Selected Consolidated Financial Statements of Parent, Guarantors, Canada Company and Non-Guarantors - Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Consolidating financial statements
Percentage of subsidiaries owned	100.00%
Current Assets:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	$ 458,128	$ 128,381	$ 492,899	$ 125,933
Accounts Receivable	700,238	564,401
Intercompany Receivable	0	0
Other Current Assets	181,063	165,130
Assets Held for Sale	127,912
Total Current Assets	1,467,341	857,912
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	3,166,528	2,497,158
Other Assets, Net:
Long-term Notes Receivable from Affiliates and Intercompany Receivable	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Goodwill	3,861,810	2,360,978
Other	1,409,237	634,539
Total Other Assets, Net	5,271,047	2,995,517
Total Assets	9,904,916	6,350,587	6,603,954
Liabilities and Equity
Intercompany Payable	0	0
Current Portion of Long-term Debt	121,203	88,068
Total Other Current Liabilities	883,555	753,763
Liabilities Held for Sale	19,269
Long-term Debt, Net of Current Portion	6,338,024	4,757,610
Long-term Notes Payable to Affiliates and Intercompany Payable	0	0
Other Long-term Liabilities	392,611	222,539
Commitments and Contingencies (see Note 8)
Total Iron Mountain Incorporated Stockholders' Equity	2,124,693	508,841
Noncontrolling Interests	25,561	19,766
Total Equity	2,150,254	528,607	619,777	869,955
Total Liabilities and Equity	9,904,916	6,350,587
Eliminations
Current Assets:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts Receivable	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	(1,109,334)	(1,038,141)
Other Current Assets	(29)	(29)
Assets Held for Sale	0
Total Current Assets	(1,109,363)	(1,038,170)
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Other Assets, Net:
Long-term Notes Receivable from Affiliates and Intercompany Receivable	(3,949,530)	(3,326,874)
Investment in Subsidiaries	(1,414,391)	(1,217,732)
Goodwill	0	0
Other	0	0
Total Other Assets, Net	(5,363,921)	(4,544,606)
Total Assets	(6,473,284)	(5,582,776)
Liabilities and Equity
Intercompany Payable	(1,109,334)	(1,038,141)
Current Portion of Long-term Debt	(29)	(29)
Total Other Current Liabilities	0	0
Liabilities Held for Sale	0
Long-term Debt, Net of Current Portion	0	0
Long-term Notes Payable to Affiliates and Intercompany Payable	(3,949,530)	(3,326,874)
Other Long-term Liabilities	0	0
Total Iron Mountain Incorporated Stockholders' Equity	(1,414,391)	(1,217,732)
Noncontrolling Interests	0	0
Total Equity	(1,414,391)	(1,217,732)
Total Liabilities and Equity	(6,473,284)	(5,582,776)
Parent | Reportable legal entities
Current Assets:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	1,710	151	295,424	2,399
Accounts Receivable	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	562,568	0
Other Current Assets	0	898
Assets Held for Sale	0
Total Current Assets	564,278	1,049
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	527	661
Other Assets, Net:
Long-term Notes Receivable from Affiliates and Intercompany Receivable	3,948,530	3,325,005
Investment in Subsidiaries	761,272	727,710
Goodwill	0	0
Other	0	623
Total Other Assets, Net	4,709,802	4,053,338
Total Assets	5,274,607	4,055,048
Liabilities and Equity
Intercompany Payable	0	879,649
Current Portion of Long-term Debt	0	0
Total Other Current Liabilities	55,378	56,740
Liabilities Held for Sale	0
Long-term Debt, Net of Current Portion	3,093,536	2,608,818
Long-term Notes Payable to Affiliates and Intercompany Payable	1,000	1,000
Other Long-term Liabilities	0	0
Total Iron Mountain Incorporated Stockholders' Equity	2,124,693	508,841
Noncontrolling Interests	0	0
