Consolidated Statements Of Cash Flows - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Operating Activities
Net Income	$ 177,379,000	$ 120,158,000	$ 81,819,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Gain on disposition of assets	(11,085,000)	(9,376,000)	(9,338,000)
Unrealized foreign currency translation (gain) / loss	(4,557,000)	8,234,000	(6,146,000)
Remeasurement of marketable securities	(34,240,000)	3,639,000	0
Contingent liability remeasurement (gain) / loss	1,503,000	(2,336,000)	(3,035,000)
Asset impairment charges	0	0	742,000
Share-based compensation	17,482,000	15,066,000	12,695,000
Depreciation and amortization	313,966,000	274,432,000	256,193,000
Deferred tax (benefit) expense	222,000	507,000	582,000
Amortization of below market lease	(7,442,000)	(7,399,000)	(7,402,000)
Amortization of debt premium	(4,962,000)	(6,353,000)	(8,205,000)
Amortization of deferred financing costs	2,988,000	3,233,000	2,910,000
Amortization of ground lease intangibles	752,000	1,638,000	1,914,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt	16,505,000	1,190,000	4,676,000
Income from nonconsolidated affiliates	(1,374,000)	(790,000)	0
Distributions from nonconsolidated affiliates	3,049,000	0	0
Change in notes receivable from financed sales of inventory homes, net of repayments	2,988,000	(2,299,000)	(26,193,000)
Change in inventory, other assets and other receivables, net	(44,322,000)	(39,514,000)	(33,031,000)
Change in other liabilities	48,326,000	4,098,000	(9,034,000)
Net Cash Provided By Operating Activities	476,734,000	363,114,000	257,983,000
Investing Activities
Investment in properties	(569,261,000)	(389,399,000)	(288,537,000)
Acquisitions of properties, net of cash acquired	(472,681,000)	(320,268,000)	(120,377,000)
Proceeds from dispositions of assets and depreciated homes, net	61,337,000	55,855,000	8,575,000
Issuance of notes and other receivables	(18,122,000)	(216,000)	(3,918,000)
Repayments of notes and other receivables	4,542,000	4,312,000	2,615,000
Investments in nonconsolidated affiliates	(60,742,000)	(84,997,000)	0
Distributions from nonconsolidated affiliates	44,470,000	970,000	0
Net Cash Used For Investing Activities	(1,010,457,000)	(733,743,000)	(401,642,000)
Financing Activities
Issuance of common stock, OP units, and preferred OP units, net	440,782,000	623,540,000	487,677,000
Borrowings on lines of credit	3,881,543,000	1,542,677,000	661,000,000
Payments on lines of credit	(3,883,950,000)	(1,456,486,000)	(719,536,000)
Proceeds from issuance of other debt	923,721,000	250,000,000	185,153,000
Payments on other debt	(552,868,000)	(298,754,000)	(124,427,000)
Prepayment penalty on debt	(18,838,000)	(2,024,000)	(6,019,000)
Distributions to stockholders, OP unit holders, and preferred OP unit holders	(276,697,000)	(242,813,000)	(224,483,000)
Payments for deferred financing costs	(6,756,000)	(2,130,000)	(3,650,000)
Net Cash Provided By Financing Activities	505,880,000	409,905,000	141,557,000
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	411,000	(523,000)	298,000
Net change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(27,432,000)	38,753,000	(1,804,000)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	62,262,000	23,509,000	25,313,000
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	34,830,000	62,262,000	23,509,000
Supplemental Information
Cash paid for interest (net of capitalized interest of $7,943, $4,328 and $2,755 respectively)	134,990,000	126,153,000	124,046,000
Cash paid for interest on mandatorily redeemable debt	4,698,000	2,551,000	3,114,000
Cash paid (refunds) for income taxes	948,000	461,000	(194,000)
Noncash investing and financing activities
Reduction in secured borrowing balance	107,731,000	21,451,000	23,449,000
Change in distributions declared and outstanding	8,452,000	7,889,000	3,267,000
Conversion of common and preferred OP units	11,310,000	1,515,000	3,556,000
Conversion of Series A-4 preferred stock	31,739,000	675,000	4,720,000
Capital lease	0	0	4,114,000
Noncash investing and financing activities at the date of acquisition
Acquisitions - Common stock and OP units issued	313,391,000	0	28,410,000
Acquisitions - Equity Interests - NG Sun LLC (see Note 8)	0	21,976,000	0
Acquisitions - Debt	61,900,000	3,120,000	4,592,000
Acquisitions - Escrow	392,000	0	0
Series B-3 Preferred OP Units
Financing Activities
Redemption of Series B-3 preferred OP units	(2,675,000)	(4,105,000)	(4,460,000)
Series A-4 Preferred Stock and OP Units
Financing Activities
Redemption of Series B-3 preferred OP units	0	0	(85,000,000)
Distributions to stockholders, OP unit holders, and preferred OP unit holders	0	0	(24,698,000)
Series A Preferred Stock
Financing Activities
Proceeds received from return of prepaid deferred financing costs	1,618,000	0	0
Noncash investing and financing activities at the date of acquisition
Acquisitions - Preferred Equity - Sun NG RV Resorts LLC (see Note 8)	0	35,277,000	0
Series D Preferred Stock
Noncash investing and financing activities at the date of acquisition
Acquisitions - Series D preferred interest	$ 51,930,000	$ 0	$ 0