VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES RSO Summarized Cash Flow (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	$ 27,190,000	$ 15,614,000	$ 49,468,000	$ 73,424,000
Line items included in Change in cash attributable to consolidated VIE - RSO
Net impairement losses recognized in earnings			214,000	74,000
Equity in losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries	(1,384,000)	(2,938,000)	(2,528,000)	(2,882,000)
Payments on borrowings:
Increase in cash			7,540,000	6,590,000
Cash, beginning of year			11,899,000	12,803,000
Cash, end of period	19,439,000	19,393,000	19,439,000	19,393,000
Interest expense paid in cash			1,270,000	1,548,000
Resource Capital Corp [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income			45,287,000	49,391,000
Line items included in Change in cash attributable to consolidated VIE - RSO
Provision for loan losses	741,000	1,370,000	541,000	7,801,000
Depreciation of investments in real estate and other			1,638,000	1,264,000
Amortization of intangible assets			1,463,000	2,709,000
Amortization of term facilities			876,000	710,000
Accretion of net discounts on loans held for investment			(8,306,000)	(10,738,000)
Accretion of net discounts on securities available-for-sale			(1,925,000)	(2,444,000)
Amortization of discount on notes of CDOs			3,937,000	1,037,000
Amortization of debt issuance costs on notes of CDOs			2,868,000	3,330,000
Amortization of stock-based compensation			7,866,000	3,412,000
Amortization of terminated derivative instruments			322,000	169,000
Distribution accrued to preferred stockholders			(5,107,000)	0
Accretion of interest-only available-for-sales securities			(714,000)	(463,000)
Deferred income tax provision (benefit)			502,000	(1,315,000)
Purchase of securities, trading			(11,044,000)	(8,348,000)
Principal payments on securities, trading			4,211,000	981,000
Proceeds from sales of securities, trading			18,713,000	33,579,000
Net realized and unrealized loss (gain) on investment securities, trading			864,000	(13,350,000)
Net realized gain on sales of investment securities available-for-sale and loans			(3,355,000)	(2,148,000)
Gain on early extinguishment of debt			0	(5,464,000)
Gain on sale of real estate			(16,607,000)	0
Net impairement losses recognized in earnings			802,000	180,000
Linked transactions fair value adjustments			5,224,000	0
Equity in losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries	505,000	779,000	858,000	1,469,000
Changes in operating assets and liabilities			17,434,000	(9,504,000)
Subtotal - net cash provided by operating activities (1)			21,061,000	2,867,000
Change in consolidated VIE - RSO cash for the period			(59,185,000)	(69,616,000)
Changes in cash attributable to operations of consolidated VIE- RSO			(38,415,000)	(66,088,000)
Share-based Compensation			0	0
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of loans			(555,051,000)	(479,172,000)
Purchase of securities available-for-sale			(120,599,000)	(70,654,000)
Subtotal - purchase of loans and investment securities by consolidated VIE - RSO			(675,650,000)	(549,826,000)
Proceeds from sale of loans			314,112,000	139,708,000
Principal payments received on loans			487,606,000	356,866,000
Principal payments on securities available-for-sale			33,010,000	36,365,000
Proceeds from sale of securities available-for-sale			7,025,000	6,719,000
Principal payments received on loans – related parties			499,000	459,000
Principal payments and proceeds from sales received by consolidated VIE - RSO			842,252,000	540,117,000
Decrease in restricted cash			30,079,000	85,413,000
Investment in unconsolidated entity			(25,508,000)	(725,000)
Equity contribution to VIE			0	(710,000)
Minority interest equity			2,200,000	1,979,000
Improvement of real estate held-for-sale			(404,000)	(138,000)
Proceeds from sale of real estate held-for-sale			37,001,000	2,886,000
Distributions from investments in real estate			522,000	1,152,000
Improvements in investments in real estate			(365,000)	(852,000)
Purchase of furniture and fixtures			(128,000)	0
Subtotal - other investing activities of consolidated VIE, before eliminations			13,346,000	3,635,000
Net cash provided by investing activities (excluding eliminations)			209,999,000	79,296,000
Proceeds from borrowings:
Repurchase agreements			143,203,000	33,820,000
Payments on borrowings:
Collateralized debt obligations			(450,437,000)	(156,989,000)
Mortgage payable			(13,600,000)	0
Retirement of debt			0	(4,850,000)
Net borrowings (repayments) of debt by consolidated VIE - RSO			(320,834,000)	(128,019,000)
Distributions paid on common stock			(66,341,000)	(52,688,000)
Net proceeds from issuances of common stock (net of offering costs of $4,265 and $2,165)			114,018,000	55,502,000
Net proceeds from dividend reinvestment and stock purchase plan (net of offering costs of $0 and $19)			19,092,000	50,424,000
Net proceeds from issuance of common stock by consolidated VIE - RSO			184,279,000	122,337,000
Payment of debt issuance costs			(1,740,000)	(586,000)
Payment of equity to third party sub-note holders			(6,952,000)	(2,160,000)
Distributions paid on preferred stock			(4,389,000)	(93,000)
Subtotal - Other consolidated VIE -RSO financing activity			(13,081,000)	(2,839,000)
Net cash used in financing activities (excluding eliminations)			(217,646,000)	(62,752,000)
Increase in cash			59,185,000	69,616,000
Cash, beginning of year			85,278,000	43,116,000
Cash, end of period	144,463,000	112,732,000	144,463,000	112,732,000
Interest expense paid in cash			28,391,000	24,209,000
Redeemable Preferred Stock Series A [Member] | Resource Capital Corp [Member]
Payments on borrowings:
Proceeds from issuance of preferred shares			112,000	16,411,000
Redeemable Preferred Stock Series B [Member] | Resource Capital Corp [Member]
Payments on borrowings:
Proceeds from issuance of preferred shares			51,057,000	0
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Line items included in Change in cash attributable to consolidated VIE - RSO
Net impairement losses recognized in earnings			0	0
Equity in losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | Resource Capital Corp [Member]
Line items included in Change in cash attributable to consolidated VIE - RSO
Changes in cash attributable to operations of consolidated VIE- RSO			(291,000)	661,000
Share-based Compensation			(484,000)	(814,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Subtotal - other investing activities of consolidated VIE, before eliminations			28,000	43,000
Payments on borrowings:
Distributions paid on common stock			1,669,000	1,543,000
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Resource Capital Corp [Member]
Line items included in Change in cash attributable to consolidated VIE - RSO
Subtotal - net cash provided by operating activities (1)			66,832,000	53,072,000
Changes in cash attributable to operations of consolidated VIE- RSO			(38,124,000)	(66,749,000)
Share-based Compensation			484,000	814,000
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Subtotal - other investing activities of consolidated VIE, before eliminations			13,318,000	3,592,000
Payments on borrowings:
Distributions paid on common stock			$ (68,010,000)	$ (54,231,000)