Variable Interest Entity (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 08, 2016 USD ($) property subsidiary $ / shares
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Non-controlling interests in subsidiary		$ 0
Unamortized lease commissions and deferred legal costs, net	$ 1,150	1,100
Equity investment in Pillarstone Capital REIT Operating Partnership LP		0
Accrued rents and accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	213	526
Unamortized lease commissions		0
Dividends, Paid-in-kind	4,100
Pillarstone OP [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Ownership percentage			18.60%
Equity investment in Pillarstone Capital REIT Operating Partnership LP			$ 4,100
Pillarstone Variable Interest Entity [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Unamortized lease commissions and deferred legal costs, net	1,150	1,100
Accrued rents and accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	$ 213	$ 526
Whitestone [Member] | Pillarstone Variable Interest Entity [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Number of wholly-owned subsidiaries contributed to variable interest entity | subsidiary			4
Number of non-core properties contributed to variable interest entity | property			14
Consideration amount			$ 84,000
Consideration, limited partnership interest			$ 18,100
Consideration, limited partnership interest (in dollars per share) | $ / shares			$ 1.331
Liabilities assumed			$ 65,900