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Income Taxes (Narratives) (Details) (USD $)
 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2014
Income Tax Disclosures    
Out of period adjustment $ 2,300,000us-gaap_QuantifyingMisstatementInCurrentYearFinancialStatementsAmount  
Deferred tax asset of foreign net operating loss, before valuation allowance 17,034,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsForeign 16,627,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsForeign
Deferred tax asset, valuation allowance 18,214,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance 20,672,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
Deferred income tax asset net of valuations 42,971,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNet 42,758,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNet
Basis differences - foreign investments 4,482,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsInvestments 6,576,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsInvestments
Net income    
Income Tax Disclosures    
Out of period adjustment (2,000,000)us-gaap_QuantifyingMisstatementInCurrentYearFinancialStatementsAmount
/ us-gaap_QuantifyingMisstatementInCurrentYearFinancialStatementsByNatureOfErrorAxis
= wpc_IncomeTaxesNetMember		  
Foreign Tax    
Income Tax Disclosures    
Operating loss carryforward 61,700,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember		 70,300,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember
Deferred income tax asset net of valuations   2,500,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNet
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember
Minimum    
Income Tax Disclosures    
Open tax years by major jurisdictions   2014
Maximum    
Income Tax Disclosures    
Open tax years by major jurisdictions   2008
Deferred tax asset | Accounting for income taxes in foreign jurisdictions    
Income Tax Disclosures    
Out of period adjustment 2,300,000us-gaap_QuantifyingMisstatementInCurrentYearFinancialStatementsAmount
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= wpc_DeferredTaxAssetMember
/ us-gaap_QuantifyingMisstatementInCurrentYearFinancialStatementsByNatureOfErrorAxis
= wpc_AccountingForIncomeTaxesForeignMember		  
Deferred tax liability | Accounting for income taxes in foreign jurisdictions    
Income Tax Disclosures    
Out of period adjustment $ (37,500,000)us-gaap_QuantifyingMisstatementInCurrentYearFinancialStatementsAmount
/ us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis
= wpc_DeferredTaxLiabilityMember
/ us-gaap_QuantifyingMisstatementInCurrentYearFinancialStatementsByNatureOfErrorAxis
= wpc_AccountingForIncomeTaxesForeignMember