Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Parent Company [Member]
Operating revenues:
Rental revenues	$ 239,670	$ 226,584	$ 710,775	$ 671,695
Other property revenues	22,328	22,979	68,666	67,264
Total property revenues	261,998	249,563	779,441	738,959
Management fee income	0	11	0	154
Total operating revenues	261,998	249,574	779,441	739,113
Property operating expenses:
Personnel	26,500	26,363	78,033	76,481
Building repairs and maintenance	8,793	9,056	23,195	23,354
Real estate taxes and insurance	31,699	31,025	97,824	93,128
Utilities	23,769	23,535	67,442	66,985
Landscaping	3,900	4,068	15,032	15,557
Other operating	6,938	6,835	21,577	20,903
Depreciation and amortization	73,098	70,222	220,606	229,866
Total property operating expenses	174,697	171,104	523,709	526,274
Acquisition expense	656	13	2,155	971
Property management expenses	7,628	7,429	23,106	24,019
General and administrative expenses	5,879	6,511	19,103	16,065
Merger related expenses	0	331	0	3,202
Integration related expenses	0	147	0	7,140
Income from continuing operations before non-operating items	73,138	64,039	211,368	161,442
Interest and other non-property (expense) income	(179)	37	(359)	1,077
Interest expense	(29,342)	(28,251)	(88,801)	(89,090)
Loss on debt extinguishment	(5)	(2,586)	(3,384)	(2,586)
Amortization of deferred financing costs	(887)	(1,000)	(2,710)	(3,485)
Net casualty loss after insurance and other settlement proceeds	(5)	(126)	485	(431)
Gain on sale of depreciable real estate assets excluded from discontinued operations	54,621	36,032	190,031	42,254
Gain on sale of non-depreciable real estate assets	0	0	172	535
Income before income tax expense	97,341	68,145	306,802	109,716
Income tax expense	(512)	(442)	(1,419)	(1,235)
Income from continuing operations before joint venture activity	96,829	67,703	305,383	108,481
Gain (loss) from real estate joint ventures	(1)	3,124	(5)	6,019
Income from continuing operations	96,828	70,827	305,378	114,500
Discontinued operations:
Income from discontinued operations before gain on sale	0	(8)	0	(59)
Loss from Insurance Settlement and Other, Discontinued Operations	0	3	0	0
Gain on sale of discontinued operations	0	(103)	0	5,378
Consolidated net income	96,828	70,719	305,378	119,819
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	5,094	3,743	16,078	6,364
Net income available for MAA common shareholders	$ 91,734	$ 66,976	$ 289,300	$ 113,455
Earnings per common share - basic:
Income from continuing operations available for common shareholders	$ 1.22	$ 0.89	$ 3.84	$ 1.44
Discontinued property operations	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.07
Net income available for common shareholders	1.22	0.89	3.84	1.51
Earnings per common share - diluted:
Income from continuing operations available for common shareholders	1.22	0.89	3.84	1.44
Discontinued property operations	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.07
Net income available for common shareholders	1.22	0.89	3.84	1.51
Dividends declared per common share	$ 0.77	$ 0.73	2.31	2.19
Distribution Made to Limited Partner, Distributions Declared, Per Unit			$ 2.31	$ 2.19
Limited Partner [Member]
Operating revenues:
Rental revenues	$ 239,670	$ 226,584	$ 710,775	$ 671,695
Other property revenues	22,328	22,979	68,666	67,264
Total property revenues	261,998	249,563	779,441	738,959
Management fee income	0	11	0	154
Total operating revenues	261,998	249,574	779,441	739,113
Property operating expenses:
Personnel	26,500	26,363	78,033	76,481
Building repairs and maintenance	8,793	9,056	23,195	23,354
Real estate taxes and insurance	31,699	31,025	97,824	93,128
Utilities	23,769	23,535	67,442	66,985
Landscaping	3,900	4,068	15,032	15,557
Other operating	6,938	6,835	21,577	20,903
Depreciation and amortization	73,098	70,222	220,606	229,866
Total property operating expenses	174,697	171,104	523,709	526,274
Acquisition expense	656	13	2,155	971
Property management expenses	7,628	7,429	23,106	24,019
General and administrative expenses	5,879	6,511	19,103	16,065
Merger related expenses	0	331	0	3,202
Integration related expenses	0	147	0	7,140
Income from continuing operations before non-operating items	73,138	64,039	211,368	161,442
Interest and other non-property (expense) income	(179)	37	(359)	1,077
Interest expense	(29,342)	(28,251)	(88,801)	(89,090)
Loss on debt extinguishment	(5)	(2,586)	(3,384)	(2,586)
Amortization of deferred financing costs	(887)	(1,000)	(2,710)	(3,485)
Net casualty loss after insurance and other settlement proceeds	(5)	(126)	485	(431)
Gain on sale of depreciable real estate assets excluded from discontinued operations	54,621	36,032	190,031	42,254
Gain on sale of non-depreciable real estate assets	0	0	172	535
Income before income tax expense	97,341	68,145	306,802	109,716
Income tax expense	(512)	(442)	(1,419)	(1,235)
Income from continuing operations before joint venture activity	96,829	67,703	305,383	108,481
Gain (loss) from real estate joint ventures	(1)	3,124	(5)	6,019
Income from continuing operations	96,828	70,827	305,378	114,500
Discontinued operations:
Income from discontinued operations before gain on sale	0	(8)	0	(59)
Loss from Insurance Settlement and Other, Discontinued Operations	0	3	0	0
Gain on sale of discontinued operations	0	(103)	0	5,378
Consolidated net income	96,828	70,719	305,378	119,819
Net income available for Mid-America Apartments, L.P. common unitholders	$ 96,828	$ 70,719	$ 305,378	$ 119,819
Earnings per common share - basic:
Income from continuing operations available for common shareholders	$ 1.22	$ 0.89	$ 3.84	$ 1.44
Discontinued property operations	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.07
Net income available for common shareholders	1.22	0.89	3.84	1.51
Earnings per common share - diluted:
Income from continuing operations available for common shareholders	1.22	0.89	3.84	1.44
Discontinued property operations	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.07
Net income available for common shareholders	1.22	0.89	3.84	1.51
Distribution Made to Limited Partner, Distributions Declared, Per Unit	$ 0.77	$ 0.73	$ 2.31	$ 2.19