MAA Equity (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Stockholders' Equity, Total [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Stock Options Exercised		$ 625,000
Common Stock [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Shares repurchased and retired		0
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Stock Options Exercised		0
Shares issued in exchange for units		0
Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Stock Options Exercised		625,000
Noncontrolling Interest [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Dividends on common stock		$ 0
Parent Company [Member]
Equity [Line Items]
Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Declared	$ 0.9600	$ 0.9225
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 65,958,000	$ 50,820,000
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	6,320,133,000		$ 6,369,883,000
Noncontrolling Interest in Joint Ventures	5,166,000	2,306,000	2,306,000	$ 2,306,000
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Preferred Stock, Value, Outstanding	9,000		9,000
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	922,000	922,000
Other Noncontrolling Interests	2,860,000
Parent Company [Member] | Accumulated Distributions in Excess of Net Income [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	(989,263,000)	(784,500,000)
Net income attributable to MAA	63,660,000	49,019,000
Other comprehensive (loss) income - derivatives insturments (cash flow hedges)	0
Issuance and registration of common shares	0
Shares repurchased and retired	0
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Stock Options Exercised	0
Shares issued in exchange for units	0
Redeemable stock fair market value	(1,351,000)	965,000
Adjustment for noncontrolling interest ownership in operating partnership	0
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Effect of Adoption, Quantification		(233,000)
Amortization of unearned compensation	0	0
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	922,000	922,000
Dividends on common stock	(109,392,000)	(104,971,000)
Dividends on noncontrolling interest units	0
Ending Balance	(1,037,268,000)	(840,642,000)
Parent Company [Member] | Preferred Stock [Member]
Equity [Line Items]
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest		0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	9,000	9,000	$ 9,000	$ 9,000
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Other comprehensive (loss) income - derivatives insturments (cash flow hedges)		0
Issuance and registration of common shares		0
Shares repurchased and retired		0
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Stock Options Exercised		0
Shares issued in exchange for units		0
Redeemable stock fair market value		0
Adjustment for noncontrolling interest ownership in operating partnership		0
Amortization of unearned compensation		0
Dividends on common stock		0
Dividends on noncontrolling interest units		0
Parent Company [Member] | Common Stock [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	1,136,000	1,134,000
Issuance and registration of common shares	1,000	1,000
Shares repurchased and retired	0
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Stock Options Exercised	0
Shares issued in exchange for units	0
Ending Balance	1,137,000	1,135,000
Parent Company [Member] | Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]
Equity [Line Items]
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	0
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	7,138,170,000	7,121,112,000
Other comprehensive (loss) income - derivatives insturments (cash flow hedges)	0
Shares repurchased and retired	(3,023,000)	(2,912,000)
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Stock Options Exercised	208,000
Shares issued in exchange for units	336,000	2,780,000
Shares issued in exchange for redeemable stock		1,915,000
Redeemable stock fair market value	0
Adjustment for noncontrolling interest ownership in operating partnership	(60,000)	92,000
Amortization of unearned compensation	4,785,000	4,024,000
Dividends on common stock	0
Dividends on noncontrolling interest units	0
Ending Balance	7,141,544,000	7,127,740,000
Parent Company [Member] | Noncontrolling Interest [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	220,043,000	231,676,000
Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	2,298,000	1,801,000
Other comprehensive (loss) income - derivatives insturments (cash flow hedges)	(113,000)	29,000
Issuance and registration of common shares	0	0
Shares repurchased and retired	0
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Stock Options Exercised	0
Shares issued in exchange for units	(336,000)	(2,780,000)
Redeemable stock fair market value	0
Adjustment for noncontrolling interest ownership in operating partnership	60,000	(92,000)
Amortization of unearned compensation	0
Dividends on common stock	0
Dividends on noncontrolling interest units	(3,941,000)	(3,819,000)
Ending Balance	218,011,000	226,815,000
Parent Company [Member] | Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]
Equity [Line Items]
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	0
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	(212,000)	2,157,000
Other comprehensive (loss) income - derivatives insturments (cash flow hedges)	(3,088,000)	610,000
Issuance and registration of common shares	0
Shares repurchased and retired	0
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Stock Options Exercised	0
Shares issued in exchange for units	0
Redeemable stock fair market value	0
Adjustment for noncontrolling interest ownership in operating partnership	0
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Effect of Adoption, Quantification		233,000
Amortization of unearned compensation	0
Dividends on common stock	0
Dividends on noncontrolling interest units	0
Ending Balance	(3,300,000)	3,000,000
Parent Company [Member] | Common Stock Including Additional Paid in Capital [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuance and registration of common shares	1,128,000	104,000
Parent Company [Member] | Stockholders' Equity, Total [Member]
Equity [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest in Joint Ventures	2,860,000
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	6,372,189,000	6,573,894,000
Net Income Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	65,958,000	50,820,000
Other comprehensive (loss) income - derivatives insturments (cash flow hedges)	(3,201,000)	639,000
Issuance and registration of common shares	1,129,000	105,000
Shares repurchased and retired	(3,023,000)	(2,912,000)
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Stock Options Exercised	208,000
Shares issued in exchange for units	0	0
Shares issued in exchange for redeemable stock		1,915,000
Redeemable stock fair market value	(1,351,000)	965,000
Adjustment for noncontrolling interest ownership in operating partnership	0	0
Amortization of unearned compensation	4,785,000	4,024,000
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	922,000	(922,000)
Dividends on common stock	(109,392,000)	(104,971,000)
Dividends on noncontrolling interest units	(3,941,000)	(3,819,000)
Ending Balance	$ 6,325,299,000	$ 6,520,363,000