INVESTMENTS IN UNCONSOLIDATED ENTITIES (Details) RSO (USD $)	3 Months Ended					3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended					3 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] trust	Dec. 31, 2011 Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Interest in LCC Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Interest in RCT I and RCT II [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Interest in RCT I and RCT II [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Interest in RCT I [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Interest in RCT II [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Resource Capital Corp [Member] RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member]	Dec. 01, 2009 Resource Capital Corp [Member] RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member]	Jun. 19, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member] Property	Dec. 31, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Resource Real Estate [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Resource Real Estate [Member]	Dec. 01, 2009 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Resource Real Estate [Member] RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member]	Dec. 01, 2009 Resource Capital Corp [Member] RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member]	Jun. 19, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Resource Real Estate [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Net income (loss) of equity holdings			$ 1,000,000
Investments in unconsolidated entities					33,100,000	1,500,000		774,000	774,000	2,300,000		3,000,000			526,000						2,100,000
Ownership percentage (in hundredths)						100.00%																7.50%
Ownership percentage						3.00%
Number of trusts			2
Related party interest expense						600,000	300,000
Amortization of deferred debt issuance costs						47,000	44,000
Asset acquisition funding minimum													3.00%
Asset acquisition funding maximum													5.00%
Asset management fees percentage (in hundredths)																	1.00%			1.00%
Management fees − related party			5,000,000	2,400,000														10,000	14,000				29,000
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	$ 1,201,000	$ 557,000	$ (1,240,000)	$ 819,000						$ (248,000)	$ 820,000			$ (135,000)
Number of condominium developments purchased by joint venture																2