Segment Reporting (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Transient RV Revenue	$ 132,300										$ 132,300
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Revenues	301,819	$ 362,443	$ 312,445	$ 287,330	$ 274,003	$ 323,413	$ 271,434	$ 257,975			1,264,037	$ 1,126,825	$ 982,570
Adjustments to arrive at net income (loss):
Selling Expense											(14,690)	(15,722)	(12,457)
General and Administrative Expense											(93,964)	(81,429)	(83,973)
Loss from Catastrophes											(1,737)	(92)	(8,352)
Loss on extinguishment of debt											(16,505)	(1,190)	(4,676)
Interest on mandatorily redeemable debt											(4,698)	(3,694)	(3,114)
Gain / (loss) on remeasurement of marketable securities											34,240	(3,639)	0
Current tax expense											(1,095)	(595)	(446)
Deferred tax (benefit) expense											222	507	582
Other (expense) / income, net											3,457	(6,453)	8,982
Income from nonconsolidated affiliates											(3,049)	0	0
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)											873	88
Net income									$ 177,379	$ 120,158	177,379	120,158	81,819
Less: Preferred return to Series A-1 preferred OP units									(6,058)	(4,486)	(6,058)	(4,486)	(4,581)
Less: Amounts attributable to noncontrolling interests									(9,768)	(8,443)			(5,055)
Less: Preferred stock distributions									(1,288)	(1,736)	(1,288)	(1,736)	(7,162)
Net income attributable to Sun Communities, Inc.	28,547	57,002	$ 40,385	$ 34,331	9,039	$ 46,060	$ 20,408	$ 29,986	161,553	107,229	161,553	107,229	72,183
Net income attributable to Sun Communities, Inc. common stockholders									160,265	105,493	160,265	105,493	65,021
Identifiable assets:
Investment property, net	7,232,620	7,232,620			6,118,316				7,232,620		7,232,620	6,118,316
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	34,830	34,830			62,262				34,830		34,830	62,262	23,509	$ 25,313
Inventory of manufactured homes	62,061	62,061			49,199				62,061		62,061	49,199
Notes and other receivables, net	157,926	157,926			160,077				157,926		157,926	160,077
Collateralized receivables, net	0	0			106,924				0		0	106,924
Other assets	219,896	219,896			164,211				219,896		219,896	164,211
TOTAL ASSETS	7,802,060	7,802,060			6,710,026				7,802,060		7,802,060	6,710,026
Marketable securities	$ 94,727	$ 94,727			49,037				94,727		94,727	49,037
Real Property Operations Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Transient RV Rental Revenue Recognized, Percentage	16.10%	41.00%	23.10%	19.80%
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Revenues											1,024,529	907,137	804,614
Adjustments to arrive at net income (loss):
Net income									197,096	142,116			105,491
Less: Preferred return to Series A-1 preferred OP units									(6,058)	(4,486)			(4,581)
Less: Amounts attributable to noncontrolling interests									(10,659)	(9,512)			(6,319)
Less: Preferred stock distributions									(1,288)	(1,736)			(7,162)
Net income attributable to Sun Communities, Inc.									180,379	128,118			94,591
Net income attributable to Sun Communities, Inc. common stockholders									179,091	126,382			87,429
Identifiable assets:
Investment property, net		$ 6,651,275			5,586,444				6,651,275			5,586,444
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		(8,346)			36,294				(8,346)			36,294
Inventory of manufactured homes		0			0				0			0
Notes and other receivables, net		142,509			145,673				142,509			145,673
Collateralized receivables, net		0			106,924				0			106,924
Other assets		167,804			128,076				167,804			128,076
TOTAL ASSETS		7,047,969			6,052,448				7,047,969			6,052,448
Marketable securities		94,727			49,037				94,727			49,037
Home Sales and Home Rentals Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Revenues											239,508	219,688	177,956
Adjustments to arrive at net income (loss):
Net income									(19,717)	(21,958)			(23,672)
Less: Preferred return to Series A-1 preferred OP units									0	0			0
Less: Amounts attributable to noncontrolling interests									891	1,069			1,264
Less: Preferred stock distributions									0	0			0
Net income attributable to Sun Communities, Inc.									(18,826)	(20,889)			(22,408)
