Segment Information (Revenues and NOI for Reportable Segment) (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Revenues
Preferred Stock Dividends, Income Statement Impact			$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0		$ 0	$ 0
Parent Company [Member]
Revenues
Real Estate Revenue, Net									$ 1,125,348,000	1,042,779,000	992,178,000
Management fee income									0	0	154,000
Total operating revenues	$ 307,198,000	$ 276,898,000	272,236,000	269,016,000	263,337,000	261,998,000	258,891,000	258,552,000	1,125,348,000	1,042,779,000	992,332,000
Net operating income									701,992,000	642,134,000	598,814,000
Discontinued operations NOI included above									0	0	16,000
Depreciation and amortization									(322,958,000)	(294,520,000)	(301,812,000)
Acquisition expense									(2,928,000)	(2,777,000)	(2,388,000)
Property management expense									(34,093,000)	(30,990,000)	(32,095,000)
General and administrative expense									(29,040,000)	(25,716,000)	(20,909,000)
Merger related expenses									(39,033,000)	0	(3,152,000)
Integration costs									(1,790,000)	0	(8,395,000)
Interest and other non-property income									724,000	(368,000)	770,000
Interest expense	33,529,000	32,168,000	32,039,000	32,211,000	30,834,000	30,229,000	30,433,000	30,848,000	(129,947,000)	(122,344,000)	(123,953,000)
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt									(83,000)	(3,602,000)	(2,586,000)
Net casualty (loss) gain after insurance and other settlement proceeds									448,000	473,000	(476,000)
Gain on sale of depreciable real estate assets excluded from discontinued operations									80,397,000	189,958,000	42,649,000
Income tax expense									(1,699,000)	(1,673,000)	(2,050,000)
Gain on sale of non-depreciable real estate assets									2,171,000	172,000	350,000
Gain (loss) from real estate joint ventures	214,000	0	(101,000)	128,000	3,000	(1,000)	(23,000)	19,000	241,000	(2,000)	6,009,000
Discontinued operations									0	0	5,331,000
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(2,672,000)	(4,627,000)	(2,486,000)	(2,395,000)	(2,380,000)	(5,094,000)	(7,574,000)	(3,410,000)	(12,180,000)	(18,458,000)	(8,297,000)
Preferred Stock Dividends, Income Statement Impact	307,000	0							(307,000)
Net income attributable to MAA	$ 39,079,000	$ 84,279,000	$ 45,144,000	$ 43,413,000	$ 42,987,000	$ 91,734,000	$ 136,299,000	$ 61,267,000	211,915,000	332,287,000	147,980,000
Parent Company [Member] | Large Market Same Store
Revenues
Real Estate Revenue, Net									642,679,000	612,934,000	553,038,000	[1]
Net operating income									399,287,000	377,025,000	334,255,000	[1]
Parent Company [Member] | Secondary Market Same Store
Revenues
Real Estate Revenue, Net									337,883,000	327,700,000	310,281,000	[1]
Net operating income									212,053,000	204,382,000	190,348,000	[1]
Parent Company [Member] | Non Same Store And Other
Revenues
Real Estate Revenue, Net									144,786,000	102,145,000	128,859,000	[1]
Net operating income									$ 90,652,000	$ 60,727,000	$ 74,211,000	[1]

[1] The 2014 column shows the segment break down based on the 2015 same store portfolios. A comparison using the 2016 same store portfolio would not be comparative due to the nature of the segment classifications.