Business and Organization	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Business and Organization	Business and Organization W. P. Carey Inc., or W. P. Carey, is, together with its consolidated subsidiaries and predecessors, a real estate investment trust, or REIT, that provides long-term financing via sale-leaseback and build-to-suit transactions for companies worldwide and manages a global investment portfolio. We invest primarily in commercial properties domestically and internationally. We earn revenue principally by leasing the properties we own to single corporate tenants, primarily on a triple-net lease basis, which requires each tenant to pay substantially all of the costs associated with operating and maintaining the property. Through our taxable REIT subsidiaries, or TRSs, we also earn revenue as the advisor to publicly-owned, non-listed REITs under the Corporate Property Associates, or CPA^®, brand name, which invest in similar properties. At June 30, 2014, we were the advisor to Corporate Property Associates 17 – Global Incorporated, or CPA^®:17 – Global, and Corporate Property Associates 18 – Global Incorporated, or CPA^®:18 – Global. We were also the advisor to Corporate Property Associates 16 – Global Incorporated, or CPA^®:16 – Global, until its merger with us on January 31, 2014. We refer to CPA^®:16 – Global, CPA^®:17 – Global, and CPA^®:18 – Global as the CPA^® REITs. We are also the advisor to Carey Watermark Investors Incorporated, or CWI, and together with CPA^® REITs, the Managed REITs, a publicly-owned, non-listed REIT that invests in lodging and lodging-related properties. Originally founded in 1973, we reorganized as a REIT in September 2012 in connection with our merger with Corporate Property Associates 15 Incorporated, or CPA^®:15. We refer to that merger as the CPA^®:15 Merger. Our shares of common stock are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WPC.” On January 31, 2014, CPA^®:16 – Global merged with and into us based on a merger agreement, dated as of July 25, 2013, which we refer to as the CPA^®:16 Merger (Note 3). We have elected to be taxed as a REIT under Section 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code. As a REIT, we are not generally subject to United States, or U.S., federal income taxation as long as we satisfy certain requirements, principally relating to the nature of our income and the level of our distributions, as well as other factors. We hold all of our real estate assets attributable to our Real Estate Ownership segment under the REIT structure, while the activities conducted by our Investment Management segment subsidiaries have been organized under TRSs. Reportable Segments Real Estate Ownership — We own and invest in commercial properties principally in the U.S. and the European Union that are then leased to companies, primarily on a triple-net lease basis. We have also invested in several operating properties, such as lodging and self-storage properties. We earn lease revenues from our wholly-owned and co-owned real estate investments that we control. In addition, we generate equity income through co-owned real estate investments that we do not control and our investments in the shares of the Managed REITs (Note 7). Through our special member interests in the operating partnerships of the Managed REITs, we also participate in their cash flows (Note 4). At June 30, 2014, our owned portfolio was comprised of our full or partial ownership interests in 686 properties, substantially all of which were net leased to 216 tenants, with an occupancy rate of 98.5%, and totaled approximately 81.8 million square feet. Collectively, at June 30, 2014, CPA^®:17 – Global and CPA^®:18 – Global owned all or a portion of 375 properties, including certain properties in which we have an ownership interest. Substantially all of these properties, totaling approximately 39.6 million square feet, were net leased to 119 tenants, with an average occupancy rate of approximately 99.96%. CPA^®:17 – Global, CPA^®:18 – Global and CWI also had interests in 100 operating properties for an aggregate of approximately 10.6 million square feet at June 30, 2014. Investment Management — Through our TRSs, we structure and negotiate investments and debt placement transactions for the Managed REITs, for which we earn structuring revenue, and manage their portfolios of real estate investments, for which we earn asset-based management revenue. We earn disposition revenue when we negotiate and structure the sale of properties on behalf of the Managed REITs, and we may also earn incentive revenue and receive other compensation in connection with providing liquidity events for the Managed REITs’ stockholders. We are currently considering alternatives for expanding our investment management operations by raising funds in addition to the existing Managed REITs, although there can be no assurance that we will pursue any of these initiatives. These new funds could invest primarily in assets other than net-lease real estate and include funds raised through publicly traded vehicles, either in the U.S. or internationally.

