DISPOSITIONS AND HELD FOR SALE (Summary) (Details) $ in Thousands		1 Months Ended																3 Months Ended									12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) office_building	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2016 USD ($)	May 31, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($)	May 31, 2014 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) office_building	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) mall	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) outparcel office_building	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2014 USD ($)
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Sales Price, Gross																											$ 194,710	$ 104,860	$ 18,615
Sales Price, Net																											189,531	103,537	17,886
Gain/ (Loss)																											3,720	21,331	937
Loss on impairment																											$ 116,822	105,945	17,858
Real estate held for sale as percentage of total assets		0.10%																0.10%									0.10%
Note receivable from sale of mall		$ 16,803						$ 18,238										$ 16,803				$ 18,238					$ 16,803	18,238
Fair value of long-lived assets		46,200						125,000										46,200				125,000					46,200	125,000
Gain on extinguishment of debt																												256
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Fair value of long-lived assets		46,200						125,000										46,200				125,000					46,200	125,000
Notes Receivable
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Note receivable from sale of mall		11,123						10,462										11,123				10,462					11,123	10,462
EastGate Crossing
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Net proceeds from related to the lease of a tenant space																						574
Earn out proceeds, amount earned																						625
Columbia Place, Chapel Hill Mall and Citadel Mall
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Balance of Non-recourse Debt																													163,997
Gain on extinguishment of debt																													89,399
Cobblestone Village at Palm Coast
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Sales Price, Gross		8,500
Sales Price, Net		8,106
Gain/ (Loss)		0
Loss on impairment																		150	$ 6,298
Randolph Mall, Regency Mall, and Walnut Square
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Sales Price, Gross		32,250
Sales Price, Net		31,453
Gain/ (Loss)		$ 0
Loss on impairment																		(150)	$ 43,294
Number of Malls with Impairment | mall																			3
Oak Branch Business Center, Greensboro, NC
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Sales Price, Gross			$ 2,400
Sales Price, Net			2,148
Gain/ (Loss)			0
Loss on impairment			$ 122															(22)
The Lakes and Fashion Square
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Sales Price, Gross				$ 66,500
Sales Price, Net				65,514
Gain/ (Loss)				273
Loss on impairment																				$ 32,096
Bonita Lakes Mall and Crossing
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Sales Price, Gross					$ 27,910
Sales Price, Net					27,614
Gain/ (Loss)					$ 208
Loss on impairment																					$ 5,323
The Crossings at Marshalls Creek
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Sales Price, Gross						$ 23,650
Sales Price, Net						21,791
Gain/ (Loss)						$ 3,239
River Ridge Mall, Lynchburg, VA
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Sales Price, Gross							$ 33,500
Sales Price, Net							32,905
Gain/ (Loss)							$ 0
Loss on impairment																		$ 84			$ 9,510						$ 9,594
Percentage owned in disposed asset							75.00%																				75.00%
EastGate Crossing
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Sales Price, Gross											$ 21,060
Sales Price, Net											20,688
Gain/ (Loss)											13,491
Net proceeds from related to the lease of a tenant space																											$ 657
Mortgage debt assumed by buyer of real estate assets											$ 14,570																$ 38,150	14,570	0
Mayfaire Community Center
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Sales Price, Gross								56,300
Sales Price, Net								55,955
Gain/ (Loss)								0
Loss on impairment																						397
Chapel Hill Crossing
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Sales Price, Gross								2,300
Sales Price, Net								2,178
Gain/ (Loss)								0
Loss on impairment																						1,914
Waynesville Commons
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Sales Price, Gross									$ 14,500
Sales Price, Net									14,289
Gain/ (Loss)									$ 5,071
Madison Plaza
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Sales Price, Gross										$ 5,700
Sales Price, Net										5,472
Gain/ (Loss)										$ 2,769
Madison Square
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Sales Price, Gross												$ 5,000
Sales Price, Net												4,955
Gain/ (Loss)												$ 0
Loss on impairment																							$ 2,620
Pemberton Plaza
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Sales Price, Gross														$ 1,975
Sales Price, Net														1,886
Gain/ (Loss)														0
Loss on impairment																								$ 497
Foothills Plaza Expansion
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Sales Price, Gross															$ 2,640
Sales Price, Net															2,387
Gain/ (Loss)															$ 937
Lakeshore Mall
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Sales Price, Gross																$ 14,000
Sales Price, Net																13,613
Gain/ (Loss)																0
Loss on impairment																									$ 106	$ 5,100
Lakeshore Mall | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Fair value of long-lived assets																																$ 13,780
Lakeshore Mall | Notes Receivable
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Note receivable from sale of mall																10,000
Lakeshore Mall | Cash
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Sales Price, Net																$ 4,000
Columbia Place
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Loss on impairment																															$ 50,683
Balance of Non-recourse Debt													$ 27,265
Gain on extinguishment of debt													$ 27,171
Non-cash default interest expense																															$ 3,181
Chapel Hill Suburban
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Loss on impairment																													12,050
Balance of Non-recourse Debt														68,563
Gain on extinguishment of debt														$ 18,296
Non-cash default interest expense																													1,514
Citadel Mall
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Loss on impairment																														$ 20,453
Balance of Non-recourse Debt																	$ 68,169
Gain on extinguishment of debt																	$ 43,932
River Ridge Mall, Lynchburg, VA
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Company's ownership interest (as a percent)		25.00%																25.00%									25.00%
Mortgages | Fashion Square, Saginaw, MI
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Mortgage note payables assumed				$ 38,150
Outparcel Sale
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Gain on sales of real estate assets																											$ 21,385
Number of outparcels sold | outparcel																											18
Parking Deck Project
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Gain on sales of real estate assets																											$ 2,184
Parcel Project | The Outlet Shoppes at Atlanta - Parcel Development
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Gain on sales of real estate assets																											$ 1,621
Noncontrolling Interests
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Number of office buildings held for sale | office_building		2																2									2
CBL & Associates Properties, Inc.
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Loss on impairment																											$ 116,822	105,945	17,858
Gain on sales of real estate assets																											29,567	32,232	5,342
Held for sale	[1]	$ 5,861						0										$ 5,861				0					5,861	0
Note receivable from sale of mall	[1]	$ 16,803						$ 18,238										$ 16,803				$ 18,238					16,803	18,238
Gain on extinguishment of debt																											$ 0	$ 256	$ 87,893

[1] As of December 31, 2016, includes $659,494 of assets related to consolidated variable interest entities that can be used only to settle obligations of the consolidated variable interest entities and $463,362 of liabilities of consolidated variable interest entities for which creditors do not have recourse to the general credit of the Company. See Note 8.