CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Operating Activities
Net income/(loss)	$ 40,419	$ 94,342
Adjustments to reconcile net income/(loss) to net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	470,420	362,746
(Gain)/loss on sale of real estate owned	(61,303)	(5,282)
(Income)/loss from unconsolidated entities	(14,328)	(19,387)
Return on investment in unconsolidated joint ventures	1,832	4,104
Amortization of share-based compensation	15,086	13,020
Loss on extinguishment of debt, net	24,540	6,283
Other	4,771	7,815
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
(Increase)/decrease in operating assets	(22,628)	49
Increase/(decrease) in operating liabilities	(2,217)	(6,814)
Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities	456,592	456,876
Investing Activities
Acquisition of real estate assets	(157,101)	(1,269,618)
Proceeds from sales of real estate investments, net	133,934	38,000
Development of real estate assets	(88,261)	(19,248)
Capital expenditures and other major improvements - real estate assets	(105,257)	(113,572)
Capital expenditures - non-real estate assets	(11,345)	(11,147)
Investment in unconsolidated joint ventures	(66,893)	(72,079)
Distributions received from unconsolidated joint ventures	8,085	61,412
Purchase deposits on pending acquisitions	500	(910)
Repayment/(issuance) of notes receivable, net	(6,393)	4,360
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities	(292,731)	(1,382,802)
Financing Activities
Payments on secured debt	(358,098)	(160,547)
Proceeds from the issuance of secured debt	160,930	162,500
Payments on unsecured debt	(116,894)	(300,000)
Net proceeds from the issuance of unsecured debt	610,896	697,826
Net proceeds/(repayment) of commercial paper	(70,000)	(41,115)
Net proceeds/(repayment) of revolving bank debt	5,503	34,431
Proceeds from the issuance of common shares through public offering, net		662,009
Repurchase of common shares	(19,795)
Distributions paid to redeemable noncontrolling interests	(23,913)	(24,764)
Distributions paid to preferred stockholders	(3,150)	(3,016)
Distributions paid to common stockholders	(313,326)	(282,709)
Payment of prepayment and extinguishment costs	(35,495)	(6,283)
Other	(9,610)	2,244
Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities	(172,952)	740,576
Net increase/(decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash	(9,091)	(185,350)
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, beginning of year	33,291	208,891
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, end of period	24,200	23,541
Supplemental Information:
Interest paid during the period, net of amounts capitalized	141,871	125,298
Cash paid/(refunds received) for income taxes	864	1,953
Non-cash transactions:
Transfer of investment in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures to real estate owned	14,700	15,639
Acquisition of intellectual property in exchange for cancellation of secured note receivable	2,250
Recognition of allowance for credit losses	2,182
Recognition of operating lease right-of-use assets		94,349
Recognition of operating lease liabilities		88,336
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for operating lease liabilities remeasurements		42,143
Vesting of LTIP Units	23,501	14,742
Development costs and capital expenditures incurred but not yet paid	27,705	12,174
Conversion of Operating Partnership and DownREIT Partnership noncontrolling interests to common stock (271,176 shares in 2020 and 2,862,780 shares in 2019)	11,623	119,338
Dividends declared but not yet paid	$ 115,055	$ 108,939