Business Combinations (Textual) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013 Parent Company [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Parent Company [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Parent Company [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Parent Company [Member] Colonial properties Communities	Dec. 31, 2013 Parent Company [Member] Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions Communities	Dec. 31, 2013 Parent Company [Member] Commercial sqft	Dec. 31, 2013 Noncontrolling Interest	Dec. 31, 2013 Building and Building Improvements Parent Company [Member] Colonial	Dec. 31, 2013 Building and Building Improvements Parent Company [Member] Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions	Dec. 31, 2013 Furniture Fixtures And Equipment Parent Company [Member] Colonial	Dec. 31, 2013 Furniture Fixtures And Equipment Parent Company [Member] Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions	Dec. 31, 2013 Other Assets Parent Company [Member] Colonial	Dec. 31, 2013 Other Assets Parent Company [Member] Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions	Dec. 31, 2013 Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Major Class Name Parent Company [Member] Colonial	Dec. 31, 2013 Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Major Class Name Parent Company [Member] Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions	Dec. 31, 2013 Other Liabilities Parent Company [Member] Colonial	Dec. 31, 2013 Other Liabilities Parent Company [Member] Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions	Dec. 31, 2013 Land Parent Company [Member] Colonial	Dec. 31, 2013 Land Parent Company [Member] Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number Of Units Acquired In Real Estate Property					34,370	1,138
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Assets Acquired (Liabilities Assumed), Net						$ 153,300,000
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Liabilities Assumed					1,894,045,000												119,534,000	900,000
Square footage of real estate property (square foot)							806,000
Number of Commercial Properties Acquired in Real Estate Property					4
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Assets Acquired					4,056,921,000				3,069,642,000	125,700,000	96,377,000	300,000	87,713,000	100,000	57,946,000	1,200,000			469,396,000	26,900,000
Acquired properties, purchase price		(2,162,876,000)	0	0	(2,200,000,000)
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Acquisitions	31,916,765				31,900,000			2,574,631
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information, Revenue of Acquiree since Acquisition Date, Actual					104,000,000	8,700,000
Share Price					$ 62.56
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information, Earnings or Loss of Acquiree since Acquisition Date, Actual					$ 17,600,000	$ 4,200,000
Number of Apartment Communities Acquired in Real Estate Property					115