Net income attributable to Sun Communities, Inc. common stockholders									(18,826)	(20,889)			(22,408)
Identifiable assets:
Investment property, net		581,345			531,872				581,345			531,872
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		43,176			25,968				43,176			25,968
Inventory of manufactured homes		62,061			49,199				62,061			49,199
Notes and other receivables, net		15,417			14,404				15,417			14,404
Collateralized receivables, net		0			0				0			0
Other assets		52,092			36,135				52,092			36,135
TOTAL ASSETS		754,091			657,578				754,091			657,578
Marketable securities		$ 0			$ 0				0			0
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Revenues									1,232,053	1,099,768			957,696
Operating expenses/Cost of sales									532,042	477,332			407,290
Net operating income/Gross profit									700,011	622,436			550,406
Operating Segments [Member] | Real Property Operations Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Revenues									992,545	880,080			779,739
Operating expenses/Cost of sales									375,690	330,695			290,016
Net operating income/Gross profit									616,855	549,385			489,723
Operating Segments [Member] | Home Sales and Home Rentals Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Revenues									239,508	219,688			177,957
Operating expenses/Cost of sales									156,352	146,637			117,274
Net operating income/Gross profit									83,156	73,051			60,683
Segment Reconciling Items [Member]
Adjustments to arrive at net income (loss):
Other revenues									31,984	27,057			24,874
Selling Expense									(14,690)	(15,722)			(12,457)
General and Administrative Expense									(93,964)	(81,429)			(83,973)
Loss from Catastrophes									(1,737)	(92)			(8,352)
Depreciation and amortization									(328,067)	(287,262)			(261,536)
Loss on extinguishment of debt									(16,505)	(1,190)			(4,676)
Interest on mandatorily redeemable debt									(4,698)	(3,694)			(3,114)
Interest expense									(133,153)	(130,556)			(128,471)
Gain / (loss) on remeasurement of marketable securities									34,240	(3,639)			0
Current tax expense											(1,095)	(595)	(446)
Deferred tax (benefit) expense											222	507	582
Other (expense) / income, net									3,457	(6,453)			8,982
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties											1,374	790
Income from nonconsolidated affiliates													0
Segment Reconciling Items [Member] | Real Property Operations Segment [Member]
Adjustments to arrive at net income (loss):
Other revenues									31,984	27,057			24,875
Selling Expense									0	0			0
General and Administrative Expense									(82,320)	(70,512)			(74,548)
Loss from Catastrophes									(1,729)	140			(7,856)
Depreciation and amortization									(250,686)	(218,617)			(199,960)
Loss on extinguishment of debt									(16,505)	(1,190)			(4,676)
Interest on mandatorily redeemable debt									(4,698)	(3,694)			(3,114)
Interest expense									(133,125)	(130,535)			(128,456)
Gain / (loss) on remeasurement of marketable securities									34,240	(3,639)			0
Current tax expense											(746)	(372)	(62)
Deferred tax (benefit) expense											222	507	582
Other (expense) / income, net									3,604	(6,414)			8,983
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties											0	0
Income from nonconsolidated affiliates													0
Segment Reconciling Items [Member] | Home Sales and Home Rentals Segment [Member]
Adjustments to arrive at net income (loss):
Other revenues									0	0			(1)
Selling Expense									(14,690)	(15,722)			(12,457)
General and Administrative Expense									(11,644)	(10,917)			(9,425)
Loss from Catastrophes									(8)	(232)			(496)
Depreciation and amortization									(77,381)	(68,645)			(61,576)
Loss on extinguishment of debt									0	0			0
Interest on mandatorily redeemable debt									0	0			0
Interest expense									(28)	(21)			(15)
Gain / (loss) on remeasurement of marketable securities									0	0			0
Current tax expense											(349)	(223)	(384)
Deferred tax (benefit) expense											0	0	0
Other (expense) / income, net									$ (147)	$ (39)			(1)
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties											$ 1,374	$ 790
Income from nonconsolidated affiliates													$ 0