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, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Earnings Per Share Disclosure [Line Items]
Weighted average common shares - basic		75,277	75,168	75,263	75,157
Weighted average partnership units outstanding	[1]	0	0	0	0
Effect of dilutive securities	[2]	0	0	239	0
Weighted average common shares - diluted		75,277	75,168	75,502	75,157
Calculation of Basic Earnings per Share [Member]
Earnings Per Share Disclosure [Line Items]
Income from continuing operations		$ 47,630	$ 143,873	$ 93,438	$ 208,550
Income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests		(2,486)	(7,574)	(4,881)	(10,984)
Income from continuing operations allocated to unvested restricted shares		(134)	(337)	(237)	(446)
Income from continuing operations available for common shareholders, adjusted		$ 45,010	$ 135,962	$ 88,320	$ 197,120
Earnings per share - basic		$ 0.60	$ 1.81	$ 1.17	$ 2.62
Calculation of Diluted Earnings per Share [Member]
Earnings Per Share Disclosure [Line Items]
Income from continuing operations		$ 47,630	$ 143,873	$ 93,438	$ 208,550
Income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests	[1]	(2,486)	(7,574)	(4,881)	(10,987)
Income from continuing operations allocated to unvested restricted shares	[2]	(134)	(337)	0	(446)
Income from continuing operations available for common shareholders, adjusted		$ 45,010	$ 135,962	$ 88,557	$ 197,117
Earnings per share - diluted		$ 0.60	$ 1.81	$ 1.17	$ 2.62
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, 2016 and 2015, 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 the three months ended June 30, 2016 and for both the three and six months ended June 30, 2015, 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.