Activity in Allowance for Losses for Non-Covered Loans and Covered Loans (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses [Line Items]
Allowance for Loan Losses, Individually evaluated for impairment		$ 577
Allowance for Loan Losses, Collectively evaluated for impairment	$ 158,918	155,947
Allowance for Loan Losses	158,918	181,991
Acquired loans with deteriorated credit quality
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses [Line Items]
Allowance for Loan Losses, other		25,467
Mortgage Receivable
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses [Line Items]
Allowance for Loan Losses, Collectively evaluated for impairment	122,522	123,925
Allowance for Loan Losses	122,522	135,909
Mortgage Receivable \| Acquired loans with deteriorated credit quality
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses [Line Items]
Allowance for Loan Losses, other		11,984
Other loans
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses [Line Items]
Allowance for Loan Losses, Individually evaluated for impairment		577
Allowance for Loan Losses, Collectively evaluated for impairment	36,396	32,022
Allowance for Loan Losses	$ 36,396	46,082
Other loans \| Acquired loans with deteriorated credit quality
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses [Line Items]
Allowance for Loan Losses, other		$ 13,483

Financing Receivable, Allowance For Credit Losses, Allocated

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	nyb_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

A valuation allowance for financing receivables that are expected to be uncollectible.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11B
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173941&loc=SL6953423-111524

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The valuation allowance for financing receivables that are expected to be uncollectible that were collectively evaluated for impairment.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11B
-Subparagraph (g)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173941&loc=SL6953423-111524

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLossesCollectivelyEvaluatedForImpairment
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of valuation allowance for financing receivables that are expected to be uncollectible that were individually evaluated for impairment.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11B
-Subparagraph (g)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84173941&loc=SL6953423-111524

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
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- Details

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- Details

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