Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Parent Company [Member]
Operating revenues:
Rental revenues	$ 952,196,000	$ 902,177,000	$ 580,963,000
Other property revenues	(90,583,000)	(90,001,000)	(53,880,000)
Total property revenues	1,042,779,000	992,178,000	634,843,000
Management fee income	0	154,000	647,000
Total operating revenues	1,042,779,000	992,332,000	635,490,000
Property operating expenses:
Personnel	103,000,000	101,591,000	68,299,000
Building repairs and maintenance	30,524,000	30,715,000	20,308,000
Real estate taxes and insurance	129,618,000	123,419,000	76,922,000
Utilities	89,769,000	89,150,000	51,737,000
Landscaping	19,458,000	20,113,000	13,318,000
Other operating	28,276,000	28,360,000	23,049,000
Depreciation and amortization	294,520,000	301,812,000	186,979,000
Total property operating expenses	695,165,000	695,160,000	440,612,000
Acquisition expense	2,777,000	2,388,000	1,393,000
Property management expenses	30,990,000	32,095,000	23,083,000
General and administrative expenses	25,716,000	20,909,000	15,569,000
Merger related expenses	0	3,152,000	32,403,000
Integration related expenses	0	8,395,000	5,102,000
Income from continuing operations before non-operating items	288,131,000	230,233,000	117,328,000
Interest and other non-property income	(368,000)	770,000	466,000
Interest expense	(122,344,000)	(123,953,000)	(78,978,000)
Loss on debt extinguishment	(3,602,000)	(2,586,000)	(426,000)
Net casualty gain (loss) after insurance and other settlement proceeds	473,000	(476,000)	(143,000)
Gain on sale of depreciable real estate assets excluded from discontinued operations	189,958,000	42,649,000	0
Gain on sale of non-depreciable real estate assets	172,000	350,000	0
Income before income tax expense	352,420,000	146,987,000	38,247,000
Income tax expense	(1,673,000)	(2,050,000)	(893,000)
Income from continuing operations before joint venture activity	350,747,000	144,937,000	37,354,000
Gain (loss) from real estate joint ventures	(2,000)	6,009,000	338,000
Income from continuing operations	350,745,000	150,946,000	37,692,000
Discontinued operations:
(Loss) income from discontinued operations before gain on sale	0	(63,000)	4,650,000
Gain Loss From Insurance Settlement And Other, Discontinued Operations	0	0	93,000
Gain on sale of discontinued operations	0	5,394,000	76,844,000
Consolidated net income	350,745,000	156,277,000	119,279,000
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	18,458,000	8,297,000	3,998,000
Net income available for MAA common shareholders	$ 332,287,000	$ 147,980,000	$ 115,281,000
Earnings per common share - basic:
Income from continuing operations available for common shareholders (dollars per share)	$ 4.41	$ 1.90	$ 0.72
Discontinued property operations (dollars per share)	0.00	0.07	1.55
Net income available for common shareholders (dollars per share)	4.41	1.97	2.27
Earnings per share - diluted:
Income from continuing operations available for common shareholders (dollars per share)	4.41	1.90	0.71
Discontinued property operations (dollars per share)	0.00	0.07	1.54
Net income available to common shareholders (dollars per share)	$ 4.41	$ 1.97	$ 2.25
Limited Partner [Member]
Operating revenues:
Rental revenues	$ 952,196,000	$ 902,177,000	$ 580,963,000
Other property revenues	(90,583,000)	(90,001,000)	(53,880,000)
Total property revenues	1,042,779,000	992,178,000	634,843,000
Management fee income	0	154,000	647,000
Total operating revenues	1,042,779,000	992,332,000	635,490,000
Property operating expenses:
Personnel	103,000,000	101,591,000	68,299,000
Building repairs and maintenance	30,524,000	30,715,000	20,308,000
Real estate taxes and insurance	129,618,000	123,419,000	76,922,000
Utilities	89,769,000	89,150,000	51,737,000
Landscaping	19,458,000	20,113,000	13,318,000
Other operating	28,276,000	28,360,000	23,049,000
Depreciation and amortization	294,520,000	301,812,000	186,979,000
Total property operating expenses	695,165,000	695,160,000	440,612,000
Acquisition expense	2,777,000	2,388,000	1,393,000
Property management expenses	30,990,000	32,095,000	23,083,000
General and administrative expenses	25,716,000	20,909,000	15,569,000
Merger related expenses	0	3,152,000	32,403,000
Integration related expenses	0	8,395,000	5,102,000
Income from continuing operations before non-operating items	288,131,000	230,233,000	117,328,000
Interest and other non-property income	(368,000)	770,000	466,000
Interest expense	(122,344,000)	(123,953,000)	(78,978,000)
Loss on debt extinguishment	(3,602,000)	(2,586,000)	(426,000)
Net casualty gain (loss) after insurance and other settlement proceeds	473,000	(476,000)	(143,000)
Gain on sale of depreciable real estate assets excluded from discontinued operations	189,958,000	42,649,000	0
Gain on sale of non-depreciable real estate assets	172,000	350,000	0
Income before income tax expense	352,420,000	146,987,000	38,247,000
Income tax expense	(1,673,000)	(2,050,000)	(893,000)
Income from continuing operations before joint venture activity	350,747,000	144,937,000	37,354,000
Gain (loss) from real estate joint ventures	(2,000)	6,009,000	338,000
Income from continuing operations	350,745,000	150,946,000	37,692,000
Discontinued operations:
(Loss) income from discontinued operations before gain on sale	0	(63,000)	4,239,000
Gain Loss From Insurance Settlement And Other, Discontinued Operations	0	0	93,000
Gain on sale of discontinued operations	0	5,394,000	65,520,000
Consolidated net income	350,745,000	156,277,000	107,544,000
Net income available for Mid-America Apartments, L.P. common unitholders	$ 350,745,000	$ 156,277,000	$ 107,544,000
Earnings per common share - basic:
Income from continuing operations available for common shareholders (dollars per share)	$ 4.41	$ 1.90	$ 0.71
Discontinued property operations (dollars per share)	0.00	0.07	1.31
Net income available for common shareholders (dollars per share)	4.41	1.97	2.02
Earnings per share - diluted:
Income from continuing operations available for common shareholders (dollars per share)	4.41	1.90	0.71
Discontinued property operations (dollars per share)	0.00	0.07	1.31
Net income available to common shareholders (dollars per share)	$ 4.41	$ 1.97	$ 2.02