CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Revenue:
Rental and other income		$ 473,199	$ 428,022	$ 1,367,473	$ 1,236,154
Management, development and other fees		2,161	2,503	7,714	8,253
Total revenue		475,360	430,525	1,375,187	1,244,407
Expenses:
Operating expenses, excluding property taxes		115,655	105,212	340,501	304,812
Property taxes		50,416	44,996	143,505	131,920
Interest expense, net	[1]	43,234	46,376	133,398	132,631
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt, net		(18,987)	0	(26,736)	412
Depreciation expense	[1]	120,184	111,836	355,664	328,598
General and administrative expense		10,503	11,290	32,614	30,745
Expensed acquisition, development and other pursuit costs, net of recoveries		3,391	406	5,251	3,139
Casualty and impairment loss (gain), net		(658)	0	10,668	0
Total expenses		325,054	320,116	973,529	932,257
Equity in income of unconsolidated real estate entities		20,554	130,592	68,925	143,527
Gain on sale of real estate		0	0	9,647	0
Gain on sale of communities		35,216	0	106,151	60,945
Income from continuing operations		206,076	241,001	586,381	516,622
Discontinued operations:
Income from discontinued operations		0	0	0	310
Gain on sale of discontinued operations		0	0	0	37,869
Total discontinued operations		0	0	0	38,179
Net income		206,076	241,001	586,381	554,801
Net loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests		66	99	229	(13,872)
Net income attributable to common stockholders		206,142	241,100	586,610	540,929
Other comprehensive income:
Cash flow hedge losses reclassified to earnings		1,342	1,546	4,334	4,557
Comprehensive income		$ 207,484	$ 242,646	$ 590,944	$ 545,486
Earnings per common share - basic:
Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to common stockholders (in dollars per share)		$ 1.54	$ 1.83	$ 4.42	$ 3.86
Discontinued operations attributable to common stockholders (in dollars per share)		0.00	0.00	0.00	0.29
Net income attributable to common stockholders (in dollars per share)		1.54	1.83	4.42	4.15
Earnings per common share - diluted:
Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to common stockholders (in dollars per share)		1.53	1.83	4.39	3.85
Discontinued operations attributable to common stockholders (in dollars per share)		0.00	0.00	0.00	0.29
Net income attributable to common stockholders (in dollars per share)		1.53	1.83	4.39	4.14
Dividends per common share (in dollars per share)		$ 1.25	$ 1.16	$ 3.75	$ 3.48

[1] Includes amounts associated with assets sold or held for sale, not classified as discontinued operations.