Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Investment in storage facilities:
Land	$ 786,539	$ 786,764
Building, equipment, and construction in progress	3,503,193	3,456,544
Real estate investment property, at cost, total	4,289,732	4,243,308
Less: accumulated depreciation	(578,388)	(535,704)
Investment in storage facilities, net	3,711,344	3,707,604
Cash and cash equivalents	7,998	23,685
Accounts receivable	6,189	5,469
Receivable from unconsolidated joint ventures	1,022	1,223
Investment in unconsolidated joint ventures	132,524	67,300
Prepaid expenses	8,694	6,649
Trade name	16,500	16,500
Other assets	6,400	29,554
Total Assets	3,890,671	3,857,984
Liabilities
Line of credit	331,000	253,000
Term notes, net	1,388,380	1,387,525
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	66,134	75,132
Deferred revenue	10,020	9,700
Fair value of interest rate swap agreements	11,526	13,015
Mortgages payable	12,852	13,027
Total Liabilities	1,819,912	1,751,399
Noncontrolling redeemable Operating Partnership Units at redemption value	16,459	18,091
Shareholders' Equity/ Partners' Capital
Common stock $.01 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized, 46,565,213 shares outstanding at June 30, 2017 (46,454,606 at December 31, 2016)	466	464
Additional paid-in capital	2,361,579	2,348,567
Dividends in excess of net income	(288,129)	(239,062)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(19,616)	(21,475)
Total Shareholders' Equity	2,054,300	2,088,494
Noncontrolling interest in consolidated subsidiary	0	0
Total Equity	2,054,300	2,088,494
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity/ Partners' Capital	3,890,671	3,857,984
Life Storage LP [Member]
Investment in storage facilities:
Land	786,539	786,764
Building, equipment, and construction in progress	3,503,193	3,456,544
Real estate investment property, at cost, total	4,289,732	4,243,308
Less: accumulated depreciation	(578,388)	(535,704)
Investment in storage facilities, net	3,711,344	3,707,604
Cash and cash equivalents	7,998	23,685
Accounts receivable	6,189	5,469
Receivable from unconsolidated joint ventures	1,022	1,223
Investment in unconsolidated joint ventures	132,524	67,300
Prepaid expenses	8,694	6,649
Trade name	16,500	16,500
Other assets	6,400	29,554
Total Assets	3,890,671	3,857,984
Liabilities
Line of credit	331,000	253,000
Term notes, net	1,388,380	1,387,525
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	66,134	75,132
Deferred revenue	10,020	9,700
Fair value of interest rate swap agreements	11,526	13,015
Mortgages payable	12,852	13,027
Total Liabilities	1,819,912	1,751,399
Limited partners' redeemable capital interest at redemption value (217,481 units outstanding at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016)	16,459	18,091
Shareholders' Equity/ Partners' Capital
General partner (467,827 and 466,721 units outstanding at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively)	20,708	21,065
Limited partners (46,097,387 and 45,987,885 units outstanding at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively)	2,053,208	2,088,904
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(19,616)	(21,475)
Total Controlling Partners' Capital	2,054,300	2,088,494
Noncontrolling interest in consolidated subsidiary	0	0
Total Partners' Capital	2,054,300	2,088,494
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity/ Partners' Capital	$ 3,890,671	$ 3,857,984