Variable Interest Entities (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015 item
Company's involvement with VIEs:
Number of unconsolidated joint ventures	2hcp_NumberOfUnconsolidatedJointVenture
Delphis
Company's involvement with VIEs:
Number of partnerships, which are tenants of the company	1
Unconsolidated Variable Interest Entities
Company's involvement with VIEs:
Number of senior housing facilities leased	48
Number of VIE tenants	7
CCRC OpCo
Company's involvement with VIEs:
Maximum Loss Exposure	245,321,000
Assets/liability type	Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures
Carrying amount	245,321,000
HCP Ventures IV
Company's involvement with VIEs:
Maximum Loss Exposure	157,706,000
Assets/liability type	Investments in unconsolidated joint ventures
Carrying amount	26,206,000
Committed support	107,000,000
Ownership percentage (as a percent)	20.00%
VIE tenants-operating leases
Company's involvement with VIEs:
Maximum Loss Exposure	12,341,000
Assets/liability type	Lease intangibles, net and straight-line rent receivables
Carrying amount	12,341,000
VIE tenants-DFLs
Company's involvement with VIEs:
Maximum Loss Exposure	599,414,000
Assets/liability type	Net investment in DFLs
Carrying amount	599,414,000
Loan-senior secured
Company's involvement with VIEs:
Maximum Loss Exposure	16,987,000
Assets/liability type	Loans receivable, net
Carrying amount	16,987,000
CMBS
Company's involvement with VIEs:
Maximum Loss Exposure	17,546,000
Assets/liability type	Marketable debt securities
Carrying amount	17,546,000
Consolidated Variable Interest Entities
Company's involvement with VIEs:
Ownership percentage (as a percent)	80.00%
RIDEA JV
Company's involvement with VIEs:
Ownership percentage (as a percent)	90.00%

Represents the number of partnerships that lease property owned by the entity.

No definition available.

Name:	hcp_NumberOfPartnershipsLeasePropertyOwned
Namespace Prefix:	hcp_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents number of unconsolidated joint ventures between entity and an institutional capital partner.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hcp_NumberOfUnconsolidatedJointVenture
Namespace Prefix:	hcp_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of properties leased by the entity to tenants that have been identified as a VIE.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hcp_PropertiesLeasedNumber
Namespace Prefix:	hcp_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of debt owed by a third party for which the entity's facilities are collateral.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hcp_ThirdPartyDebtCollateralizedByFacilitiesDebtAmount
Namespace Prefix:	hcp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of tenants of properties leased by entity for which the tenant is considered a VIE tenant.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hcp_VIETenantsNumber
Namespace Prefix:	hcp_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Balance sheet classification of the Variable Interest Entity's (VIE) assets included in the statement of financial position of the reporting entity. This element is applicable for variable interests whether the reporting entity has a controlling financial interest (primary beneficiary) or not.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 810

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (bb)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28200181&loc=d3e5710-111685

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The net carrying amount of the consolidated Variable Interest Entity's assets and liabilities included in the reporting entity's statement of financial position.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityConsolidatedCarryingAmountAssetsAndLiabilitiesNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The reporting entity's maximum amount of exposure to loss as a result of its involvement with the Variable Interest Entity (VIE).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 810

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 4

-Subparagraph b

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28200181&loc=d3e5728-111685

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 810

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 6

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28200181&loc=d3e5747-111685

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of the Variable Interest Entity's (VIE) voting interest owned by (or beneficial interest in) the reporting entity (directly or indirectly).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 810

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 5A

-Subparagraph (d)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28200181&loc=SL6759159-111685

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivableByReceivableTypeAxis=hcp_DelphisOperationsLPSeniorSecuredTermLoanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis=hcp_HCPVenturesIVLLCMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis=hcp_RIDEAJVMember
Namespace Prefix:
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- Details

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- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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