Represents the number of senior housing facilities owned by the entity and operated by the joint venture.

No definition available.

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

- Definition

The number of renewals available under the management agreement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Represents the term of renewals of the agreement under which the Company receives management and accounting services.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hcp_ManagementAgreementRenewalTerm
Namespace Prefix:	hcp_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the term of the agreement under which the Company receives management and accounting services.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hcp_ManagementAgreementTerm
Namespace Prefix:	hcp_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the percentage of gross revenue that is payable by the entity as base management fee.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hcp_ManagementFeesAsPercentageOfGrossRevenue
Namespace Prefix:	hcp_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
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

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

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskLineItems
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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

For an entity that discloses a concentration risk in relation to quantitative amount, which serves as the "benchmark" (or denominator) in the equation, this concept represents the concentration percentage derived from the division.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 275
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 18
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51801978&loc=d3e6351-108592

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49121117&loc=d3e13531-108611

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 275
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51801978&loc=d3e6404-108592

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 21
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49121117&loc=d3e13537-108611

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis=hcp_BrookdaleMember
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- Details

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Data Type:	na
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Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
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Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis=hcp_HCRManorCareIncMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=hcp_SeniorHousingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=hcp_ManagementAndAccountingServicesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=hcp_SeniorHousingOperatingPortfolioMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis=hcp_ManagementAndAccountingServicesMember
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Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis=us-gaap_AssetsTotalMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis=hcp_TenantsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=hcp_SeniorHousingTripleNetMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=hcp_QualityCarePropertiesIncMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis=hcp_SalesRevenuesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Concentration of Credit Risk (Details) - item	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
Concentration of Credit Risk (Details) - item	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015
Brookdale \| Minimum
Concentration of risk
Management fees as percentage of gross revenues				4.50%
Brookdale \| Maximum
Concentration of risk
Management fees as percentage of gross revenues				5.00%
HCRMC \| Maximum
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)	10.00%
Senior housing \| Management and Accounting Services \| Brookdale
Concentration of risk
Number of RIDEA joint ventures				15
Investments in Joint Ventures Senior Housing Facilities Number		107		107
SHOP \| CCRC JV
Concentration of risk
Number of RIDEA joint ventures				2
Management and Accounting Services \| Brookdale \| Minimum
Concentration of risk
Management Agreement Number of Renewals				3
Management and Accounting Services \| Brookdale \| Maximum
Concentration of risk
Management Agreement Number of Renewals				4
Management and Accounting Services \| Senior housing \| Brookdale
Concentration of risk
Management agreement renewal term (in years)				5 years
Management and Accounting Services \| Senior housing \| Brookdale \| Minimum
Concentration of risk
Management agreement term (in years)				10 years
Management and Accounting Services \| Senior housing \| Brookdale \| Maximum
Concentration of risk
Management agreement term (in years)				15 years
Assets \| SHOP \| Brookdale
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)				13.00%		13.00%
Assets \| Tenants \| Brookdale
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)				13.00%		13.00%
Assets \| Tenants \| HCRMC
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)				24.00%		24.00%
Assets \| Tenants \| SH NNN \| Brookdale
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)				54.00%		53.00%
Assets \| Tenants \| QCP \| HCRMC
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)				96.00%		96.00%
Revenue \| Tenants \| Brookdale
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)		10.00%	9.00%	10.00%	10.00%
Revenue \| Tenants \| HCRMC
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)		18.00%	21.00%	18.00%	23.00%
Revenue \| Tenants \| SH NNN \| Brookdale
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)		60.00%	59.00%	59.00%	58.00%
Revenue \| Tenants \| QCP \| HCRMC
Concentration of risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)		94.00%	95.00%	94.00%	95.00%