SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Earnings Per Share) (Details) - shares shares in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
CBL & Associates Properties, Inc.
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Denominator – basic (in shares)	170,762	170,476	170,247
Effect of performance stock units (in shares)	74	23
Denominator – diluted (in shares)	170,836	170,499	170,247
CBL & Associates Limited Partnership
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Denominator – basic (in shares)	199,764	199,734	199,660
Effect of performance stock units (in shares)	74	23
Denominator – diluted (in shares)	199,838	199,757	199,660

Additional shares included in the calculation of diluted EPS as a result of the potentially dilutive effect of convertible preferred stock using the if-converted method.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6371337&loc=d3e3550-109257

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 40
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64863997&loc=d3e1930-109256

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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.

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- Definition

The average number of shares or units issued and outstanding that are used in calculating diluted EPS or earnings per unit (EPU), determined based on the timing of issuance of shares or units in the period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 16
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64863997&loc=d3e1505-109256

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
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-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6371337&loc=d3e3550-109257

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Number of [basic] shares or units, after adjustment for contingently issuable shares or units and other shares or units not deemed outstanding, determined by relating the portion of time within a reporting period that common shares or units have been outstanding to the total time in that period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6371337&loc=d3e3550-109257

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 10
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64863997&loc=d3e1448-109256

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Weighted-Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6528421

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