Name:	irm_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsPresentValueOfNetMinimumPaymentsExcludingCommonAreaMaintenanceCosts
Namespace Prefix:	irm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Represents the minimum number of renewal options for leased facilities.

No definition available.

Name:	irm_OperatingLeaseLeasedFacilitiesRenewalOptionsMinimum
Namespace Prefix:	irm_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Represents the high end of the range of term of leased facilities under an operating lease.

No definition available.

Name:	irm_OperatingLeaseLeasedFacilitiesTermHighEndOfRange
Namespace Prefix:	irm_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Represents the low end of the range of term of leased facilities under an operating lease.

No definition available.

Name:	irm_OperatingLeaseLeasedFacilitiesTermLowEndOfRange
Namespace Prefix:	irm_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

The average lease life of equipment (primarily computers) under an operating lease.

No definition available.

Name:	irm_OperatingLeasePropertyPlantAndEquipmentPrimarilyComputersAverageLeaseLife
Namespace Prefix:	irm_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

The maximum lease life of vehicles and office equipment under an operating lease.

No definition available.

Name:	irm_OperatingLeasePropertyPlantAndEquipmentVehiclesOfficeEquipmentMaximumLeaseLife
Namespace Prefix:	irm_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

The minimum lease life of vehicles and office equipment under an operating lease.

No definition available.

Name:	irm_OperatingLeasePropertyPlantAndEquipmentVehiclesOfficeEquipmentMinimumLeaseLife
Namespace Prefix:	irm_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Amount of minimum sublease rentals to be received by the lessee after the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for operating leases.

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	irm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of minimum sublease rentals to be received by the lessee in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for operating leases.

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	irm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of minimum sublease rentals to be received by the lessee in the fourth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for operating leases.

No definition available.

Name:	irm_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueFutureMinimumSubleaseRentalsWithinFourYears
Namespace Prefix:	irm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of minimum sublease rentals to be received by the lessee in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for operating leases.

No definition available.

Name:	irm_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueFutureMinimumSubleaseRentalsWithinOneYear
Namespace Prefix:	irm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of minimum sublease rentals to be received by the lessee in the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for operating leases.

No definition available.

Name:	irm_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueFutureMinimumSubleaseRentalsWithinThreeYears
Namespace Prefix:	irm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of minimum sublease rentals to be received by the lessee in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for operating leases.

No definition available.

Name:	irm_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueFutureMinimumSubleaseRentalsWithinTwoYears
Namespace Prefix:	irm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of minimum lease payments for capital leases.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6455398&loc=d3e45280-112737

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Period Type:	instant

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
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Amount of minimum lease payments maturing in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for capital leases.

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Period Type:	instant

Amount of minimum lease payments maturing in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for capital leases.

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInFiveYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of minimum lease payments maturing in the forth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for capital leases.

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInFourYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of minimum lease payments maturing in the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for capital leases.

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInThreeYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of minimum lease payments maturing in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for capital leases.

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInTwoYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of minimum lease payments maturing after the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for capital leases.

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueThereafter
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Amount necessary to reduce net minimum lease payments to present value for capital leases.

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsInterestIncludedInPayments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Name:	us-gaap_CommitmentsAndContingenciesDisclosureAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Amount of contractual obligation maturing after the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_ContractualObligationDueAfterFifthYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of contractual obligation maturing in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_ContractualObligationDueInFifthYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of contractual obligation maturing in the fourth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_ContractualObligationDueInFourthYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of contractual obligation maturing in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_ContractualObligationDueInNextTwelveMonths
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Period Type:	instant

Amount of contractual obligation maturing in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_ContractualObligationDueInSecondYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of contractual obligation maturing in the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_ContractualObligationDueInThirdYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
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Period Type:	duration

Term of the lessee's leasing arrangement renewal, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_LesseeLeasingArrangementsOperatingLeasesRenewalTerm
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Amount of required minimum rental payments for leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 10

-Section 55

-Paragraph 40

-Subparagraph (Note 3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584154&loc=d3e38371-112697

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453985&loc=d3e41502-112717

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
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Amount of required minimum rental payments maturing in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year.

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Period Type:	instant

Contractually required future rental payments receivable on noncancelable subleasing arrangements.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453985&loc=d3e41502-112717

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Amount of required minimum rental payments maturing in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year.

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInFiveYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Amount of required minimum rental payments maturing in the forth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year.

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInFourYears
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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Amount of required minimum rental payments maturing in the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year.

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInThreeYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Amount of required minimum rental payments maturing in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year.

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInTwoYears
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Amount of required minimum rental payments maturing after the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year.

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueThereafter
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Rental expense for the reporting period incurred under operating leases, including minimum and any contingent rent expense, net of related sublease income.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453985&loc=d3e41499-112717

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

The total amount of sublease rental income recognized during the period that reduces the entity's rent expense incurred under operating leases.