Partners' Capital of Mid-America Apartments, L.P.	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016
Partners' Capital of Mid-America Apartments, L.P. [Abstract]
Partners' Capital Notes Disclosure [Text Block]	Partners' Capital of MAALP OP Units Interests in the Operating Partnership are represented by Operating Partnership Units, or OP Units. As of March 31, 2016, there were 79,667,188 OP Units outstanding, 75,505,025 or 94.8% of which were owned by MAA, MAALP's general partner. The remaining 4,162,163 OP Units were owned by non-affiliated limited partners, or Class A Limited Partners. As of March 31, 2015, there were 79,534,989 OP Units outstanding, 75,345,023 or 94.7% of which were owned by MAA and 4,189,966 of which were owned by the Class A Limited Partners. MAA, as the sole general partner of MAALP, has full, complete and exclusive discretion to manage and control the business of the Operating Partnership subject to the restrictions specifically contained within the Operating Partnership's agreement of limited partnership, or the Partnership Agreement. Unless otherwise stated in the Partnership Agreement, this power includes, but is not limited to, acquiring, leasing, or disposing of any real property; constructing buildings and making other improvements to properties owned; borrowing money, modifying or extinguishing current borrowings, issuing evidence of indebtedness, and securing such indebtedness by mortgage, deed of trust, pledge or other lien on the Operating Partnership's assets; and distribution of cash or other assets in accordance with the Partnership Agreement. MAA can generally, at its sole discretion, issue and redeem OP Units and determine the consideration to be received or the redemption price to be paid, as applicable. The general partner may delegate these and other powers granted if MAA remains in supervision of the designee. Under the Partnership Agreement, the Operating Partnership may issue Class A Units and Class B Units. Class A Units may only be held by limited partners who are not affiliated with MAA, in its capacity as general partner of the Operating Partnership, while Class B Units may only be held by MAA, in its capacity as general partner of the Operating Partnership, and as of March 31, 2016, a total of 4,162,163 Class A Units in the Operating Partnership were held by limited partners unaffiliated with MAA, while a total of 75,505,025 Class B OP Units were held by MAA. In general, the limited partners do not have the power to participate in the management or control of the Operating Partnership's business except in limited circumstances including changes in the general partner and protective rights if the general partner acts outside of the provisions provided in the Partnership Agreement. The transferability of Class A Units is also limited by the Partnership Agreement. Net income is allocated to the general partner and limited partners based on their respective ownership percentages of the Operating Partnership. Issuance or redemption of additional Class A Units or Class B Units changes the relative ownership percentage of the partners. The issuance of Class B Units generally occurs when MAA issues common stock and the proceeds from that issuance are contributed to the Operating Partnership in exchange for the issuance to MAA of a number of OP Units equal to the number of shares of common stock issued. Likewise, if MAA repurchases or redeems outstanding shares of common stock, the Operating Partnership generally redeems an equal number of Class B Units with similar terms held by MAA for a redemption price equal to the purchase price of those shares of common stock. At each reporting period, the allocation between general partner capital and limited partner capital is adjusted to account for the change in the respective percentage ownership of the underlying capital of the Operating Partnership. Holders of the Class A Units may require MAA to redeem their Class A Units, in which case MAA may, at its option, pay the redemption price either in cash (in an amount per Class A OP Unit equal, in general, to the average closing price of MAA's common stock on the New York Stock Exchange over a specified period prior to the redemption date) or by delivering one share of MAA common stock (subject to adjustment under specified circumstances) for each Class A Unit so redeemed. At March 31, 2016, a total of 4,162,163 Class A Units were outstanding and redeemable for 4,162,163 shares of MAA common stock, with an approximate value of $425.4 million, based on the closing price of MAA’s common stock on March 31, 2016 of $102.21 per share. At March 31, 2015, a total of 4,189,966 Class A Units were outstanding and redeemable for 4,189,966 shares of MAA common stock, with an approximate value of $323.8 million, based on the closing price of MAA’s common stock on March 31, 2015 of $77.27 per share. The Operating Partnership pays the same per unit distribution in respect to the OP Units as the per share dividend MAA pays in respect to its common and preferred stock.

Partners' Capital of MAALP

OP Units

Interests in the Operating Partnership are represented by Operating Partnership Units, or OP Units. As of March 31, 2016, there were 79,667,188 OP Units outstanding, 75,505,025 or 94.8% of which were owned by MAA, MAALP's general partner. The remaining 4,162,163 OP Units were owned by non-affiliated limited partners, or Class A Limited Partners. As of March 31, 2015, there were 79,534,989 OP Units outstanding, 75,345,023 or 94.7% of which were owned by MAA and 4,189,966 of which were owned by the Class A Limited Partners.

MAA, as the sole general partner of MAALP, has full, complete and exclusive discretion to manage and control the business of the Operating Partnership subject to the restrictions specifically contained within the Operating Partnership's agreement of limited partnership, or the Partnership Agreement. Unless otherwise stated in the Partnership Agreement, this power includes, but is not limited to, acquiring, leasing, or disposing of any real property; constructing buildings and making other improvements to properties owned; borrowing money, modifying or extinguishing current borrowings, issuing evidence of indebtedness, and securing such indebtedness by mortgage, deed of trust, pledge or other lien on the Operating Partnership's assets; and distribution of cash or other assets in accordance with the Partnership Agreement. MAA can generally, at its sole discretion, issue and redeem OP Units and determine the consideration to be received or the redemption price to be paid, as applicable. The general partner may delegate these and other powers granted if MAA remains in supervision of the designee.

Under the Partnership Agreement, the Operating Partnership may issue Class A Units and Class B Units. Class A Units may only be held by limited partners who are not affiliated with MAA, in its capacity as general partner of the Operating Partnership, while Class B Units may only be held by MAA, in its capacity as general partner of the Operating Partnership, and as of March 31, 2016, a total of 4,162,163 Class A Units in the Operating Partnership were held by limited partners unaffiliated with MAA, while a total of 75,505,025 Class B OP Units were held by MAA. In general, the limited partners do not have the power to participate in the management or control of the Operating Partnership's business except in limited circumstances including changes in the general partner and protective rights if the general partner acts outside of the provisions provided in the Partnership Agreement. The transferability of Class A Units is also limited by the Partnership Agreement.

Net income is allocated to the general partner and limited partners based on their respective ownership percentages of the Operating Partnership. Issuance or redemption of additional Class A Units or Class B Units changes the relative ownership percentage of the partners. The issuance of Class B Units generally occurs when MAA issues common stock and the proceeds from that issuance are contributed to the Operating Partnership in exchange for the issuance to MAA of a number of OP Units equal to the number of shares of common stock issued. Likewise, if MAA repurchases or redeems outstanding shares of common stock, the Operating Partnership generally redeems an equal number of Class B Units with similar terms held by MAA for a redemption price equal to the purchase price of those shares of common stock. At each reporting period, the allocation between general partner capital and limited partner capital is adjusted to account for the change in the respective percentage ownership of the underlying capital of the Operating Partnership. Holders of the Class A Units may require MAA to redeem their Class A Units, in which case MAA may, at its option, pay the redemption price either in cash (in an amount per Class A OP Unit equal, in general, to the average closing price of MAA's common stock on the New York Stock Exchange over a specified period prior to the redemption date) or by delivering one share of MAA common stock (subject to adjustment under specified circumstances) for each Class A Unit so redeemed.

At March 31, 2016, a total of 4,162,163 Class A Units were outstanding and redeemable for 4,162,163 shares of MAA common stock, with an approximate value of $425.4 million, based on the closing price of MAA’s common stock on March 31, 2016 of $102.21 per share. At March 31, 2015, a total of 4,189,966 Class A Units were outstanding and redeemable for 4,189,966 shares of MAA common stock, with an approximate value of $323.8 million, based on the closing price of MAA’s common stock on March 31, 2015 of $77.27 per share.

The Operating Partnership pays the same per unit distribution in respect to the OP Units as the per share dividend MAA pays in respect to its common and preferred stock.