MAA Equity (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014 Common Stock [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Accumulated Distributions in Excess of Net Income [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Noncontrolling Interest [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Stockholders' Equity, Total [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Prior Period Rollforward [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Prior Period Rollforward [Member] Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Prior Period Rollforward [Member] Accumulated Distributions in Excess of Net Income [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Prior Period Rollforward [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Prior Period Rollforward [Member] Noncontrolling Interest [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Prior Period Rollforward [Member] Stockholders' Equity, Total [Member]
Equity [Line Items]
Beginning Balance	$ 747,000	$ 3,599,549,000	$ (653,593,000)	$ 108,000	$ 166,726,000	$ 3,113,537,000	$ 422,000	$ 1,542,999,000	$ (603,315,000)	$ (26,054,000)	$ 31,058,000	$ 945,110,000
Net income attributable to MAA			113,455,000						124,553,000
Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest					6,364,000						4,536,000
Net Income Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest						119,819,000						129,089,000
Other comprehensive income - derivatives insturments (cash flow hedges)				288,000	15,000	303,000				21,455,000	739,000	22,194,000
Issuance and registration of common shares	2,000	726,000				728,000	4,000	25,034,000				25,038,000
Shares repurchased and retired	0	(456,000)				(456,000)	0	(682,000)				(682,000)
Exercise of stock options	3,000	11,913,000				11,916,000
Shares issued in exchange for units	0	992,000			(992,000)	0	1,000	549,000			(550,000)	0
Shares issued in exchange for redeemable stock		998,000				998,000
Redeemable stock fair market value			(286,000)			(286,000)			209,000			209,000
Adjustment for noncontrolling interest ownership in operating partnership		(55,000)			55,000	0		(7,418,000)			7,418,000	0
Amortization of unearned compensation		3,180,000				3,180,000		1,729,000				1,729,000
Dividends on common stock			(164,598,000)		0	(164,598,000)			(89,109,000)		0	(89,109,000)
Dividends on noncontrolling interest units					(9,209,000)	(9,209,000)					(3,557,000)	(3,557,000)
Ending Balance	$ 752,000	$ 3,616,847,000	$ (705,022,000)	$ 396,000	$ 162,959,000	$ 3,075,932,000	$ 427,000	$ 1,562,211,000	$ (567,662,000)	$ (4,599,000)	$ 39,644,000	$ 1,030,021,000