Loans Receivable - Schedule of Loan Receivable in Nonaccrual Status (Details) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($) loan
Receivables [Abstract]
Number of Loans \| loan	1
Principal Outstanding	$ 82.0
Fair Value	$ 77.9

Loans Receivable, At Cost, Including Related Party, Nonaccrual

No definition available.

Name:	tiaareal_LoansReceivableAtCostIncludingRelatedPartyNonaccrual
Namespace Prefix:	tiaareal_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant