Organization - (Details)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Organization
Common partnership units and equivalents outstanding	146,403,274
Shares of common stock outstanding	146,403,274us-gaap_CommonStockSharesOutstanding	145,917,387us-gaap_CommonStockSharesOutstanding
Aimco's ownership interest in AIMCO Properties, L.P.	95.00%
Affordable Real Estate Operations [Member]
Organization
Number of apartment communities	59
Number of apartment homes	8,943
Percentage of proportionate property net operating income generated by segment	10.00%
Conventional Real Estate Operations [Member]
Organization
Number of apartment communities	144
Number of apartment homes	43,393
Percentage of proportionate property net operating income generated by segment	90.00%
Wholly Owned And Consolidated Properties [Member] \| Affordable Real Estate Operations [Member]
Organization
Number of apartment communities	52
Number of apartment homes	8,256
Wholly Owned And Consolidated Properties [Member] \| Conventional Real Estate Operations [Member]
Organization
Number of apartment communities	140
Number of apartment homes	43,251
AIMCO PROPERTIES, L.P.
Organization
Common partnership units and equivalents outstanding	154,055,231

Name:	aiv_OrganizationTextualAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	aiv_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Percentage of proportionate property net operating income generated by segment.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	aiv_PercentageOfProportionatePropertyNetOperatingIncomeGeneratedBySegment
Namespace Prefix:	aiv_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of shares of common stock outstanding. Common stock represent the ownership interest in a corporation.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 04

-Article 3

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 505

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21463-112644

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 505

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187085-122770

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.29)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 30

-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CommonStockSharesOutstanding
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage investment held by the managing member or general partner of the limited liability company (LLC) or limited partnership (LP).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 272

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6373374&loc=d3e70478-108055

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LimitedLiabilityCompanyLLCOrLimitedPartnershipLPManagingMemberOrGeneralPartnerOwnershipInterest
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of limited partner units outstanding.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 272

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6373374&loc=d3e70434-108055

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 505

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 5

-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 4.F)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187171-122770

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)

-Number Topic 4

-Section F

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LimitedPartnersCapitalAccountUnitsOutstanding
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of real estate properties owned as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfRealEstateProperties
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of units in a real estate property owned as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfUnitsInRealEstateProperty
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RealEstatePropertiesAxis=aiv_WhollyOwnedAndConsolidatedPropertiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=aiv_AffordableRealEstateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=aiv_ConventionalRealEstateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: