Consolidated Statements of Equity/Capital - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	CBL & Associates Properties, Inc.	CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. Preferred Stock	CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. Common Stock	CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. Additional Paid-in Capital	CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. Dividends in Excess of Cumulative Earnings	CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. Total Shareholders' Equity	CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. Noncontrolling Interests	CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests	CBL & Associates Limited Partnership	CBL & Associates Limited Partnership Redeemable Partnership Interests	CBL & Associates Limited Partnership Redeemable Common Units	CBL & Associates Limited Partnership Total Redeemable Interests	Preferred Units CBL & Associates Limited Partnership	Common Units CBL & Associates Limited Partnership	General Partner CBL & Associates Limited Partnership	Limited Partners CBL & Associates Limited Partnership	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income CBL & Associates Limited Partnership	Total Partner's Capital CBL & Associates Limited Partnership	Noncontrolling Interests CBL & Associates Limited Partnership
Redeemable common units, beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2013										$ 34,639
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests
Net income										3,425
Other comprehensive income (loss)		$ 8,260				$ 7,086		$ 7,086	$ 1,174	65	$ 8,260		$ 65	$ 65					$ 8,260	$ 8,260
Adjustment for noncontrolling interests		(2,937)			$ (8,231)			(8,231)	5,294	2,937
Adjustment to record redeemable noncontrolling interests at redemption value		(5,336)			(5,014)			(5,014)	(322)	5,337	(5,336)	$ 3,017	2,319	5,336			$ (55)	$ (5,281)		(5,336)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests		(44,257)							(44,257)	(8,844)	(13,089)	(4,272)		(4,272)						0	$ (13,089)
Redeemable common units, ending balance at Dec. 31, 2014										37,559
Beginning balance, shareholders' equity at Dec. 31, 2013		1,559,934	$ 25	$ 1,700	1,967,644	6,325	$ (570,781)	1,404,913	155,021
Beginning balance, partners' capital at Dec. 31, 2013											1,560,355	5,883	28,756	34,639	$ 565,212		9,866	961,175	4,923	1,541,176	19,179
Beginning balance, partners' capital units (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2013															25,050,000	199,593,000
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests
Net income (loss)		249,539					219,150	219,150	30,389		249,539	1,827	1,598	3,425	$ 44,892		2,081	200,686		247,659	1,880
Other comprehensive income (loss)		8,260				7,086		7,086	1,174	65	8,260		65	65					8,260	8,260
Redemption of common units (in shares)																(273,000)
Redemptions of common units	$ (4,861)										(4,861)							(4,861)		(4,861)
Issuance of common units (in shares)																246,000
Issuance of common units											683							683		683
Purchase of noncontrolling interests in Operating Partnership/Acquire controlling interest in shopping center property		(4,861)						0	(4,861)
Dividends/distributions declared - common stock/units		(170,262)					(170,262)	(170,262)			(201,483)		(4,571)	(4,571)			(1,479)	(200,004)		(201,483)
Dividends declared/distributions - preferred stock/units		(44,892)					(44,892)	(44,892)			(44,892)				(44,892)					(44,892)
Issuance of shares of common stock and restricted common stock		683		3	680			683
Cancellation of restricted common stock (in shares)																(34,000)
Cancellation of restricted common stock, value		(389)			(389)			(389)			(389)							(389)		(389)
Amortization of deferred compensation		3,508			3,508			3,508			3,508						36	3,472		3,508
Allocation of partners' capital											(2,792)		2,937	2,937			(660)	(2,132)		(2,792)
Adjustment for noncontrolling interests		(2,937)			(8,231)			(8,231)	5,294	2,937
Adjustment to record redeemable noncontrolling interests at redemption value		(5,336)			(5,014)			(5,014)	(322)	5,337	(5,336)	3,017	2,319	5,336			(55)	(5,281)		(5,336)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests		(44,257)							(44,257)	(8,844)	(13,089)	(4,272)		(4,272)						0	(13,089)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests		938							938		938										938
Ending balance, shareholders' equity at Dec. 31, 2014		1,549,928	25	1,703	1,958,198	13,411	(566,785)	1,406,552	143,376
Ending balance, partners' capital at Dec. 31, 2014											1,550,441	6,455	31,104	37,559	$ 565,212		9,789	953,349	13,183	1,541,533	8,908
Ending balance, partners' capital units (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2014															25,050,000	199,532,000
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests
Net income										3,902
Other comprehensive income (loss)		(14,051)				(11,476)		(11,476)	(2,575)	(352)	(14,051)		(352)	(352)					(14,051)	(14,051)
Adjustment for noncontrolling interests		(2,980)			(2,773)			(2,773)	(207)	2,981
Adjustment to record redeemable noncontrolling interests at redemption value		11,617			10,225			10,225	1,392	(11,617)	11,617	(1,658)	(9,959)	(11,617)			119	11,498		11,617
Distributions to noncontrolling interests		(40,534)							(40,534)	(7,143)	(7,866)	(2,571)		(2,571)							(7,866)
Redeemable common units, ending balance at Dec. 31, 2015										25,330	19,744
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests
Net income (loss)		115,113					103,371	103,371	11,742		115,113	3,360	542	3,902	$ 44,892		699	67,409		113,000	2,113
Other comprehensive income (loss)		(14,051)				(11,476)		(11,476)	(2,575)	(352)	(14,051)		(352)	(352)					(14,051)	(14,051)
Redemption of common units (in shares)																(15,000)
Redemptions of common units											(286)							(286)		(286)
Issuance of common units (in shares)																278,000
Issuance of common units											679							679		679
Purchase of noncontrolling interests in Operating Partnership/Acquire controlling interest in shopping center property		(286)							(286)
Dividends/distributions declared - common stock/units		(180,722)					(180,722)	(180,722)			(213,391)		(4,572)	(4,572)			(2,133)	(211,258)		(213,391)
Dividends declared/distributions - preferred stock/units		(44,892)					(44,892)	(44,892)			(44,892)				(44,892)					(44,892)
Issuance of shares of common stock and restricted common stock		679		3	676			679
Cancellation of restricted common stock (in shares)																(47,000)
Cancellation of restricted common stock, value		(770)		(1)	(769)			(770)			(770)							(770)		(770)
Performance stock units		624			624			624			624						6	618		624
Amortization of deferred compensation		4,152			4,152			4,152			4,152						43	4,109		4,152
Allocation of partners' capital											(3,053)		2,981	2,981			(88)	(2,965)		(3,053)
Adjustment for noncontrolling interests		(2,980)			(2,773)			(2,773)	(207)	2,981
Adjustment to record redeemable noncontrolling interests at redemption value		11,617			10,225			10,225	1,392	(11,617)	11,617	(1,658)	(9,959)	(11,617)			119	11,498		11,617
Distributions to noncontrolling interests		(40,534)							(40,534)	(7,143)	(7,866)	(2,571)		(2,571)							(7,866)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests		1,721							1,721		1,721										1,721
Ending balance, shareholders' equity at Dec. 31, 2015		1,399,599	25	1,705	1,970,333	1,935	(689,028)	1,284,970	114,629
Ending balance, partners' capital at Dec. 31, 2015											1,400,038	5,586	19,744	25,330	$ 565,212		8,435	822,383	(868)	1,395,162	4,876
Ending balance, partners' capital units (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015															25,050,000	199,748,000
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests
Net income										(1,603)
Other comprehensive income (loss)		431				371		371	60	3	431		3	3					431	431
Redemption of redeemable noncontrolling interest		9,636			9,636			9,636		(3,206)	9,636	(3,206)		(3,206)			99	9,537		9,636
Adjustment for noncontrolling interests		(2,454)			(13,773)	(2,306)		(16,079)	13,625	2,454
Adjustment to record redeemable noncontrolling interests at redemption value		(1,937)			(2,061)			(2,061)	124	1,937	(1,937)	2,729	(792)	1,937			(20)	(1,917)		(1,937)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests		(40,039)							(40,039)	(6,919)	(7,888)	(2,347)		(2,347)							(7,888)
Redeemable common units, ending balance at Dec. 31, 2016										17,996	17,996
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests
Net income (loss)		197,134					172,882	172,882	24,252		197,134	(2,762)	1,159	(1,603)	$ 44,892		1,523	146,845		193,260	3,874
Other comprehensive income (loss)		431				371		371	60	3	431		3	3					431	431
Redemption of common units (in shares)																(965,000)
Redemptions of common units	$ (11,754)										(11,754)							(11,754)		(11,754)
Issuance of common units (in shares)																336,000
Issuance of common units											481							481		481
Purchase of noncontrolling interests in Operating Partnership/Acquire controlling interest in shopping center property		(11,754)							(11,754)
Redemption of redeemable noncontrolling interest		9,636			9,636			9,636		(3,206)	9,636	(3,206)		(3,206)			99	9,537		9,636
Dividends/distributions declared - common stock/units		(181,040)					(181,040)	(181,040)			(213,191)		(4,572)	(4,572)			(2,133)	(211,058)		(213,191)
Dividends declared/distributions - preferred stock/units		(44,892)					(44,892)	(44,892)			(44,892)				(44,892)					(44,892)
Issuance of shares of common stock and restricted common stock		$ 481		3	$ 478			$ 481
Cancellation of restricted common stock (in shares)		(267,000)			(267,000)			(267,000)								(34,000)
Cancellation of restricted common stock, value											(267)							(267)		(267)
Performance stock units		$ 1,033			$ 1,033			$ 1,033			1,033						11	1,022		1,033
Amortization of deferred compensation		3,680			3,680			3,680			3,680						38	3,642		3,680
Allocation of partners' capital											(2,566)		2,454	2,454			(172)	(2,831)	437	(2,566)
Adjustment for noncontrolling interests		(2,454)			(13,773)	(2,306)		(16,079)	13,625	2,454
Adjustment to record redeemable noncontrolling interests at redemption value		(1,937)			(2,061)			(2,061)	124	1,937	(1,937)	2,729	(792)	1,937			(20)	(1,917)		(1,937)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests		(40,039)							(40,039)	$ (6,919)	(7,888)	(2,347)		(2,347)							(7,888)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests		11,241							11,241		11,241										11,241
Ending balance, shareholders' equity at Dec. 31, 2016		$ 1,340,852	$ 25	$ 1,708	$ 1,969,059	$ 0	$ (742,078)	$ 1,228,714	$ 112,138
Ending balance, partners' capital at Dec. 31, 2016											$ 1,341,179	$ 0	$ 17,996	$ 17,996	$ 565,212		$ 7,781	$ 756,083	$ 0	$ 1,329,076	$ 12,103
Ending balance, partners' capital units (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016															25,050,000	199,085,000