Business and Organization

W. P. Carey Inc., or W. P. Carey, is, together with its consolidated subsidiaries and predecessors, a real estate investment trust, or REIT, that provides long-term financing via sale-leaseback and build-to-suit transactions for companies worldwide and manages a global investment portfolio. We invest primarily in commercial properties domestically and internationally. We earn revenue principally by leasing the properties we own to single corporate tenants, primarily on a triple-net lease basis, which requires each tenant to pay substantially all of the costs associated with operating and maintaining the property. Through our taxable REIT subsidiaries, or TRSs, we also earn revenue as the advisor to publicly-owned, non-listed REITs under the Corporate Property Associates, or CPA^®, brand name, which invest in similar properties. At June 30, 2014, we were the advisor to Corporate Property Associates 17 – Global Incorporated, or CPA^®:17 – Global, and Corporate Property Associates 18 – Global Incorporated, or CPA^®:18 – Global. We were also the advisor to Corporate Property Associates 16 – Global Incorporated, or CPA^®:16 – Global, until its merger with us on January 31, 2014. We refer to CPA^®:16 – Global, CPA^®:17 – Global, and CPA^®:18 – Global as the CPA^® REITs. We are also the advisor to Carey Watermark Investors Incorporated, or CWI, and together with CPA^® REITs, the Managed REITs, a publicly-owned, non-listed REIT that invests in lodging and lodging-related properties.

Originally founded in 1973, we reorganized as a REIT in September 2012 in connection with our merger with Corporate Property Associates 15 Incorporated, or CPA^®:15. We refer to that merger as the CPA^®:15 Merger. Our shares of common stock are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WPC.”

On January 31, 2014, CPA^®:16 – Global merged with and into us based on a merger agreement, dated as of July 25, 2013, which we refer to as the CPA^®:16 Merger (Note 3).

We have elected to be taxed as a REIT under Section 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code. As a REIT, we are not generally subject to United States, or U.S., federal income taxation as long as we satisfy certain requirements, principally relating to the nature of our income and the level of our distributions, as well as other factors. We hold all of our real estate assets attributable to our Real Estate Ownership segment under the REIT structure, while the activities conducted by our Investment Management segment subsidiaries have been organized under TRSs.

Reportable Segments

Real Estate Ownership — We own and invest in commercial properties principally in the U.S. and the European Union that are then leased to companies, primarily on a triple-net lease basis. We have also invested in several operating properties, such as lodging and self-storage properties. We earn lease revenues from our wholly-owned and co-owned real estate investments that we control. In addition, we generate equity income through co-owned real estate investments that we do not control and our investments in the shares of the Managed REITs (Note 7). Through our special member interests in the operating partnerships of the Managed REITs, we also participate in their cash flows (Note 4). At June 30, 2014, our owned portfolio was comprised of our full or partial ownership interests in 686 properties, substantially all of which were net leased to 216 tenants, with an occupancy rate of 98.5%, and totaled approximately 81.8 million square feet. Collectively, at June 30, 2014, CPA^®:17 – Global and CPA^®:18 – Global owned all or a portion of 375 properties, including certain properties in which we have an ownership interest. Substantially all of these properties, totaling approximately 39.6 million square feet, were net leased to 119 tenants, with an average occupancy rate of approximately 99.96%. CPA^®:17 – Global, CPA^®:18 – Global and CWI also had interests in 100 operating properties for an aggregate of approximately 10.6 million square feet at June 30, 2014.

Investment Management — Through our TRSs, we structure and negotiate investments and debt placement transactions for the Managed REITs, for which we earn structuring revenue, and manage their portfolios of real estate investments, for which we earn asset-based management revenue. We earn disposition revenue when we negotiate and structure the sale of properties on behalf of the Managed REITs, and we may also earn incentive revenue and receive other compensation in connection with providing liquidity events for the Managed REITs’ stockholders. We are currently considering alternatives for expanding our investment management operations by raising funds in addition to the existing Managed REITs, although there can be no assurance that we will pursue any of these initiatives. These new funds could invest primarily in assets other than net-lease real estate and include funds raised through publicly traded vehicles, either in the U.S. or internationally.