Earnings Per Common Share of MAA (Details) - Parent Company [Member] - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2015		Jun. 30, 2014		Jun. 30, 2015		Jun. 30, 2014
Earnings Per Share Disclosure [Line Items]
Weighted average common shares - basic		75,168		74,948		75,157		74,876
Weighted average partnership units outstanding	[1]	0		0		0		0
Effect of dilutive securities		0	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]	162
Weighted average common shares - diluted		75,168		74,948		75,157		75,038
Calculation of Basic Earnings per Share [Member]
Earnings Per Share Disclosure [Line Items]
Income from continuing operations		$ 143,873		$ 33,391		$ 208,550		$ 43,673
Income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests		(7,574)		(1,773)		(10,984)		(2,332)
Income from continuing operations allocated to unvested restricted shares		(337)		(64)		(446)		(81)
Income from continuing operations available for common shareholders, adjusted		135,962		31,554		197,120		41,260
Income from discontinued operations		0		(5)		0		5,427
Income from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interest		0		0		0		(289)
Income from discontinued operations allocated to unvested restricted shares		0		0		0		(10)
Income from discontinued operations available for common shareholders, adjusted		$ 0		$ (5)		$ 0		$ 5,128
Earnings per share - basic		$ 1.81		$ 0.42		$ 2.62		$ 0.62
Calculation of Diluted Earnings per Share [Member]
Earnings Per Share Disclosure [Line Items]
Income from continuing operations		$ 143,873		$ 33,391		$ 208,550		$ 43,673
Income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests	[1]	(7,574)		(1,773)		(10,987)		(2,332)
Income from continuing operations allocated to unvested restricted shares		(337)	[2]	(64)	[2]	(446)	[2]	0
Income from continuing operations available for common shareholders, adjusted		135,962		31,554		197,117		41,341
Income from discontinued operations		0		(5)		0		5,427
Income from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interest		0		0		0		(289)	[1]
Income from discontinued operations allocated to unvested restricted shares		0		0		0		0
Income from discontinued operations available for common shareholders, adjusted		$ 0		$ (5)		$ 0		$ 5,138
Earnings per share - diluted		$ 1.81		$ 0.42		$ 2.62		$ 0.62
Limited Partnership Units [Member]
Earnings Per Share Disclosure [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount						4,200
Restricted Stock [Member]
Earnings Per Share Disclosure [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount						200

[1] (1) For both the three and six months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014, 4.2 million operating partnership units and their related income are not included in the diluted earnings per share calculations as they are not dilutive.

[2] (2) For both the three and six months ended June 30, 2015 and the three months ended June 30, 2014, 0.2 million potentially dilutive securities and their related income are not included in the diluted earnings per share calculations as they are not dilutive.