Mortgage and Other Indebtedness (Details)	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) loan derivative_instrument credit_line	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) loan derivative_instrument	Oct. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2013
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate (percent)		4.47%	4.93%
Long-term debt		$ 4,820,316,000
Fixed Rate Interest
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate (percent)		5.53%	5.50%
Variable Rate Interest Member
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate (percent)		1.66%	1.69%
Wells Fargo Bank
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit, extension fee (percent)		0.20%
Senior Unsecured Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount					$ 450,000,000
Notice required to redeem debt, term		30 days
Debt instrument, redemption price, percentage		100.00%
Senior Unsecured Notes | Fixed Rate Interest
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate (percent)					5.25%	5.25%
Senior Unsecured Notes | Fixed Rate Operating Loans
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unamortized debt discount		$ 3,946,000	$ 4,230,000
Senior Unsecured Notes | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Secured debt to total assets (as a percent)		40.00%
Senior Unsecured Notes | Minimum | Fixed Rate Interest
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, increase in variable interest rate		0.25%
Senior Unsecured Notes | Maximum | Fixed Rate Interest
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, increase in variable interest rate		1.00%
Non-recourse loans on operating properties
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, debt default threshold, minimum loan amount		$ 50,000,000
Non-recourse loans on operating properties | Fixed Rate Interest
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate (percent)		5.68%	5.62%
Non-recourse loans on operating properties | Variable Rate Interest Member
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate (percent)		2.32%	2.29%
5.250% Senior Notes Due 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, redemption price, percentage		100.00%
5.250% Senior Notes Due 2023 | Fixed Rate Interest
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate (percent)		5.25%	5.25%
5.250% Senior Notes Due 2023 | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Secured debt to total assets (as a percent)		40.00%
5.250% Senior Notes Due 2023 | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Secured debt to total assets (as a percent)		45.00%
Senior Notes Due 2024
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, redemption price, percentage		100.00%
Senior Notes Due 2024 | Fixed Rate Interest
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate (percent)		4.60%	4.60%	4.60%
Other | Fixed Rate Interest
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate (percent)		3.50%	3.50%
Recourse term loans on operating properties
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, debt default threshold, minimum loan amount		$ 150,000,000
Recourse term loans on operating properties | Variable Rate Interest Member
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate (percent)		2.92%	2.91%
Construction loans | Variable Rate Interest Member
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate (percent)		2.70%	2.66%
Unsecured lines of credit | Variable Rate Interest Member
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate (percent)		1.60%	1.56%
Unsecured term loans | Variable Rate Interest Member
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate (percent)		1.70%	1.71%
Unsecured lines of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of unsecured term loans | loan		2
Loan agreement, basis spread on variable rate (as a percentage)		1.40%
Unsecured lines of credit | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loan agreement, basis spread on variable rate (as a percentage)		1.00%
Unsecured lines of credit | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loan agreement, basis spread on variable rate (as a percentage)		1.75%
Annual facility Fee (percent)		0.35%
Wells Fargo Bank
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letter of credit, outstanding		$ 800,000
Unsecured Term Loan 3
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loan agreement, basis spread on variable rate (as a percentage)		1.50%
Unsecured Term Loan 2
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loan agreement, basis spread on variable rate (as a percentage)	1.55%		1.90%
Required | Senior Unsecured Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Secured debt to total assets (as a percent)		45.00%
Total debt to total asset value (as a percent)		60.00%
Total Unencumbered Assets to Unsecured Debt (as a percent)		150.00%
Consolidated income available for debt service to annual debt service charge (as a percent)		150.00%
Required | Unsecured Credit Facility and Term Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt to total asset value (as a percent)		60.00%
Total Unencumbered Assets to Unsecured Debt (as a percent)		160.00%
Unencumbered NOI to unsecured interest expense (as a percent)		175.00%
EBITDA to fixed charges (debt service) (as a percent)		150.00%
Actual | Senior Unsecured Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Secured debt to total assets (as a percent)		31.00%
Total debt to total asset value (as a percent)		54.00%
Total Unencumbered Assets to Unsecured Debt (as a percent)		213.00%
Consolidated income available for debt service to annual debt service charge (as a percent)		330.00%
Actual | Unsecured Credit Facility and Term Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt to total asset value (as a percent)		50.00%
Total Unencumbered Assets to Unsecured Debt (as a percent)		230.00%
Unencumbered NOI to unsecured interest expense (as a percent)		450.00%
EBITDA to fixed charges (debt service) (as a percent)		220.00%
Interest Rate Swap
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of unsecured term loans | loan			4
Derivative, Number of Instruments Held | derivative_instrument		4	4
Derivative, Notional Amount		$ 102,283,000	$ 105,584,000
CBL & Associates Properties, Inc.
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, percentage bearing fixed interest, amount		3,502,337,000	4,004,064,000
Mortgage and other indebtedness amount carrying value		1,319,138,000	696,396,000
Long-term debt		4,821,475,000	4,700,460,000
CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. | Non-recourse loans on operating properties
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, percentage bearing fixed interest, amount		2,753,144,000	3,252,730,000
Mortgage and other indebtedness amount carrying value		16,910,000	17,121,000
CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. | 5.250% Senior Notes Due 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, percentage bearing fixed interest, amount		446,054,000	445,770,000
CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. | Senior Notes Due 2024
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, percentage bearing fixed interest, amount		299,931,000	299,925,000
CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. | Other
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, percentage bearing fixed interest, amount		3,208,000	5,639,000
CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. | Recourse term loans on operating properties
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Mortgage and other indebtedness amount carrying value		11,588,000	7,638,000
CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. | Construction loans
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Mortgage and other indebtedness amount carrying value		8,542,000	454,000
CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. | Unsecured lines of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Mortgage and other indebtedness amount carrying value		832,098,000	221,183,000
CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. | Unsecured term loans
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Mortgage and other indebtedness amount carrying value		$ 450,000,000	450,000,000
Treasury Rate | 5.250% Senior Notes Due 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative, basis spread on variable rate		0.40%
Treasury Rate | Senior Notes Due 2024
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative, basis spread on variable rate		0.35%
Senior Notes Due 2024 | Unsecured lines of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unamortized debt discount		$ 69,000	75,000
Debt instrument, face amount			$ 300,000,000
Unsecured lines of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of unsecured term loans | credit_line		3
Mortgage and other indebtedness amount carrying value		$ 832,098,000
Annual facility Fee (percent)		0.30%
Total Capacity, line of credit		$ 1,300,000,000
Unsecured lines of credit | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Annual facility Fee (percent)		0.15%
Unsecured term loans
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount		$ 400,000,000
Interest rate at period end (as a percent)		1.69%
Unsecured Line of Credit 1
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Mortgage and other indebtedness amount carrying value		$ 221,230,000
Total Capacity, line of credit		600,000,000
First Tennessee
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Mortgage and other indebtedness amount carrying value		26,200,000
Total Capacity, line of credit		100,000,000
Unsecured Line of Credit 2
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Mortgage and other indebtedness amount carrying value		584,668,000
Total Capacity, line of credit		600,000,000
Wells Fargo Bank
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total Capacity, line of credit		50,000,000
Letter of credit, outstanding		$ 6,110,000
First Tennessee Bank
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate (percent)		1.74%
Debt instrument, face amount		$ 50,000,000
Total Capacity, line of credit		20,000,000
Letter of credit, outstanding		$ 113,000