Consolidated Statements of Operations (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Property operating expenses:
Income from continuing operations	$ 37,277,000	$ 61,204,000	$ 28,702,000
Parent Company [Member]
Operating revenues:
Rental revenues	580,207,000	436,658,000	373,797,000
Other property revenues	53,880,000	38,331,000	34,968,000
Total property revenues	634,087,000	474,989,000	408,765,000
Management fee income	647,000	899,000	1,017,000	[1]
Total operating revenues	634,734,000	475,888,000	409,782,000
Property operating expenses:
Personnel	68,246,000	54,355,000	48,941,000
Building repairs and maintenance	20,018,000	15,029,000	13,728,000
Real estate taxes and insurance	76,771,000	55,024,000	46,937,000
Utilities	36,606,000	25,941,000	23,852,000
Landscaping	13,245,000	10,447,000	9,642,000
Other operating	38,428,000	33,353,000	30,463,000
Depreciation and amortization	186,979,000	121,211,000	106,009,000	[1]
Total property operating expenses	440,293,000	315,360,000	279,572,000
Acquisition expense	1,393,000	1,581,000	3,319,000	[1]
Property management expenses	23,083,000	21,281,000	19,973,000	[1]
General and administrative expenses	15,569,000	13,762,000	18,123,000	[1]
Merger related expenses	32,403,000	0	0
Integration related expenses	5,102,000	0	0
Income from continuing operations before non-operating items	116,891,000	123,904,000	88,795,000
Interest and other non-property income	488,000	430,000	802,000	[1]
Interest expense	(75,915,000)	(57,937,000)	(56,383,000)	[1]
Loss on debt extinguishment/modification	(426,000)	(654,000)	(755,000)	[1]
Amortization of deferred financing costs	(3,063,000)	(3,552,000)	(2,902,000)	[1]
Net casualty loss after insurance and other settlement proceeds	(143,000)	(6,000)	(619,000)	[1]
Gain on sale of non-depreciable assets	0	45,000	1,084,000	[1]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	37,832,000	62,230,000	30,022,000
Income Tax Expense	(893,000)	(803,000)	(727,000)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments	36,939,000	61,427,000	29,295,000
Gain (loss) from real estate joint ventures	338,000	(223,000)	(593,000)	[1]
Income from continuing operations	37,277,000	61,204,000	28,702,000
Discontinued operations:
Income from discontinued operations before gain on sale	5,065,000	6,938,000	9,742,000
Net casualty loss on insurance and other settlement proceeds on discontinued operations	93,000	48,000	(12,000)
Gain on sale of discontinued operations	76,844,000	41,635,000	12,799,000
Consolidated net income	119,279,000	109,825,000	51,231,000
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	3,998,000	4,602,000	2,410,000	[1]
Net income attributable to MAA	115,281,000	105,223,000	48,821,000	[1]
Net income available for MAA common shareholders	115,281,000	105,223,000	48,821,000
Earnings per common share - basic:
Income from continuing operations available for common shareholders (dollars per share)	$ 0.71	$ 1.43	$ 0.74
Discontinued property operations (dollars per share)	$ 1.56	$ 1.13	$ 0.58
Net income available for common shareholders (dollars per share)	$ 2.27	$ 2.56	$ 1.32
Earnings per share - diluted:
Income from continuing operations available for common shareholders (dollars per share)	$ 0.70	$ 1.43	$ 0.73
Discontinued property operations (dollars per share)	$ 1.55	$ 1.13	$ 0.58
Net income available to common shareholders (dollars per share)	$ 2.25	$ 2.56	$ 1.31
Dividends declared per common share (dollars per share)	$ 2.8150	$ 2.6750	$ 2.5425
Distribution Made to Member or Limited Partner, Distributions Declared, Per Unit	$ 2.8150	$ 2.6750	$ 2.5425
Limited Partner [Member]
Operating revenues:
Rental revenues	580,207,000	436,658,000	373,797,000
Other property revenues	53,880,000	38,331,000	34,968,000
Total property revenues	634,087,000	474,989,000	408,765,000
Management fee income	647,000	899,000	1,017,000
Total operating revenues	634,734,000	475,888,000	409,782,000
Property operating expenses:
Personnel	68,246,000	54,355,000	48,941,000
