CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock Par Value	Capital in Excess of Par Value	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Retained Earnings (Deficit)	Treasury Stock	Total Ventas Stockholders’ Equity	Noncontrolling Interests	Cumulative effect change in accounting principles	Cumulative effect change in accounting principles Common Stock Par Value	Cumulative effect change in accounting principles Capital in Excess of Par Value	Cumulative effect change in accounting principles Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Cumulative effect change in accounting principles Retained Earnings (Deficit)	Cumulative effect change in accounting principles Treasury Stock	Cumulative effect change in accounting principles Total Ventas Stockholders’ Equity	Cumulative effect change in accounting principles Noncontrolling Interests
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2018	$ 10,271,594	$ 89,125	$ 13,076,528	$ (19,582)	$ (2,930,214)	$ 0	$ 10,215,857	$ 55,737	$ 638	$ 0	$ 0	$ (163)	$ 801	$ 0	$ 638	$ 0
Increase (decrease) in stockholders' equity
Net income attributable to common stockholders	421,573	0	0	0	421,573	0	421,573
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	4,831							4,831
Net income	426,404
Other comprehensive income	(40,112)	0	0	(40,112)	0	0	(40,112)	0
Net change in noncontrolling interests	32,403	0	(1,546)	0	0	0	(1,546)	33,949
Dividends to common stockholders	(876,581)	0	0	0	(876,581)	0	(876,581)	0
Issuance of common stock	942,436	3,829	938,607	0	0	0	942,436	0
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Share-based Payment Arrangements, Restricted Stock Awards and Other, after Forfeiture	54,750	210	54,750	0	0	(210)	54,750	0
Adjust redeemable OP unitholder interests to current fair value	(51,024)	0	(51,024)	0	0	0	(51,024)	0
Redemption of OP Units	(285)	0	(285)	0	0	0	(285)	0
Ending Balance at Sep. 30, 2019	10,760,223	93,164	14,017,030	(59,857)	(3,384,421)	(210)	10,665,706	94,517
Beginning Balance at Jun. 30, 2019	10,876,362	92,852	13,940,117	(39,671)	(3,173,287)	0	10,820,011	56,351
Increase (decrease) in stockholders' equity
Net income attributable to common stockholders	85,259	0	0	0	85,259	0	85,259
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	1,659							1,659
Net income	86,918
Other comprehensive income	(20,186)	0	0	(20,186)	0	0	(20,186)	0
Net change in noncontrolling interests	37,059	0	552	0	0	0	552	36,507
Dividends to common stockholders	(296,393)	0	0	0	(296,393)	0	(296,393)	0
Issuance of common stock	76,280	276	76,004	0	0	0	76,280	0
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Share-based Payment Arrangements, Restricted Stock Awards and Other, after Forfeiture	16,483	36	16,657	0	0	(210)	16,483	0
Adjust redeemable OP unitholder interests to current fair value	(16,015)	0	(16,015)	0	0	0	(16,015)	0
Redemption of OP Units	(285)	0	(285)	0	0	0	(285)	0
Ending Balance at Sep. 30, 2019	10,760,223	93,164	14,017,030	(59,857)	(3,384,421)	(210)	10,665,706	94,517
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2019	10,545,452	93,185	14,056,453	(34,564)	(3,669,050)	(132)	10,445,892	99,560
Increase (decrease) in stockholders' equity
Net income attributable to common stockholders	328,698	0	0	0	328,698	0	328,698
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	534
Net income	329,232
Other comprehensive income	(34,431)	0	0	(30,478)	0	0	(30,478)	(3,953)
Net change in noncontrolling interests	(10,446)	0	(5,160)	0	0	0	(5,160)	(5,286)
Dividends to common stockholders	(631,346)	0	0	0	(631,346)	0	(631,346)	0
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Share-based Payment Arrangements, Restricted Stock Awards and Other, after Forfeiture	53,157	282	54,967	0	(949)	(1,143)	53,157	0
Adjust redeemable OP unitholder interests to current fair value	36,353	0	36,353	0	0	0	36,353	0
Redemption of OP Units	(264)	0	(264)	0	0	0	(264)	0
Ending Balance at Sep. 30, 2020	10,287,707	93,467	14,142,349	(65,042)	(3,972,647)	(1,275)	10,196,852	90,855
Beginning Balance at Jun. 30, 2020	10,399,910	93,261	14,118,119	(82,761)	(3,816,460)	(947)	10,311,212	88,698
Increase (decrease) in stockholders' equity
Net income attributable to common stockholders	12,751	0	0	0	12,751	0	12,751
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	986							986
Net income	13,737
Other comprehensive income	20,052	0	0	17,719	0	0	17,719	2,333
Net change in noncontrolling interests	(7,335)	0	(6,173)	0	0	0	(6,173)	(1,162)
Dividends to common stockholders	(166,738)	0	0	0	(166,738)	0	(166,738)	0
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Share-based Payment Arrangements, Restricted Stock Awards and Other, after Forfeiture	39,752	206	42,074	0	(2,200)	(328)	39,752	0
Adjust redeemable OP unitholder interests to current fair value	(11,669)	0	(11,669)	0	0	0	(11,669)	0
Redemption of OP Units	(2)	0	(2)	0	0	0	(2)	0
Ending Balance at Sep. 30, 2020	$ 10,287,707	$ 93,467	$ 14,142,349	$ (65,042)	$ (3,972,647)	$ (1,275)	$ 10,196,852	$ 90,855