2.2.0.25truefalse0205 - Disclosure - Limited partners equitytruefalsefalse1falsefalseUSDtruefalse{dei_LegalEntityAxis} : Limited Partnership [Member] 1/1/2011 - 3/31/2011 USD ($) USD ($) / shares $ThreeMonthsEnded_31Mar2011_Limited_Partnership_Memberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000921112duration2011-01-01T00:00:002011-03-31T00:00:00falsefalseLIBERTY PROPERTY LIMITED PARTNERSHIPdei_LegalEntityAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldilry_LimitedPartnershipMemberdei_LegalEntityAxisexplicitMemberUSDStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso42170SharesStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0USDEPSDividehttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso4217http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0USDUSD$2false0us-gaap_PartnersCapitalNotesDisclosureTextBlockus-gaaptruenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseverboselabel1falsefalsefalse00  <div style="font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; margin-left: 0in; "> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt"><u><b>Note 4: Limited partners’ equity</b></u> </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt"><b>Common units</b> </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt">General and limited partners’ equity — common units relates to limited partnership interests of the Operating Partnership issued in connection with the formation of the Company and certain subsequent acquisitions. The common units outstanding as of March 31, 2011 have the same economic characteristics as common shares of the Trust. The 3,928,733 outstanding common units are the limited partners’ equity — common units held by persons and entities other than Liberty Property Trust, the general partner of Liberty Property Limited Partnership, which holds a number of common units equal to the number of outstanding common shares of beneficial interest. Both the common units held by Liberty Property Trust and the common units held by persons and entities other than Liberty Property Trust are counted in the weighted average number of common units outstanding during any given period. The 3,928,733 outstanding common units share proportionately in the net income or loss and in any distributions of the Operating Partnership and are exchangeable into the same number of common shares of the Trust. The market value of the 3,928,733 outstanding common units at March 31, 2011 based on the closing price of the common shares of the Company at March 31, 2011 was $129.3 million. </div>   </div>  <div style="font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; margin-left: 0in; "> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt"><b>Preferred units</b> </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt">The Company has outstanding the following cumulative redeemable preferred units of the Operating Partnership (the “Preferred Units”): </div> <div align="center"> <table style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: left" cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%">  <tr valign="bottom"> <td width="10%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="7%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="7%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="7%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="7%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="9%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="39%"> </td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 10pt" valign="bottom"> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2"><font style="font-variant: small-caps"><b>Liquidation</b></font></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2"><font style="font-variant: small-caps"><b>Dividend</b></font></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center"><font style="font-variant: small-caps"><b>Redeemable</b></font></td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center"> </td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 10pt" valign="bottom"> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="left" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000"><font style="font-variant: small-caps"><b>Issue</b></font></td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000"><font style="font-variant: small-caps"><b>Amount</b></font></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000"><font style="font-variant: small-caps"><b>Units</b></font></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000"><font style="font-variant: small-caps"><b>Preference</b></font></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000"><font style="font-variant: small-caps"><b>Rate</b></font></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000"><font style="font-variant: small-caps"><b>As of</b></font></td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000"><font style="font-variant: small-caps"><b>Exchangeable after</b></font></td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 10pt" valign="bottom"> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="6"><b>(in 000’s)</b></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr>   <tr valign="top" style="background: #cceeff"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Series B </div></td> <td> </td> <td align="left">$</td> <td align="right">95,000</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">3,800</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="left">$</td> <td align="right">25</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="left"> </td> <td align="right">7.45</td> <td nowrap="nowrap">%</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">8/31/09</td> <td> </td> <td align="left" valign="bottom">8/31/13 into Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares of the Trust</td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">  </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top"> </td> <td> </td> <td align="left" valign="bottom"> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Series E </div></td> <td> </td> <td align="left">$</td> <td align="right">20,000</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">400</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="left">$</td> <td align="right">50</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="left"> </td> <td align="right">7.00</td> <td nowrap="nowrap">%</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">6/16/10</td> <td> </td> <td align="left" valign="bottom">6/16/15 into Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares of the Trust</td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">  </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top"> </td> <td> </td> <td align="left" valign="bottom"> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top" style="background: #cceeff"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Series F </div></td> <td> </td> <td align="left">$</td> <td align="right">50,000</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">1,000</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="left">$</td> <td align="right">50</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="left"> </td> <td align="right">6.65</td> <td nowrap="nowrap">%</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">6/30/10</td> <td> </td> <td align="left" valign="bottom">12/12/15 into Series F Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares of the Trust</td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">  </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top"> </td> <td> </td> <td align="left" valign="bottom"> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Series G </div></td> <td> </td> <td align="left">$</td> <td align="right">27,000</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">540</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="left">$</td> <td align="right">50</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="left"> </td> <td align="right">6.70</td> <td nowrap="nowrap">%</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">12/15/11</td> <td> </td> <td align="left" valign="bottom">12/15/16 into Series G Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares of the Trust</td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">  </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top"> </td> <td> </td> <td align="left" valign="bottom"> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top" style="background: #cceeff"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Series H </div></td> <td> </td> <td align="left">$</td> <td align="right">100,000</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">4,000</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="left">$</td> <td align="right">25</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="left"> </td> <td align="right">7.40</td> <td nowrap="nowrap">%</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">8/21/12</td> <td> </td> <td align="left" valign="bottom">8/21/17 into Series H Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares of the Trust</td> </tr>  </table> </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt">The Preferred Units are callable at the Operating Partnership’s option after a stated period of time. The Trust as the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership may at its option elect to settle the redemption for cash or through the exchange on a one-on-one basis with unregistered preferred shares of the Trust. </div> </div> falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherus-types:textBlockItemTypestringDescribes the formation, structure, control and ownership of the partnership. Disclosures related to accounts comprising partners' capital. Includes balances of general partners' capital account, limited partners' capital account, preferred partners' capital account and total partners' capital account and units outstanding; accumulated other comprehensive income; amount and nature of changes to amount of partner's capital and units outstanding by class, rights and privileges for each class of units; distribution policies and distributions paid by unit class; impact of and correction of an error in previously issued financial statements; limitations of partners' liability; redemption, conversion and distribution policies; and deferred compensation related to the issuance of units.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) -Number 87-21 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Practice Bulletin (PB) -Number 14 -Paragraph 10, 15 falsefalseLimited partners' equity11Limited partners equity (LIBERTY PROPERTY LIMITED PARTNERSHIP)UnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownfalsetrue