Segment Reporting (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Current Fiscal Year End Date									--12-31
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Revenues									$ 812,628	$ 656,574	$ 468,761
Operating expenses/Cost of sales									345,719	271,927	201,725
Net operating income/Gross profit									466,909	384,647	267,036
Adjustments to arrive at net income (loss):
Other revenues									21,150	18,157	15,498
Selling Expense									(9,744)	(7,476)	(5,235)
General and Administrative Expense									(64,087)	(47,455)	(37,387)
Transaction costs									(31,914)	(17,803)	(18,259)
Depreciation and amortization									(221,770)	(177,637)	(133,726)
Asset impairment charge									0	0	(837)
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt	$ (1,100)								(1,127)	(2,800)	0
Interest expense									(119,163)	(107,659)	(73,771)
Interest on mandatorily redeemable debt									(3,152)	(3,219)	(3,210)
Gain on disposition of properties, net					$ 98,430	$ 18,190	$ (13)	$ 8,769	0	125,376	17,654
Gain on settlement									0	0	4,452
Other expenses, net									(5,848)	0	0
Income from affiliate transactions									500	7,500	1,200
Current tax expense									(683)	(158)	(219)
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments									400	(1,000)
Net income									31,471	170,473	33,196
Less: Preferred return to Series A-1 preferred OP units									5,006	4,973	2,935
Less: Amounts attributable to noncontrolling interests									150	10,054	1,752
Less: Preferred stock distributions									8,946	13,793	6,133
Less: Preferred stock redemption costs									0	4,328	0
Net income attributable to Sun Communities, Inc.	(1,600)	$ 18,897	$ (7,803)	$ 7,875	89,399	$ 28,763	$ 12,294	$ 6,869	26,315	155,446	28,509
Net income attributable to Sun Communities, Inc. common stockholders									17,369	137,325	22,376
Identifiable assets:
Investment property, net	5,469,481				3,721,115				5,469,481	3,721,115
Cash and cash equivalents	8,164				45,086				8,164	45,086	83,459	$ 4,753
Inventory of manufactured homes	21,632				14,828				21,632	14,828
Notes and other receivables, net	81,179				47,972				81,179	47,972
Collateralized receivables, net	143,870				139,768				143,870	139,768
Other assets	146,450				213,030				146,450	213,030
TOTAL ASSETS	5,870,776				4,181,799				5,870,776	4,181,799
Real Property Operations Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Transient RV Revenue	$ 58,200								58,200
Transient RV Rental Revenue Recognized, Percentage	18.60%
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Revenues									654,341	530,610	375,594
Operating expenses/Cost of sales									241,005	188,030	137,899
Net operating income/Gross profit									413,336	342,580	237,695
Adjustments to arrive at net income (loss):
Other revenues									21,150	18,119	15,498
Selling Expense									0	0	0
General and Administrative Expense									(55,481)	(40,235)	(31,769)
Transaction costs									(31,863)	(17,802)	(18,251)
Depreciation and amortization									(166,296)	(125,297)	(88,695)
Asset impairment charge											(837)
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt									(1,127)	(2,800)
Interest expense									(119,150)	(107,647)	(73,752)
Interest on mandatorily redeemable debt									(3,152)	(3,219)	(3,210)
Gain on disposition of properties, net										106,613	17,447
Gain on settlement											4,452
Other expenses, net									(5,822)
Income from affiliate transactions									500	7,500	1,200
Current tax expense									(471)	(56)	(219)
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments									400	0
Net income									52,024	177,756	59,559
Less: Preferred return to Series A-1 preferred OP units									5,006	4,973	2,935
Less: Amounts attributable to noncontrolling interests									1,478	10,622	3,698
Less: Preferred stock distributions									8,946	13,793	6,133
Less: Preferred stock redemption costs										4,328
Net income attributable to Sun Communities, Inc.									45,540	162,161	52,926
Net income attributable to Sun Communities, Inc. common stockholders									36,594	144,040	46,793
Identifiable assets:
Investment property, net	$ 5,019,165				3,303,287				5,019,165	3,303,287
Cash and cash equivalents	3,705				44,150				3,705	44,150
Inventory of manufactured homes	0				0				0	0
Notes and other receivables, net	68,901				34,258				68,901	34,258
Collateralized receivables, net	143,870				139,768				143,870	139,768
Other assets	143,650				209,957				143,650	209,957
TOTAL ASSETS	5,379,291				3,731,420				5,379,291	3,731,420
Home Sales and Home Rentals Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Revenues									158,287	125,964	93,167
Operating expenses/Cost of sales									104,714	83,897	63,826
Net operating income/Gross profit									53,573	42,067	29,341
Adjustments to arrive at net income (loss):
Other revenues									0	38	0
Selling Expense									(9,744)	(7,476)	(5,235)
General and Administrative Expense									(8,606)	(7,220)	(5,618)
Transaction costs									(51)	(1)	(8)
Depreciation and amortization									(55,474)	(52,340)	(45,031)
Asset impairment charge											0
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt									0	0
Interest expense									(13)	(12)	(19)
Interest on mandatorily redeemable debt									0	0	0
Gain on disposition of properties, net										18,763	207
Gain on settlement											0
Other expenses, net									(26)
Income from affiliate transactions									0	0	0
Current tax expense									(212)	(102)	0
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments									0	(1,000)
Net income									(20,553)	(7,283)	(26,363)
Less: Preferred return to Series A-1 preferred OP units									0	0	0
Less: Amounts attributable to noncontrolling interests									(1,328)	(568)	(1,946)
Less: Preferred stock distributions									0	0	0
Less: Preferred stock redemption costs										0
Net income attributable to Sun Communities, Inc.									(19,225)	(6,715)	(24,417)
Net income attributable to Sun Communities, Inc. common stockholders									(19,225)	(6,715)	$ (24,417)
Identifiable assets:
Investment property, net	450,316				417,828				450,316	417,828
Cash and cash equivalents	4,459				936				4,459	936
Inventory of manufactured homes	21,632				14,828				21,632	14,828
Notes and other receivables, net	12,278				13,714				12,278	13,714
Collateralized receivables, net	0				0				0	0
Other assets	2,800				3,073				2,800	3,073
TOTAL ASSETS	$ 491,485				$ 450,379				$ 491,485	$ 450,379
Scenario, Actual [Member] | Real Property Operations Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Transient RV Rental Revenue Recognized, Percentage		45.20%	18.70%	17.50%