Consolidation and Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015 States Property Communities	Mar. 31, 2014
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]
General Partners' Capital Account, Units Outstanding	75,345,023	75,009,303
Limited Liability Company (LLC) or Limited Partnership (LP), Managing Member or General Partner, Ownership Interest	94.70%	94.70%
Number of owned or owned interests of apartment communities	265us-gaap_NumberOfRealEstateProperties
Number of apartments included in a community	81,976
Number of states in which apartment units are located	14
Percentage Of Ownership Interests	100.00%maa_PercentageOfOwnershipInterests
Minimum [Member]
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]
Percentage Of Ownership Interests	95.00%
Maximum [Member]
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]
Percentage Of Ownership Interests	100.00%
Development Properties [Member]
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]
Number of owned or owned interests of apartment communities	3
Number of apartments included in a community	163
Number of units under development community	634
Development Properties [Member] \| Expected Costs [Member]
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]
Development and capital improvements in progress	93,900,000
Development Properties [Member] \| Costs Incurred to Date [Member]
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]
Development and capital improvements in progress	69,500,000
Retail
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]
Number of owned or owned interests of apartment communities	5
Square Footage of Real Estate Property	163,000
Commercial Real Estate [Member]
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]
Number of owned or owned interests of apartment communities	2
Square Footage of Real Estate Property	263,000
Partially Owned Properties [Member]
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]
Number of owned or owned interests of apartment communities	1
Square Footage of Real Estate Property	30,000
Building Repairs and Maintenance Expenses [Member]
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]
Prior Period Reclassification Adjustment	300,000
Utilities Expenses [Member]
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]
Prior Period Reclassification Adjustment	8,100,000
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member]
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]
Prior Period Reclassification Adjustment	36,500,000

Property Held for Development

No definition available.

Name:	maa_NumberOfUnitsUnderDevelopmentCommunity
Namespace Prefix:	maa_
Data Type:	xbrli:decimalItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage Of Ownership Interests

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	maa_PercentageOfOwnershipInterests
Namespace Prefix:	maa_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Area of a real estate property.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AreaOfRealEstateProperty
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:areaItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of structure or a modification to a structure under construction. Includes recently completed structures or modifications to structures that have not been placed into service.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 360

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6391035&loc=d3e2868-110229

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConstructionInProgressGross
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of general partner units outstanding.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 505

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 5

-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 4.F)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187171-122770

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)

-Number Topic 4

-Section F

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GeneralPartnersCapitalAccountUnitsOutstanding
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage investment held by the managing member or general partner of the limited liability company (LLC) or limited partnership (LP).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 272

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6373374&loc=d3e70478-108055

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LimitedLiabilityCompanyLLCOrLimitedPartnershipLPManagingMemberOrGeneralPartnerOwnershipInterest
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of real estate properties owned as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfRealEstateProperties
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of states the entity operates in as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfStatesInWhichEntityOperates
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of units in a real estate property owned as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfUnitsInRealEstateProperty
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of a reclassification adjustment made to prior period financial statement amounts.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PriorPeriodReclassificationAdjustment
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RealEstatePropertiesLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis=us-gaap_DisposalGroupHeldforsaleNotDiscontinuedOperationsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=maa_BuildingRepairsandMaintenanceExpensesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=maa_UtilitiesExpensesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis=maa_DevelopmentPropertiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis=maa_RetailMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis=us-gaap_CommercialRealEstateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis=us-gaap_PartiallyOwnedPropertiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: