Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies (Details) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Jan. 30, 2020 USD ($) propertyUnit	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) a ft² propertyUnit customers shares	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($) phase	Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($) ft²	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) a ft² propertyUnit customers shares	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2019 ft²
Description of Business [Abstract]
Rentable square feet of commercial real estate (in square feet) | ft²		31,700,000			31,700,000
Rentable square feet of commercial real estate under development (in square feet) | ft²		1,200,000			1,200,000
Undeveloped land suitable for future development (in acres) | a		275			275
Number of common units required to convert to one share of common stock (in shares) | shares		1			1
Number of trading days preceeding Redemption Notice Date (in days)					10 days
Consolidated in-service office properties not wholly owned (in units) | propertyUnit		3			3
Self insurance liability		$ 600			$ 600
Credit losses on operating lease receivables					9,861	$ 1,212	$ 1,508
Write-offs of lease incentives					(505)	(1,943)	(1,172)
Write-offs of notes receivable					4,087	0	0
Write-offs of tenant improvements and deferred leasing costs					254,504	229,955	227,832
Real estate assets, depreciation expense					$ 214,700	191,000	184,400
Maturity of highly liquid investments (in months)					3 months
Percent of annual REIT taxable income required to pay to the Company's stockholders					90.00%
Customers with leases on wholly owned properties | customers		1,785			1,785
Percent of annualized cash rental revenue derived from geographic locations		10.00%			10.00%
Limit of consolidated revenue generated by any single customer					5.00%
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Rentable square feet of commercial real estate under development (in square feet) | ft²								150,000
VIE like-kind exchange agreement (in days)					180 days
VIE total assets		$ 425,000			$ 425,000
VIE total liabilities		$ 24,000			24,000
VIe total cash flows					$ 2,500
Minimum [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Adjustment interval of variable debt interest rates, mimimum (in months)					1 month
Maximum [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Adjustment interval of variable debt interest rates, mimimum (in months)					3 months
Building [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment useful life					40 years
Building Improvements [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment useful life					15 years
Furniture and Fixtures [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment useful life					5 years
Furniture and Fixtures [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment useful life					7 years
Leaseholds and Leasehold Improvements [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment useful life					3 years
Leaseholds and Leasehold Improvements [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment useful life					10 years
Submarket Acquisition [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Rentable square feet of commercial real estate (in square feet) | ft²		841,000			841,000
Total investment cost of acquisition		$ 436,000			$ 399,100
Division Exit [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Number of plan phases (in ones) | phase			2
Purchase price of real estate			$ 436,000
Expected severance costs					$ 1,800
LSI Ceased Operations [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Rentable square feet of commercial real estate (in square feet) | ft²				176,000
Credit losses on operating lease receivables				$ 5,600
Write-offs of lease incentives				2,300
Write-offs of notes receivable				4,100
Write-offs of tenant improvements and deferred leasing costs				$ 11,600
Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Common Units of partnership owned (in shares) | shares		103,300,000			103,300,000
Percentage of ownership of Common Units		97.40%			97.40%
Common units redeemed for a like number of common shares of stock (in shares) | shares					15,000
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Common Units of partnership not owned by the Company (in shares) | shares		2,700,000			2,700,000
Credit losses on operating lease receivables					$ 9,861	1,212	1,508
Write-offs of lease incentives					(505)	(1,943)	(1,172)
Write-offs of notes receivable					4,087	0	0
Write-offs of tenant improvements and deferred leasing costs					$ 254,504	$ 229,955	$ 227,832
Subsequent Event [Member] | Division Exit [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Purchase price of real estate	$ 193,400
Number of buildings sold | propertyUnit	35