Building repairs and maintenance	20,018,000	15,029,000	13,728,000
Real estate taxes and insurance	76,771,000	55,024,000	46,937,000
Utilities	36,606,000	25,941,000	23,852,000
Landscaping	13,245,000	10,447,000	9,642,000
Other operating	38,428,000	33,353,000	30,463,000
Depreciation and amortization	186,979,000	121,211,000	106,009,000
Total property operating expenses	440,293,000	315,360,000	279,572,000
Acquisition expense	1,393,000	1,581,000	3,319,000
Property management expenses	23,083,000	21,281,000	19,973,000
General and administrative expenses	15,569,000	13,762,000	18,123,000
Merger related expenses	32,403,000	0	0
Integration related expenses	5,102,000	0	0
Income from continuing operations before non-operating items	116,891,000	123,904,000	88,795,000
Interest and other non-property income	488,000	430,000	802,000
Interest expense	(75,915,000)	(57,937,000)	(56,383,000)
Loss on debt extinguishment/modification	(426,000)	(654,000)	(755,000)
Amortization of deferred financing costs	(3,063,000)	(3,552,000)	(2,902,000)
Net casualty loss after insurance and other settlement proceeds	(143,000)	(6,000)	(619,000)
Gain on sale of non-depreciable assets	0	45,000	1,084,000
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	37,832,000	62,230,000	30,022,000
Income Tax Expense	(893,000)	(803,000)	(727,000)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments	36,939,000	61,427,000	29,295,000
Gain (loss) from real estate joint ventures	338,000	(223,000)	(593,000)
Income from continuing operations	37,277,000	61,204,000	28,702,000
Discontinued operations:
Income from discontinued operations before gain on sale	4,654,000	6,153,000	9,099,000
Net casualty loss on insurance and other settlement proceeds on discontinued operations	93,000	48,000	(12,000)
Gain on sale of discontinued operations	65,520,000	41,635,000	12,799,000
Consolidated net income	107,544,000	109,040,000	50,588,000
Net income available for MAA common shareholders	107,544,000	109,040,000	50,588,000
Earnings per common share - basic:
Income from continuing operations available for common shareholders (dollars per share)	$ 0.70	$ 1.43	$ 0.73
Discontinued property operations (dollars per share)	$ 1.32	$ 1.11	$ 0.56
Net income available for common shareholders (dollars per share)	$ 2.02	$ 2.54	$ 1.29
Earnings per share - diluted:
Income from continuing operations available for common shareholders (dollars per share)	$ 0.70	$ 1.43	$ 0.73
Discontinued property operations (dollars per share)	$ 1.32	$ 1.11	$ 0.56
Net income available to common shareholders (dollars per share)	$ 2.02	$ 2.54	$ 1.29
Distribution Made to Member or Limited Partner, Distributions Declared, Per Unit	$ 2.8150	$ 2.6750	$ 2.5425
Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations, Name | Parent Company [Member]
Operating revenues:
Rental revenues	13,255,000	27,598,000	39,923,000
Other property revenues	1,189,000	2,706,000	4,184,000
Total operating revenues	14,444,000	30,304,000	44,107,000
Property operating expenses:
Total property operating expenses	6,205,000	14,066,000	21,274,000
Interest expense	(458,000)	(1,867,000)	(2,673,000)
Discontinued operations:
Income from discontinued operations before gain on sale	5,065,000	6,938,000	9,742,000
Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations, Name | Limited Partner [Member]
Operating revenues:
Rental revenues	12,202,000	25,374,000	37,760,000
Other property revenues	1,099,000	2,514,000	3,990,000
Total operating revenues	13,301,000	27,888,000	41,750,000
Property operating expenses:
Total property operating expenses	5,709,000	12,997,000	20,219,000
Interest expense	(458,000)	(1,858,000)	(2,578,000)
Discontinued operations:
Income from discontinued operations before gain on sale	$ 4,654,000	$ 6,153,000	$ 9,099,000

[1] The 2011 column shows the segment break down based on the 2012 same store portfolios. A comparison using the 2013 same store portfolio would not be comparative due to the nature of the classifications.