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Investments in Real Estate Entities (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) community home loan extension agreement investor ft² mi	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Feb. 27, 2013
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
(Loss) gain on other real estate transactions	$ (10,907)	$ 10,224	$ 9,647
Gain on sale of communities	$ 136,333	196,749	98,899
Number of Communities Acquired \| community	3
Payments to Acquire Other Real Estate	$ 462,317	393,316	0
Loss (gain) on extinguishment of debt, net	$ 25,472	7,075	(26,736)
Number of Apartment Homes in Communities Owned \| home	81,517
Preferred interest obligation redemption and dividends	$ (2,000)	(1,960)	(14,410)
Investments in unconsolidated real estate entities	163,475	175,116
Equity Method Investment, Difference Between Carrying Amount and Underlying Equity	35,402	38,015
Expensed acquisition, development and other pursuit costs, net of recoveries	2,736	9,922	6,822
The Lodge Denver West [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Other Real Estate	$ 76,750
Number of Apartment Homes, Acquired \| home	252
Avalon Dunn Loring [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Other Real Estate	$ 151,000
Number of Apartment Homes, Acquired \| home	440
Retail square feet acquired \| ft²	27,000
850 Boca [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Other Real Estate	$ 138,000
Number of Apartment Homes, Acquired \| home	370
Acquired Real Estate [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Expensed acquisition, development and other pursuit costs, net of recoveries		5,139	3,806
Archstone Enterprise LP
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired				40.00%
Equity Residential and its Operating Partnership and ERP Operating Limited Partnership [Member] \| Archstone Enterprise LP
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired				60.00%
Fund II
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Number of Institutional Investors \| investor	6
Real Estate Investments, Joint Ventures	$ 2,576
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	31.30%
Number of apartment communities sold \| community	3
Apartment homes \| home	1,366
Gain on sale of communities	$ 26,322	41,501	29,726
Repayments of secured mortgages	$ 127,179
Percentage of Right of Distribution	40.00%
Percentage of Right of Remaining Distribution	60.00%
Equity in income of unconsolidated entities relating to the Company's recognition of promoted interest	$ 26,742	7,985
Fund II \| Eaves Gaithersburg [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Sale of Real Estate	117,000
Fund II \| Briarwood Apartments [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Sale of Real Estate	64,750
Fund II \| Avalon Watchung [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from Sale of Real Estate	$ 90,300
US Fund
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Number of Institutional Investors \| investor	6
Real Estate Investments, Joint Ventures	$ 39,896
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	28.60%
Gain on sale of communities	$ 13,788	$ 16,568
Number of loans secured by individual assets \| loan	6
Debt outstanding	$ 237,469
Number of extension options \| extension	2
Period of extension (in years)	1 year
US Fund \| Eaves Sunnyvale [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Apartment homes \| home	192
Proceeds from Sale of Real Estate	$ 107,000
Repayments of secured mortgages	32,542
Loss (gain) on extinguishment of debt, net	$ 406
ACJV
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Number of Institutional Investors \| investor	4
Real Estate Investments, Joint Ventures	$ 49,492
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	20.00%
Maximum geographic radius for existing assets within considered for right of first offer \| mi	1
Number of loans secured by individual assets \| loan	8
Debt outstanding	$ 162,300
MVPI LLC
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	25.00%
Percentage of Right of Distribution		45.00%
Equity in income of unconsolidated entities relating to the Company's recognition of promoted interest			21,340
Number of Apartment Homes in Communities Owned \| home	313
MVPI LLC \| Joint Venture Agreement Modification [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Payments for (Proceeds from) Other Real Estate Partnerships			$ 20,680
Brandywine [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	28.70%
Debt outstanding	$ 22,760
Number of Apartment Homes in Communities Owned \| home	305
Number of Members who Hold Various Interests in Joint Venture \| investor	5
SWIB [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	20.00%
Residual JV
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	40.00%
Number of Limited Liability Company Agreements \| agreement	3
Legacy JV [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	40.00%
Preferred Interest Obligation Liquidation Value	$ 37,579
Sudbury [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Real Estate Investments, Joint Ventures	$ (4,340)
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	60.00%
Land	$ 19,200
AVA North Point [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Real Estate Investments, Joint Ventures	$ 36,370
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	55.00%
(Loss) gain on other real estate transactions	$ 10,621
Number of Apartment Homes in Communities Owned \| home	265
AVA North Point [Member] \| Joint Venture Partner [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	45.00%
Avalon Brooklyn Bay [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity, Qualitative or Quantitative Information, Ownership Percentage	70.00%
Variable Interest Entity, Ownership Interest by Partner	30.00%
Due from Related Parties	$ 44,831