DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS (Details)	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017 property tenant
Real estate properties
Number of real estate properties	1,200
Number of properties leased under triple net leases	558
Concentration risk, number of tenants \| tenant	3
Number of senior housing community included in senior living operations	1
Brookdale Senior Living
Real estate properties
Number of properties leased under triple net leases	136
Number of senior housing community included in senior living operations	(1)
Kindred
Real estate properties
Number of properties leased under triple net leases	46
Ardent
Real estate properties
Number of properties leased under triple net leases	10
Development Projects
Real estate properties
Number of real estate properties	13
Number of properties included in investments in unconsolidated entities	1
Seniors Housing Communities
Real estate properties
Number of independent third party managed properties	296
Medical Office Buildings \| Kindred
Real estate properties
Number of properties leased under triple net leases	1

The number of real estate properties owned as of the balance sheet date.

No definition available.

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- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Concentration Risk, Number of Tenants

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The number of properties that are managed by the independent third party.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Number of Properties Included in Investments in Unconsolidated Entities

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of properties owned that are leased to unaffiliated tenants under triple-net lease terms.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Number of Senior Housing Community

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Details

Name:	vtr_PropertySubjectToOperatingLeaseByLessorAxis=vtr_BrookdaleSeniorLivingMember
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- Details

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- Details

Name:	vtr_PropertySubjectToOperatingLeaseByLessorAxis=vtr_ArdentMember
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- Details

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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RealEstatePropertiesAxis=vtr_SeniorHousingCommunitiesMember
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- Details

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