VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES (Schedule of Carrying Value of Assets and Liabilities of Consolidated VIEs) (Details) RSO (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2012
ASSETS
Total assets of consolidated VIE - RSO	$ 2,476,557,000
LIABILITIES
Total liabilities of consolidated VIE - RSO	1,856,839,000
Resource Capital Corp [Member] | VIE, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
ASSETS
Restricted cash	90,108,000
Investment securities available-for-sale, pledged as collateral, at fair value	135,566,000
Loans, pledged as collateral	1,678,719,000
Loans held for sale	14,894,000
Interest receivable	5,986,000
Prepaid assets	328,000
Principal receivable	25,570,000
Other assets	333,000
Total assets of consolidated VIE - RSO	1,951,504,000
LIABILITIES
Borrowings	1,614,882,000
Accrued interest expense	2,666,000
Derivatives, at fair value	14,078,000
Accounts payable and other liabilities	698,000
Total liabilities of consolidated VIE - RSO	1,632,324,000
Restricted cash available for reinvestment in certain of the CDOs	27,500,000
Resource Capital Corp [Member] | VIE, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Apidos CDO I Ltd. [Member]
ASSETS
Restricted cash	30,799,000
Investment securities available-for-sale, pledged as collateral, at fair value	8,333,000
Loans, pledged as collateral	177,385,000
Loans held for sale	2,671,000
Interest receivable	(12,000)
Prepaid assets	50,000
Principal receivable	0
Other assets	0
Total assets of consolidated VIE - RSO	219,226,000
LIABILITIES
Borrowings	202,968,000
Accrued interest expense	380,000
Derivatives, at fair value	0
Accounts payable and other liabilities	142,000
Total liabilities of consolidated VIE - RSO	203,490,000
Resource Capital Corp [Member] | VIE, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Apidos CDO III Ltd. [Member]
ASSETS
Restricted cash	12,956,000
Investment securities available-for-sale, pledged as collateral, at fair value	6,902,000
Loans, pledged as collateral	209,561,000
Loans held for sale	2,770,000
Interest receivable	720,000
Prepaid assets	25,000
Principal receivable	0
Other assets	0
Total assets of consolidated VIE - RSO	232,934,000
LIABILITIES
Borrowings	221,304,000
Accrued interest expense	94,000
Derivatives, at fair value	0
Accounts payable and other liabilities	16,000
Total liabilities of consolidated VIE - RSO	221,414,000
Resource Capital Corp [Member] | VIE, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Apidos Cinco CDO Ltd [Member]
ASSETS
Restricted cash	22,669,000
Investment securities available-for-sale, pledged as collateral, at fair value	11,316,000
Loans, pledged as collateral	306,196,000
Loans held for sale	3,657,000
Interest receivable	1,050,000
Prepaid assets	30,000
Principal receivable	0
Other assets	0
Total assets of consolidated VIE - RSO	344,918,000
LIABILITIES
Borrowings	320,550,000
Accrued interest expense	343,000
Derivatives, at fair value	0
Accounts payable and other liabilities	30,000
Total liabilities of consolidated VIE - RSO	320,923,000
Resource Capital Corp [Member] | VIE, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Apidos CLO VIII Ltd. [Member]
ASSETS
Restricted cash	11,027,000
Investment securities available-for-sale, pledged as collateral, at fair value	501,000
Loans, pledged as collateral	329,467,000
Loans held for sale	5,796,000
Interest receivable	737,000
Prepaid assets	69,000
Principal receivable	0
Other assets	0
Total assets of consolidated VIE - RSO	347,597,000
LIABILITIES
Borrowings	320,998,000
Accrued interest expense	1,427,000
Derivatives, at fair value	0
Accounts payable and other liabilities	395,000
Total liabilities of consolidated VIE - RSO	322,820,000
Resource Capital Corp [Member] | VIE, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Whitney CLO I, Ltd. [Member]
ASSETS
Restricted cash	11,800,000
Investment securities available-for-sale, pledged as collateral, at fair value	33,700,000
Loans, pledged as collateral	146,106,000
Loans held for sale	0
Interest receivable	404,000
Prepaid assets	18,000
Principal receivable	0
Other assets	0
Total assets of consolidated VIE - RSO	192,028,000
LIABILITIES
Borrowings	177,415,000
Accrued interest expense	266,000
Derivatives, at fair value	0
Accounts payable and other liabilities	92,000
Total liabilities of consolidated VIE - RSO	177,773,000
Resource Capital Corp [Member] | VIE, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Resource Real Estate Funding CDO 2006-1 [Member]
ASSETS
Restricted cash	20,000
Investment securities available-for-sale, pledged as collateral, at fair value	10,796,000
Loans, pledged as collateral	226,716,000
Loans held for sale	0
Interest receivable	1,153,000
Prepaid assets	78,000
Principal receivable	6,320,000
Other assets	63,000
Total assets of consolidated VIE - RSO	245,146,000
LIABILITIES
Borrowings	145,664,000
Accrued interest expense	50,000
Derivatives, at fair value	1,939,000
Accounts payable and other liabilities	22,000
Total liabilities of consolidated VIE - RSO	147,675,000
Resource Capital Corp [Member] | VIE, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Resource Real Estate Funding CDO 2007-1 [Member]
ASSETS
Restricted cash	837,000
Investment securities available-for-sale, pledged as collateral, at fair value	64,018,000
Loans, pledged as collateral	283,288,000
Loans held for sale	0
Interest receivable	1,934,000
Prepaid assets	58,000
Principal receivable	19,250,000
Other assets	270,000
Total assets of consolidated VIE - RSO	369,655,000
LIABILITIES
Borrowings	225,983,000
Accrued interest expense	106,000
Derivatives, at fair value	12,139,000
Accounts payable and other liabilities	1,000
Total liabilities of consolidated VIE - RSO	$ 238,229,000