complexity when applying the guidance in Topic 718 to a change to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award. ASU 2017-09 is effective for public entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company adopted ASU 2017-09 on January 1, 2018; the adoption of ASU 2017-09 did not have a material impact on its financial condition or results of operations, as the Company has not had any modifications to share-based payment awards. However, if the Company does have a modification to an award in the future, it will follow the guidance in ASU 2017-09. In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities. The ASU is intended to better align a company's financial reporting for hedging activities with the economic objectives of those activities. The transition method is a modified retrospective approach that will require the Company to recognize the cumulative effect of initially applying the ASU as an adjustment to Accumulated other comprehensive income with a corresponding adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings as of the beginning of the fiscal year the entity adopts the ASU. The primary provision in the ASU that will require an adjustment to beginning retained earnings is the change in timing and income statement presentation for ineffectiveness related to cash flow and net investment hedges. As a result of the transition guidance in the ASU, cumulative ineffectiveness that has previously been recognized on cash flow and net investment hedges that are still outstanding and designated as of the date of adoption will be adjusted and removed from beginning retained earnings and placed in Accumulated other comprehensive income. ASU 2017-12 is effective for public business entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted; however, the Company plans to adopt ASU 2017-12 on January 1, 2019. While the Company continues to assess all potential impacts of ASU 2017-12, it does not expect the adoption to have a material impact on the Company's financial condition or results of operations. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. The ASU is intended to improve the effectiveness of fair value measurement disclosures. ASU 2018-13 is effective for all entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted; however, the Company plans to adopt ASU 2018-13 on January 1, 2020. EastGroup does not expect the adoption to have a material impact on its financial condition, results of operations or disclosures.

RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

EastGroup has evaluated all ASUs recently released by the FASB through the date the financial statements were issued and determined that the following ASUs apply to the Company.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The FASB issued further guidance in ASU 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients, that provides clarifying guidance in certain narrow areas and adds some practical expedients. The new standard was effective for the Company on January 1, 2018, and the Company used the modified retrospective approach upon adoption. The adoption of ASU 2014-09 did not have a material impact on the Company's financial condition or results of operations.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities,which requires public business entities to use the exit price notion when measuring the fair value of financial instruments for disclosure purposes, requires separate presentation of financial assets and financial liabilities by measurement category and form of financial asset, and eliminates the requirement for public business entities to disclose the methods and significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value that is required to be disclosed for financial instruments measured at amortized costs on the balance sheet. EastGroup adopted ASU 2016-01 effective January 1, 2018. The adoption of ASU 2016-01 did not have a material impact on the Company's financial condition or results of operations.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which requires lessees to recognize the following for all leases (with the exception of short-term leases) at the commencement date: (1) a lease liability, which is a lessee's obligation to make lease payments arising from a lease, measured on a discounted basis; and (2) a right-of-use asset, which is an asset that represents the lessee's right to use, or control the use of, a specified asset for the lease term. The Company is a lessee on a limited number of leases, including office and ground leases, and while the adoption of ASU 2016-02 will impact the Company's accounting for office and ground leases, the Company anticipates the impact will not be material to its overall financial condition and results of operations. Lessor accounting is largely unchanged under ASU 2016-02. The Company's primary revenue is rental income; as such, the Company is a lessor on a significant number of leases. The Company is continuing to evaluate the potential impacts of the ASU and believes it will continue to account for its leases in substantially the same manner. The most significant change for the Company related to lessor accounting includes the new standard's narrow definition of initial direct costs for leases. The new definition will result in certain costs (primarily legal costs related to lease negotiations) being expensed rather than capitalized upon adoption of the new standard. EastGroup estimates the new definition of initial direct costs will result in an increase of expenses, and therefore a decrease in earnings, of approximately $200,000 on an annual basis. EastGroup plans to elect the practical expedient permitting lessors to make an accounting policy election by class of underlying asset to not separate non-lease components of a contract from the lease component to which they relate when specific criteria are met (the Company believes its leases meet the criteria). Public business entities are required to apply the amendments in ASU 2016-02 for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. EastGroup plans to adopt ASU 2016-02 effective January 1, 2019. The Company is continuing the process of evaluating and quantifying the effect that ASU 2016-02 will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures beginning with the Form 10-Q for the period ending March 31, 2019.

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting, which clarifies what constitutes a modification of a share-based payment award. The ASU is intended to provide clarity and reduce both diversity in practice and cost and complexity when applying the guidance in Topic 718 to a change to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award. ASU 2017-09 is effective for public entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company adopted ASU 2017-09 on January 1, 2018; the adoption of ASU 2017-09 did not have a material impact on its financial condition or results of operations, as the Company has not had any modifications to share-based payment awards. However, if the Company does have a modification to an award in the future, it will follow the guidance in ASU 2017-09.

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities. The ASU is intended to better align a company's financial reporting for hedging activities with the economic objectives of those activities. The transition method is a modified retrospective approach that will require the Company to recognize the cumulative effect of initially applying the ASU as an adjustment to Accumulated other comprehensive income with a corresponding adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings as of the beginning of the fiscal year the entity adopts the ASU. The primary provision in the ASU that will require an adjustment to beginning retained earnings is the change in timing and income statement presentation for ineffectiveness related to cash flow and net investment hedges. As a result of the transition guidance in the ASU, cumulative ineffectiveness that has previously been recognized on cash flow and net investment hedges that are still outstanding and designated as of the date of adoption will be adjusted and removed from beginning retained earnings and placed in Accumulated other comprehensive income. ASU 2017-12 is effective for public business entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted; however, the Company plans to adopt ASU 2017-12 on January 1, 2019. While the Company continues to assess all potential impacts of ASU 2017-12, it does not expect the adoption to have a material impact on the Company's financial condition or results of operations.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. The ASU is intended to improve the effectiveness of fair value measurement disclosures. ASU 2018-13 is effective for all entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted; however, the Company plans to adopt ASU 2018-13 on January 1, 2020. EastGroup does not expect the adoption to have a material impact on its financial condition, results of operations or disclosures.