Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Investment in storage facilities:
Land	$ 991,214	$ 951,813
Building, equipment, and construction in progress	4,612,622	4,378,510
Real estate investment property, at cost, total	5,603,836	5,330,323
Less: accumulated depreciation	(904,420)	(873,178)
Investment in storage facilities, net	4,699,416	4,457,145
Cash and cash equivalents	13,914	54,400
Accounts receivable	14,796	15,464
Receivable from unconsolidated joint ventures	520	1,064
Investment in unconsolidated joint ventures	140,415	143,042
Prepaid expenses	12,335	8,326
Trade name	16,500	16,500
Other assets	32,865	31,907
Total Assets	4,930,761	4,727,848
Liabilities
Line of credit	43,000
Term notes, net	2,156,140	2,155,457
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	95,708	112,654
Deferred revenue	20,120	17,416
Mortgages payable	37,596	37,777
Total Liabilities	2,352,564	2,323,304
Noncontrolling redeemable Operating Partnership Units at redemption value	28,707	26,446
Shareholders' Equity/ Partners' Capital
Common stock $.01 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized, 76,477,796 shares outstanding at March 31, 2021 (74,211,920 at December 31, 2020)	765	495
Additional paid-in capital	2,853,019	2,671,311
Dividends in excess of net income	(299,482)	(288,667)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(4,812)	(5,041)
Total Shareholders’ Equity	2,549,490	2,378,098
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity/ Partners' Capital	4,930,761	4,727,848
Life Storage LP [Member]
Investment in storage facilities:
Land	991,214	951,813
Building, equipment, and construction in progress	4,612,622	4,378,510
Real estate investment property, at cost, total	5,603,836	5,330,323
Less: accumulated depreciation	(904,420)	(873,178)
Investment in storage facilities, net	4,699,416	4,457,145
Cash and cash equivalents	13,914	54,400
Accounts receivable	14,796	15,464
Receivable from unconsolidated joint ventures	520	1,064
Investment in unconsolidated joint ventures	140,415	143,042
Prepaid expenses	12,335	8,326
Trade name	16,500	16,500
Other assets	32,865	31,907
Total Assets	4,930,761	4,727,848
Liabilities
Line of credit	43,000
Term notes, net	2,156,140	2,155,457
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	95,708	112,654
Deferred revenue	20,120	17,416
Mortgages payable	37,596	37,777
Total Liabilities	2,352,564	2,323,304
Limited partners' redeemable capital interest at redemption value (243,966 and 246,466units outstanding at September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively)	28,707	26,446
Shareholders' Equity/ Partners' Capital
General partner (484,429 and 469,225 units outstanding at September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively)	25,782	24,045
Limited partners (47,714,579 and 46,206,708 units outstanding at September 30, 2020and December 31, 2019, respectively)	2,528,520	2,359,094
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(4,812)	(5,041)
Total Partners’ Capital	2,549,490	2,378,098
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity/ Partners' Capital	$ 4,930,761	$ 4,727,848