Real Estate Acquisitions and Dispositions Real Estate Acquisitions, American Land Lease (Details) $ in Thousands						1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended							12 Months Ended
		Mar. 30, 2016 shares	Jan. 06, 2015 USD ($) shares	Jan. 06, 2015 USD ($) shares	Nov. 26, 2014 USD ($) properties states shares	Sep. 30, 2016 shares	Nov. 30, 2015 shares	Jun. 30, 2015 shares	Dec. 31, 2016 properties sites states shares	Sep. 30, 2016 shares	Jun. 30, 2016 shares	Mar. 31, 2016 shares	Sep. 30, 2015 shares	Jun. 30, 2015 shares	Mar. 31, 2015 shares	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) properties sites states shares	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of Real Estate Properties | properties									341							341
Number of Units in Real Estate Property | sites									117,376							117,376
Number of States in which Entity Operates | states									29							29
Common Stock Issued | shares		6,037,500				3,737,500	3,737,500		19,498,000	620,828,000	485,000,000	6,037,500	608,100,000	26,200,000	342,011,000
Proceeds from Issuance or Sale of Equity																$ 750,385	$ 310,301	$ 572,171
Green Courte [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Investment in property			$ 1,474,652	$ 1,474,652
Notes and other receivables			6,039	6,039
Business combinations, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Other Assets and Liabilities			5,700	5,700
In-place leases and other intangible assets			28,330	28,330
Business Acquisition, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Below Market Leases			65,400	65,400
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Noncurrent Liabilities, Long-term Debt			400,766	400,766
Total identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed			1,048,555	1,048,555
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Liabilities Incurred			191,494
Cash consideration transferred			344,361
Cash, proceeds from dispositions held in escrow, or contingent liability			1,048,555													1,300,000
Proceeds from Issuance or Sale of Equity																$ 12,500
Green Courte [Member] | Common OP Units [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Equity Interests Issued and Issuable			24,064
Green Courte [Member] | Series A-4 Preferred Op Units [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Equity Interests Issued and Issuable	[1]		19,852
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares | shares																34,219
Common Stock Issued | shares																200,000
Green Courte [Member] | Common Stock [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Equity Interests Issued and Issuable			279,560
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares | shares								25,664								25,664
Common Stock Issued | shares																150,000
Green Courte [Member] | Series A-4 Preferred Stock [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Equity Interests Issued and Issuable			189,224
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares | shares								34,219
Green Courte - Second Closing [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Investment in property			818,109	818,109
Notes and other receivables			850	850
Business combinations, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Other Assets and Liabilities			7,405	7,405
In-place leases and other intangible assets			15,460	15,460
Business Acquisition, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Below Market Leases			54,580	54,580
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Noncurrent Liabilities, Long-term Debt			201,466	201,466
Total identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed			585,778	$ 585,778
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Liabilities Incurred			90,794
Cash consideration transferred			59,324
Cash, proceeds from dispositions held in escrow, or contingent liability			$ 585,778
Number of Units in Real Estate Property			10,000	10,000
Green Courte - Second Closing [Member] | Common OP Units [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Equity Interests Issued and Issuable			$ 0
Green Courte - Second Closing [Member] | Series A-4 Preferred Op Units [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Equity Interests Issued and Issuable			$ 1,000
Preferred Units, Issued | shares			200,000	200,000
Green Courte - Second Closing [Member] | Common Stock [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Equity Interests Issued and Issuable			$ 259,133
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares | shares			4,377,073	4,377,073
Common Stock Issued | shares			150,000
Green Courte - Second Closing [Member] | Series A-4 preferred OP units [Domain]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Preferred Units, Issued | shares			200,000	200,000
Green Courte - Second Closing [Member] | Series A-4 Preferred Stock [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Equity Interests Issued and Issuable			$ 175,527
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares | shares			5,847,234	5,847,234
Green Courte - First Closing [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Investment in property					$ 656,543
Notes and other receivables					5,189
Business combinations, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Other Assets and Liabilities					(1,705)
In-place leases and other intangible assets					12,870
Business Acquisition, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Below Market Leases					10,820
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Noncurrent Liabilities, Long-term Debt					199,300
Total identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed					462,777
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Liabilities Incurred					100,700
Cash consideration transferred					285,037
Cash, proceeds from dispositions held in escrow, or contingent liability					$ 462,777
Number of Units in Real Estate Property					9,000
Number of States in which Entity Operates | states					11
Green Courte - First Closing [Member] | Common OP Units [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Equity Interests Issued and Issuable					$ 24,064
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares | shares					501,130
Green Courte - First Closing [Member] | Series A-4 Preferred Op Units [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Equity Interests Issued and Issuable					$ 18,852
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares | shares					669,449
Green Courte - First Closing [Member] | Common Stock [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Equity Interests Issued and Issuable					$ 20,427
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares | shares					361,797
Green Courte - First Closing [Member] | Series A-4 Preferred Stock [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Equity Interests Issued and Issuable					$ 13,697
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares | shares					483,317
Manufactured home community [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of Real Estate Properties | properties					59				226							226
Number of Units in Real Estate Property | sites									80,166							80,166
Manufactured home community [Member] | Green Courte - Second Closing [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of Real Estate Properties			26	26
Manufactured home community [Member] | Green Courte - First Closing [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of Real Estate Properties | properties					32
Green Courte - Second Closing [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Proceeds from Issuance or Sale of Equity			$ 12,500

[1] To estimate the fair value of the Series A-4 preferred OP units and the Series A-4 preferred stock at the valuation date, we utilized the income approach. Under this approach, we used the Binomial Lattice Method.