Debt - Schedule of Debt and Lines of Credit (Details) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	May 31, 2025 USD ($) extensionOption	Oct. 31, 2022 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2026 USD ($) lineOfCredit	Dec. 31, 2025 USD ($) lineOfCredit	Apr. 30, 2026 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unsecured debt, net			$ 5,569,283	$ 6,015,921
Mortgage notes payable, net			784,217	784,348
Total debt, net			6,698,500	6,800,269
Debt instrument face amount			600,000
Essex Portfolio, L.P.
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unsecured debt, net			5,569,283	6,015,921
Mortgage notes payable, net			784,217	784,348
Unsecured Term Loan 0.850%, Due May 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of extension options (in extensions) | extensionOption	2
Extension period (in years)	1 year
Commerical Paper Program | Commercial Paper
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument face amount			750,000
Unamortized debt issuance expense			$ 300	400
Debt Instrument, Term (in days)			397 days
Lines of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Lines of credit			$ 0	$ 0
Weighted average interest rate (in percent)			4.50%	4.80%
Commercial Paper
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commercial paper			$ 345,000	$ 0
Weighted average interest rate (in percent)			4.00%	0.00%
Mortgage notes payable, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Mortgage notes payable, net			$ 784,217	$ 784,348
Weighted average interest rate (in percent)			4.30%	4.40%
Weighted average maturity (in years)			7 years 6 months
Unamortized discount (premium), net			$ 100	$ 200
Unamortized debt issuance expense			$ 2,300	$ 2,500
Weighted average interest rate on fixed rate unsecured bonds public offering
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate (in percent)			3.70%	3.70%
Unsecured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unsecured debt, net			$ 5,569,283	$ 6,015,921
Weighted average interest rate (in percent)			4.10%	4.10%
Unsecured Debt | Term Loan, Variable Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unsecured debt, net			$ 597,474	$ 596,668
Weighted average maturity (in years)			4 years 2 months 12 days
Unsecured Debt | Bonds public offering - fixed rate, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unsecured debt, net			$ 4,971,809	5,419,253
Weighted average maturity (in years)			7 years 2 months 12 days
Unamortized discount (premium), net			$ 3,100	3,600
Unamortized debt issuance expense			27,700	30,400
Unsecured Debt | Unsecured Term Loan 0.850%, Due May 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument face amount	$ 300,000
Interest rate (in percent)	0.85%
Unsecured Debt | Unsecured Term Loan 0.850%, Due May 2028 | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument face amount	$ 600,000
Unsecured Debt | Unsecured Term Loan 0.850% Due January 2031
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument face amount		$ 300,000			$ 200,000
Interest rate (in percent)	4.10%	4.00%			4.40%
Basis spread on variable rate (in percent)		0.85%
Unsecured Debt | New Credit Facility | Lines of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument face amount			$ 1,580,000	1,580,000
Basis spread on variable rate (in percent)			0.775%
Unamortized debt issuance expense			$ 6,600	$ 7,300
Numbers of line of credit | lineOfCredit			2	2
Aggregate borrowing capacity			$ 1,500,000
Debt instrument, variable interest rate, type [extensible enumeration]			Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) [Member]
Unsecured Debt | Working capital line of credit | Lines of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (in percent)			0.775%
Aggregate borrowing capacity			$ 75,000