Variable Interest Entities - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2020 USD ($) property facility joint_venture tenant loan
VIE tenant - operating leases
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of properties leased (in properties) \| property	2
Number of VIE tenants (in tenants) \| tenant	1
Unconsolidated variable interest entities
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of unconsolidated joint ventures (in joint ventures)	5
Number of VIE borrowers with marketable debt securities (in joint ventures)	1
Number of loans to VIE borrowers (in loans) \| loan	1
CCRC OpCo
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Ownership percentage (as a percent)	49.00%
Waldwick
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Ownership percentage (as a percent)	85.00%
Loan -seller financing \| Senior housing triple-net
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Secured mortgage loans \| $	$ 10
Number of properties disposed \| facility	7
Term of facility	5 years
Hcp Ventures V
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Ownership percentage (as a percent)	51.00%
Watertown JV
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Ownership percentage (as a percent)	95.00%
Life science joint ventures
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Ownership percentage (as a percent)	99.00%
MSREI JV
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Ownership percentage (as a percent)	51.00%
Consolidated lessees VIE
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of properties leased (in properties) \| property	2
DownREIT Partnerships
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of controlling ownership interest entities as a managing member	7

Represents the number of properties sold during the period, not categorized as discontinued operations.

No definition available.

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

- Definition

The gross carrying amount of loans receivable that are subordinated to receivables held by other entities.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hcp_LoansReceivableGrossCarryingAmountMezzanine
Namespace Prefix:	hcp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of loans to VIE borrowers.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- 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:	instant

- Definition

The number of VIE borrowers in which the entity has invested in marketable debt securities.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- 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

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

Represents the number of controlling ownership interest entities, in which the company holds the interest and is the managing member of the partnership.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Period of time between issuance and maturity of debt instrument, in PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentTerm
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
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_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://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 810
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5A
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121559654&loc=SL6759159-111685

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentsByConsolidatedAndNonconsolidatedEntitiesAxis=hcp_VariableInterestEntityNotPrimaryBeneficiaryTenantsWithOperatingLeasesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentsByConsolidatedAndNonconsolidatedEntitiesAxis=us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityNotPrimaryBeneficiaryMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentsByConsolidatedAndNonconsolidatedEntitiesAxis=hcp_VariableInterestEntityNotPrimaryBeneficiaryInvestmentInJointVentureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentsByConsolidatedAndNonconsolidatedEntitiesAxis=hcp_WaldwickMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentsByConsolidatedAndNonconsolidatedEntitiesAxis=hcp_VariableInterestEntityNotPrimaryBeneficiarySellerFinancingMember
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_InvestmentsByConsolidatedAndNonconsolidatedEntitiesAxis=hcp_HcpVenturesVMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentsByConsolidatedAndNonconsolidatedEntitiesAxis=hcp_WatertownJVMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentsByConsolidatedAndNonconsolidatedEntitiesAxis=hcp_LifeScienceJVsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentsByConsolidatedAndNonconsolidatedEntitiesAxis=hcp_MorganStanleyRealEstateInvestmentJVMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentsByConsolidatedAndNonconsolidatedEntitiesAxis=us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentsByConsolidatedAndNonconsolidatedEntitiesAxis=hcp_DownreitPartnershipsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: