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Debt Notes (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Repayments of Notes Payable $ 1,250,000,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfNotesPayable $ 400,000,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfNotesPayable $ 975,991,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfNotesPayable
Proceeds from Issuance of Unsecured Debt   500,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfUnsecuredDebt  
Bridge Loan Principal Amount     2,500,000,000eqr_BridgeLoanPrincipalAmount
Debt Instrument, Fee Amount     10,900,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFeeAmount
Write-off of unamortized deferred financing costs   7,400,000eqr_UnamortizedDeferredFinancingCostsWrittenOff  
Summary of Company's unsecured note balances and certain interest rate and maturity date information      
Notes, net 5,425,346,000us-gaap_NotesPayable 5,477,088,000us-gaap_NotesPayable  
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage Rate Range, Minimum 0.03%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentageRateRangeMinimum 0.03%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentageRateRangeMinimum  
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage Rate Range, Maximum 7.25%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentageRateRangeMaximum 7.25%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentageRateRangeMaximum  
5.250% Notes [Member] [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Repayments of Notes Payable 500,000,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfNotesPayable
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_A5.250NotesMemberMember
   
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage 5.25%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_A5.250NotesMemberMember
   
5.200% Notes [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Repayments of Notes Payable   400,000,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfNotesPayable
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_A5200NotesMember
 
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage   5.20%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_A5200NotesMember
 
DelayedDrawTermLoan [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Term Loan Principal Amount   750,000,000eqr_TermLoanPrincipalAmount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_DelayeddrawtermloanMember
 
Repayments of Notes Payable 750,000,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfNotesPayable
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_DelayeddrawtermloanMember
   
Write-off of unamortized deferred financing costs 600,000eqr_UnamortizedDeferredFinancingCostsWrittenOff
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_DelayeddrawtermloanMember
   
2.375% Notes [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Term Loan Principal Amount 450,000,000eqr_TermLoanPrincipalAmount
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_A2.375NotesMember
   
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage 2.375%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_A2.375NotesMember
   
Proceeds from Issuance of Unsecured Debt 450,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfUnsecuredDebt
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_A2.375NotesMember
   
Term Loan Facility Spread 0.61%eqr_TermLoanFacilitySpread
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_A2.375NotesMember
   
Proceeds from Debt, Net of Issuance Costs 449,600,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromDebtNetOfIssuanceCosts
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_A2.375NotesMember
   
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage Rate Range, Maximum 2.52%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentageRateRangeMaximum
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_A2.375NotesMember
   
3.00% Notes [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage   3.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_A300NotesMember
 
Proceeds from Issuance of Unsecured Debt   500,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfUnsecuredDebt
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_A300NotesMember
 
Proceeds from Debt, Net of Issuance Costs   495,600,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromDebtNetOfIssuanceCosts
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_A300NotesMember
 
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage Rate Range, Maximum   3.998%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentageRateRangeMaximum
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_A300NotesMember
 
4.50% Notes [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage 4.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_A4.50NotesMember
   
Proceeds from Issuance of Unsecured Debt 750,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfUnsecuredDebt
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_A4.50NotesMember
   
Proceeds from Debt, Net of Issuance Costs 744,700,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromDebtNetOfIssuanceCosts
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_A4.50NotesMember
   
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage Rate Range, Maximum 4.57%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentageRateRangeMaximum
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_A4.50NotesMember
   
Fixed Rate Public or Private Notes [Member]      
Summary of Company's unsecured note balances and certain interest rate and maturity date information      
Notes, net 4,974,154,000us-gaap_NotesPayable
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_FixedRatePublicOrPrivateNotesMember
4,727,088,000us-gaap_NotesPayable
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_FixedRatePublicOrPrivateNotesMember
 
Weighted Average Interest Rate 5.45%eqr_WeightedAverageInterestRate
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_FixedRatePublicOrPrivateNotesMember
5.55%eqr_WeightedAverageInterestRate
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_FixedRatePublicOrPrivateNotesMember
 
Floating Rate Public or Private Notes [Member]      
Summary of Company's unsecured note balances and certain interest rate and maturity date information      
Notes, net 451,192,000us-gaap_NotesPayable
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_FloatingRatePublicOrPrivateNotesMember
750,000,000us-gaap_NotesPayable
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_FloatingRatePublicOrPrivateNotesMember
 
Weighted Average Interest Rate 1.15%eqr_WeightedAverageInterestRate
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_FloatingRatePublicOrPrivateNotesMember
1.58%eqr_WeightedAverageInterestRate
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= eqr_FloatingRatePublicOrPrivateNotesMember
 
Bridge Loan [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Write-off of unamortized deferred financing costs   2,500,000eqr_UnamortizedDeferredFinancingCostsWrittenOff
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_BridgeLoanMember
 
Floating Rate Public or Private Notes [Member]      
Summary of Company's unsecured note balances and certain interest rate and maturity date information      
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date Range, Start Jan. 01, 2019 Jan. 01, 2015  
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date Range, End Dec. 31, 2019 Dec. 31, 2015  
Fixed Rate Public or Private Notes [Member]      
Summary of Company's unsecured note balances and certain interest rate and maturity date information      
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage Rate Range, Minimum 3.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentageRateRangeMinimum
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= eqr_FixedRatePublicOrPrivateNotesMember
3.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentageRateRangeMinimum
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= eqr_FixedRatePublicOrPrivateNotesMember
 
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage Rate Range, Maximum 7.57%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentageRateRangeMaximum
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= eqr_FixedRatePublicOrPrivateNotesMember
7.57%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentageRateRangeMaximum
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= eqr_FixedRatePublicOrPrivateNotesMember
 
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date Range, Start Jan. 01, 2015 Jan. 01, 2014  
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date Range, End Dec. 31, 2044 Dec. 31, 2026  
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Debt Instrument, Description of Variable Rate Basis   LIBOR plus 1.75%  
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] | 2.375% Notes [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Debt Instrument, Description of Variable Rate Basis LIBOR plus .61%    
Term Loan [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Debt Instrument, Description of Variable Rate Basis   LIBOR plus 1.20%  
Bridge Loan [Member]      
Debt Instrument [Line Items]      
Debt Instrument, Fee Amount     $ 8,400,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFeeAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtSecurityAxis
= us-gaap_BridgeLoanMember