Total Equity	2,124,693	508,841
Total Liabilities and Equity	5,274,607	4,055,048
Guarantors | Reportable legal entities
Current Assets:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	26,044	7,803	67,225	4,713
Accounts Receivable	94,358	18,917
Intercompany Receivable	546,766	1,038,141
Other Current Assets	66,893	107,235
Assets Held for Sale	22,429
Total Current Assets	756,490	1,172,096
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	1,852,010	1,633,885
Other Assets, Net:
Long-term Notes Receivable from Affiliates and Intercompany Receivable	1,000	1,869
Investment in Subsidiaries	537,305	459,429
Goodwill	2,511,380	1,640,130
Other	829,635	414,407
Total Other Assets, Net	3,879,320	2,515,835
Total Assets	6,487,820	5,321,816
Liabilities and Equity
Intercompany Payable	0	0
Current Portion of Long-term Debt	46,749	41,159
Total Other Current Liabilities	495,255	463,556
Liabilities Held for Sale	0
Long-term Debt, Net of Current Portion	1,063,324	674,798
Long-term Notes Payable to Affiliates and Intercompany Payable	3,948,530	3,325,005
Other Long-term Liabilities	159,109	119,454
Total Iron Mountain Incorporated Stockholders' Equity	774,853	697,844
Noncontrolling Interests	0	0
Total Equity	774,853	697,844
Total Liabilities and Equity	6,487,820	5,321,816
Canada Company | Reportable legal entities
Current Assets:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	14,792	13,182	11,176	4,979
Accounts Receivable	38,707	30,428
Intercompany Receivable	0	0
Other Current Assets	685	2,305
Assets Held for Sale	25,533
Total Current Assets	79,717	45,915
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	158,011	137,100
Other Assets, Net:
Long-term Notes Receivable from Affiliates and Intercompany Receivable	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	34,620	27,731
Goodwill	232,052	152,975
Other	54,148	22,637
Total Other Assets, Net	320,820	203,343
Total Assets	558,548	386,358
Liabilities and Equity
Intercompany Payable	8,451	5,892
Current Portion of Long-term Debt	0	0
Total Other Current Liabilities	32,535	26,804
Liabilities Held for Sale	0
Long-term Debt, Net of Current Portion	347,719	284,798
Long-term Notes Payable to Affiliates and Intercompany Payable	0	869
Other Long-term Liabilities	54,029	37,402
Total Iron Mountain Incorporated Stockholders' Equity	115,814	30,593
Noncontrolling Interests	0	0
Total Equity	115,814	30,593
Total Liabilities and Equity	558,548	386,358
Non-Guarantors | Reportable legal entities
Current Assets:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	415,582	107,245	$ 119,074	$ 113,842
Accounts Receivable	567,173	515,056
Intercompany Receivable	0	0
Other Current Assets	113,514	54,721
Assets Held for Sale	79,950
Total Current Assets	1,176,219	677,022
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	1,155,980	725,512
Other Assets, Net:
Long-term Notes Receivable from Affiliates and Intercompany Receivable	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	81,194	2,862
Goodwill	1,118,378	567,873
Other	525,454	196,872
Total Other Assets, Net	1,725,026	767,607
Total Assets	4,057,225	2,170,141
Liabilities and Equity
Intercompany Payable	1,100,883	152,600
Current Portion of Long-term Debt	74,483	46,938
Total Other Current Liabilities	300,387	206,663
Liabilities Held for Sale	19,269
Long-term Debt, Net of Current Portion	1,833,445	1,189,196
Long-term Notes Payable to Affiliates and Intercompany Payable	0	0
Other Long-term Liabilities	179,473	65,683
Total Iron Mountain Incorporated Stockholders' Equity	523,724	489,295
Noncontrolling Interests	25,561	19,766
Total Equity	549,285	509,061
Total Liabilities and Equity	$ 4,057,225	$ 2,170,141