Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Parent Company [Member]
Operating revenues:
Rental revenues	$ 236,165	$ 223,361	$ 471,106	$ 445,111
Other property revenues	22,726	21,883	46,337	44,285
Total property revenues	258,891	245,244	517,443	489,396
Management fee income	0	61	0	143
Total operating revenues	258,891	245,305	517,443	489,539
Property operating expenses:
Personnel	25,872	25,195	51,533	50,118
Building repairs and maintenance	7,778	7,533	14,403	14,298
Real estate taxes and insurance	32,805	30,829	66,126	62,103
Utilities	21,596	21,559	43,673	43,141
Landscaping	5,687	6,040	11,132	11,489
Other operating	7,118	6,742	14,638	14,377
Depreciation and amortization	74,396	69,631	147,508	159,644
Total property operating expenses	175,252	167,529	349,013	355,170
Acquisition expense	1,159	947	1,499	958
Property management expenses	6,986	9,579	15,478	16,590
General and administrative expenses	6,657	5,212	13,224	9,554
Merger related expenses	0	795	0	2,871
Integration related expenses	0	3,151	0	6,993
Income from continuing operations before non-operating items	68,837	58,092	138,229	97,403
Interest and other non-property (expense) income	29	899	(180)	1,040
Interest expense	(29,528)	(30,163)	(59,459)	(60,839)
Loss on debt extinguishment	(3)	0	(3,379)	0
Amortization of deferred financing costs	(905)	(1,174)	(1,822)	(2,485)
Net casualty loss after insurance and other settlement proceeds	510	(295)	490	(305)
Gain on sale of depreciable real estate assets excluded from discontinued operations	105,182	3,658	135,410	6,222
Gain on sale of non-depreciable real estate assets	172	(22)	172	535
Income before income tax expense	144,294	30,995	209,461	41,571
Income tax expense	(398)	(523)	(907)	(793)
Income from continuing operations before joint venture activity	143,896	30,472	208,554	40,778
Gain (loss) from real estate joint ventures	(23)	2,919	(4)	2,895
Income from continuing operations	143,873	33,391	208,550	43,673
Discontinued operations:
Income from discontinued operations before gain on sale	0	(4)	0	(51)
Loss from Insurance Settlement and Other, Discontinued Operations	0	(1)	0	(3)
Gain on sale of discontinued operations	0	0	0	5,481
Consolidated net income	143,873	33,386	208,550	49,100
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	7,574	1,773	10,984	2,621
Net income available for MAA common shareholders	$ 136,299	$ 31,613	$ 197,566	$ 46,479
Earnings per common share - basic:
Income from continuing operations available for common shareholders	$ 1.81	$ 0.42	$ 2.62	$ 0.55
Discontinued property operations	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.07
Net income available for common shareholders	1.81	0.42	2.62	0.62
Earnings per common share - diluted:
Income from continuing operations available for common shareholders	1.81	0.42	2.62	0.55
Discontinued property operations	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.07
Net income available for common shareholders	1.81	0.42	2.62	0.62
Dividends declared per common share	$ 0.77	$ 0.73	1.54	1.46
Distribution Made to Limited Partner, Distributions Declared, Per Unit			$ 1.54	$ 1.46
Limited Partner [Member]
Operating revenues:
Rental revenues	$ 236,165	$ 223,361	$ 471,106	$ 445,111
Other property revenues	22,726	21,883	46,337	44,285
Total property revenues	258,891	245,244	517,443	489,396
Management fee income	0	61	0	143
Total operating revenues	258,891	245,305	517,443	489,539
Property operating expenses:
Personnel	25,872	25,195	51,533	50,118
Building repairs and maintenance	7,778	7,533	14,403	14,298
Real estate taxes and insurance	32,805	30,829	66,126	62,103
Utilities	21,596	21,559	43,673	43,141
Landscaping	5,687	6,040	11,132	11,489
Other operating	7,118	6,742	14,638	14,377
Depreciation and amortization	74,396	69,631	147,508	159,644
Total property operating expenses	175,252	167,529	349,013	355,170
Acquisition expense	1,159	947	1,499	958
Property management expenses	6,986	9,579	15,478	16,590
General and administrative expenses	6,657	5,212	13,224	9,554
Merger related expenses	0	795	0	2,871
Integration related expenses	0	3,151	0	6,993
Income from continuing operations before non-operating items	68,837	58,092	138,229	97,403
Interest and other non-property (expense) income	29	899	(180)	1,040
Interest expense	(29,528)	(30,163)	(59,459)	(60,839)
Loss on debt extinguishment	(3)	0	(3,379)	0
Amortization of deferred financing costs	(905)	(1,174)	(1,822)	(2,485)
Net casualty loss after insurance and other settlement proceeds	510	(295)	490	(305)
Gain on sale of depreciable real estate assets excluded from discontinued operations	105,182	3,658	135,410	6,222
Gain on sale of non-depreciable real estate assets	172	(22)	172	535
Income before income tax expense	144,294	30,995	209,461	41,571
Income tax expense	(398)	(523)	(907)	(793)
Income from continuing operations before joint venture activity	143,896	30,472	208,554	40,778
Gain (loss) from real estate joint ventures	(23)	2,919	(4)	2,895
Income from continuing operations	143,873	33,391	208,550	43,673
Discontinued operations:
Income from discontinued operations before gain on sale	0	(4)	0	(51)
Loss from Insurance Settlement and Other, Discontinued Operations	0	(1)	0	(3)
Gain on sale of discontinued operations	0	0	0	5,481
Consolidated net income	143,873	33,386	208,550	49,100
Net income available for Mid-America Apartments, L.P. common unitholders	$ 143,873	$ 33,386	$ 208,550	$ 49,100
Earnings per common share - basic:
Income from continuing operations available for common shareholders	$ 1.81	$ 0.42	$ 2.62	$ 0.55
Discontinued property operations	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.07
Net income available for common shareholders	1.81	0.42	2.62	0.62
Earnings per common share - diluted:
Income from continuing operations available for common shareholders	1.81	0.42	2.62	0.55
Discontinued property operations	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.07
Net income available for common shareholders	1.81	0.42	2.62	0.62
Distribution Made to Limited Partner, Distributions Declared, Per Unit	$ 0.77	$ 0.73	$ 1.54	$ 1.46