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Share Incentive Plans (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Compensation information      
Compensation Expense $ 27,543us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense $ 35,474us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense $ 24,832us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
Compensation Capitalized 2,538us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationAllocationOfRecognizedPeriodCostsCapitalizedAmount 2,545us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationAllocationOfRecognizedPeriodCostsCapitalizedAmount 2,128us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationAllocationOfRecognizedPeriodCostsCapitalizedAmount
Compensation Equity 30,081us-gaap_AdjustmentsToAdditionalPaidInCapitalSharebasedCompensationRequisiteServicePeriodRecognitionValue 38,019us-gaap_AdjustmentsToAdditionalPaidInCapitalSharebasedCompensationRequisiteServicePeriodRecognitionValue 26,960us-gaap_AdjustmentsToAdditionalPaidInCapitalSharebasedCompensationRequisiteServicePeriodRecognitionValue
Dividends Incurred 2,260eqr_ShareIncentivePlansDividendsIncurred 1,487eqr_ShareIncentivePlansDividendsIncurred 1,183eqr_ShareIncentivePlansDividendsIncurred
Restricted shares [Member]      
Compensation information      
Compensation Expense 9,244us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_RestrictedSharesMember		 12,185us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_RestrictedSharesMember		 8,014us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_RestrictedSharesMember
Compensation Capitalized 660us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationAllocationOfRecognizedPeriodCostsCapitalizedAmount
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_RestrictedSharesMember		 1,079us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationAllocationOfRecognizedPeriodCostsCapitalizedAmount
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_RestrictedSharesMember		 922us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationAllocationOfRecognizedPeriodCostsCapitalizedAmount
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_RestrictedSharesMember
Compensation Equity 9,904us-gaap_AdjustmentsToAdditionalPaidInCapitalSharebasedCompensationRequisiteServicePeriodRecognitionValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_RestrictedSharesMember		 13,264us-gaap_AdjustmentsToAdditionalPaidInCapitalSharebasedCompensationRequisiteServicePeriodRecognitionValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_RestrictedSharesMember		 8,936us-gaap_AdjustmentsToAdditionalPaidInCapitalSharebasedCompensationRequisiteServicePeriodRecognitionValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_RestrictedSharesMember
Dividends Incurred 1,012eqr_ShareIncentivePlansDividendsIncurred
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_RestrictedSharesMember		 967eqr_ShareIncentivePlansDividendsIncurred
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_RestrictedSharesMember		 949eqr_ShareIncentivePlansDividendsIncurred
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_RestrictedSharesMember
Long Term Incentive Plan Units [Member]      
Compensation information      
Compensation Expense 11,049us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_LongTermInvestmentPlanUnitsMember		 13,108us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_LongTermInvestmentPlanUnitsMember		 5,004us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_LongTermInvestmentPlanUnitsMember
Compensation Capitalized 920us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationAllocationOfRecognizedPeriodCostsCapitalizedAmount
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_LongTermInvestmentPlanUnitsMember		 501us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationAllocationOfRecognizedPeriodCostsCapitalizedAmount
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_LongTermInvestmentPlanUnitsMember		 303us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationAllocationOfRecognizedPeriodCostsCapitalizedAmount
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_LongTermInvestmentPlanUnitsMember
Compensation Equity 11,969us-gaap_AdjustmentsToAdditionalPaidInCapitalSharebasedCompensationRequisiteServicePeriodRecognitionValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_LongTermInvestmentPlanUnitsMember		 13,609us-gaap_AdjustmentsToAdditionalPaidInCapitalSharebasedCompensationRequisiteServicePeriodRecognitionValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_LongTermInvestmentPlanUnitsMember		 5,307us-gaap_AdjustmentsToAdditionalPaidInCapitalSharebasedCompensationRequisiteServicePeriodRecognitionValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_LongTermInvestmentPlanUnitsMember
Dividends Incurred 1,248eqr_ShareIncentivePlansDividendsIncurred
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_LongTermInvestmentPlanUnitsMember		 520eqr_ShareIncentivePlansDividendsIncurred
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_LongTermInvestmentPlanUnitsMember		 234eqr_ShareIncentivePlansDividendsIncurred
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_LongTermInvestmentPlanUnitsMember
Employee Stock Option [Member]      
Compensation information      
Compensation Expense 6,453us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember		 9,569us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember		 10,970us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
Compensation Capitalized 896us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationAllocationOfRecognizedPeriodCostsCapitalizedAmount
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember		 945us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationAllocationOfRecognizedPeriodCostsCapitalizedAmount
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember		 782us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationAllocationOfRecognizedPeriodCostsCapitalizedAmount
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
Compensation Equity 7,349us-gaap_AdjustmentsToAdditionalPaidInCapitalSharebasedCompensationRequisiteServicePeriodRecognitionValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember		 10,514us-gaap_AdjustmentsToAdditionalPaidInCapitalSharebasedCompensationRequisiteServicePeriodRecognitionValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember		 11,752us-gaap_AdjustmentsToAdditionalPaidInCapitalSharebasedCompensationRequisiteServicePeriodRecognitionValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
Dividends Incurred 0eqr_ShareIncentivePlansDividendsIncurred
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember		 0eqr_ShareIncentivePlansDividendsIncurred
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember		 0eqr_ShareIncentivePlansDividendsIncurred
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
Employee Share Purchase Plan Discount [Member]      
Compensation information      
Compensation Expense 797us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_EmployeeSharePurchasePlanDiscountMember		 612us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_EmployeeSharePurchasePlanDiscountMember		 844us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_EmployeeSharePurchasePlanDiscountMember
Compensation Capitalized 62us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationAllocationOfRecognizedPeriodCostsCapitalizedAmount
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_EmployeeSharePurchasePlanDiscountMember		 20us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationAllocationOfRecognizedPeriodCostsCapitalizedAmount
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_EmployeeSharePurchasePlanDiscountMember		 121us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationAllocationOfRecognizedPeriodCostsCapitalizedAmount
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_EmployeeSharePurchasePlanDiscountMember
Compensation Equity 859us-gaap_AdjustmentsToAdditionalPaidInCapitalSharebasedCompensationRequisiteServicePeriodRecognitionValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_EmployeeSharePurchasePlanDiscountMember		 632us-gaap_AdjustmentsToAdditionalPaidInCapitalSharebasedCompensationRequisiteServicePeriodRecognitionValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_EmployeeSharePurchasePlanDiscountMember		 965us-gaap_AdjustmentsToAdditionalPaidInCapitalSharebasedCompensationRequisiteServicePeriodRecognitionValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_EmployeeSharePurchasePlanDiscountMember
Dividends Incurred $ 0eqr_ShareIncentivePlansDividendsIncurred
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_EmployeeSharePurchasePlanDiscountMember		 $ 0eqr_ShareIncentivePlansDividendsIncurred
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_EmployeeSharePurchasePlanDiscountMember		 $ 0eqr_ShareIncentivePlansDividendsIncurred
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= eqr_EmployeeSharePurchasePlanDiscountMember