Discontinued Operations (Narratives) (Details)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended								1 Months Ended			12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			24 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended				1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended							1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended				6 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) property	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2013 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) property	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($)	Nov. 27, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Continuing Operations USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Continuing Operations USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Hotel property	Dec. 31, 2013 Hotel Discontinued Operations USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Hotel Discontinued Operations USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Assets held-for-sale USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Assets held-for-sale USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Assets held-for-sale Discontinued Operations USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Assets held-for-sale Discontinued Operations USD ($) property	Dec. 31, 2014 Domestic Properties Thirteen Continuing Operations USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Domestic Properties Thirteen Discontinued Operations USD ($) property	Dec. 31, 2012 Property Acquired in CPA 15 Merger Discontinued Operations USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2013 Self-storage officer	Nov. 30, 2013 Self-storage Discontinued Operations USD ($) property	Dec. 31, 2013 Self-storage Discontinued Operations officer	Sep. 30, 2013 Self-storage Discontinued Operations property	Dec. 31, 2014 Contracted Properties Continuing Operations USD ($) property	Jan. 31, 2015 Contracted Properties Continuing Operations Subsequent Event property	Dec. 31, 2014 Properties Sold Continuing Operations USD ($) property	Dec. 31, 2013 Properties Sold Continuing Operations USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Properties Sold Continuing Operations USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Properties Sold Continuing Operations USD ($) property	Dec. 31, 2013 Be Aerospace Discontinued Operations USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2013 Officers Self-storage Discontinued Operations	Nov. 30, 2013 Third Party Self-storage Discontinued Operations	Dec. 31, 2014 Real Estate Ownership USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Real Estate Ownership USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Real Estate Ownership USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Real Estate Ownership Continuing Operations USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Real Estate Ownership Discontinued Operations USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Real Estate Ownership Discontinued Operations USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Domestic Continuing Operations USD ($) property	Dec. 31, 2013 Domestic Discontinued Operations USD ($) property	Dec. 31, 2012 Domestic Discontinued Operations USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Domestic Real Estate Ownership USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Domestic Real Estate Ownership USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Domestic Real Estate Ownership USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Property in France Continuing Operations USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Property in France Continuing Operations EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2013 Property in France Continuing Operations USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global Assets held-for-sale USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global Assets held-for-sale property	Jun. 30, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global Assets held-for-sale Discontinued Operations USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Manufacturing Facility Continuing Operations USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Third Party Purchaser Manufacturing Facility Continuing Operations USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Previous Tenant Manufacturing Facility Continuing Operations USD ($)
Discontinued Operation Additional Disclosures
Revenues	$ 248,333,000	$ 195,945,000	$ 252,907,000	$ 209,008,000	$ 139,008,000	$ 132,592,000	$ 112,221,000	$ 106,030,000	$ 906,193,000	$ 489,851,000	$ 352,361,000							$ 7,500,000	$ 4,200,000												$ 10,300,000							$ 643,130,000	$ 315,965,000	$ 129,181,000							$ 424,325,000	$ 218,758,000	$ 100,620,000
Net income (loss) from operations									228,779,000	95,569,000	91,947,000																				2,100,000	(700,000)	1,600,000
Gain (loss) on sale of real estate, included in continuing operations									1,581,000	(332,000)	2,339,000											(5,100,000)									1,600,000	(300,000)	(200,000)					1,581,000	(332,000)	2,339,000				(100,000)			(5,119,000)	(332,000)	2,242,000	6,700,000									(8,400,000)
Properties sold															1								13			19				2	13			13										2	7
Assets held for sale	7,255,000				86,823,000				7,255,000	86,823,000																																											133,415,000	132,951,000	133,415,000
Number of real estate properties	783								783																			20																													10
Proceeds from the sale of properties																3,700,000				116,400,000			44,800,000	1,400,000		112,300,000					45,600,000				25,300,000										22,700,000						1							123,400,000
Proceeds from foreclosed property																																												8,300,000
Carrying value of foreclosed property																																												8,300,000
Financing cost																																																										15,000,000
Mortgage loan on foreclosed property																																												8,500,000
Accounts receivable																																																											5,500,000
Non-recourse debt	2,532,683,000				1,492,410,000				2,532,683,000	1,492,410,000		21,023,000																																						19,400,000			1,768,288,000	1,768,288,000	1,768,288,000
Gain (loss) on sale of investment properties									29,250,000	39,711,000	(2,773,000)					(200,000)				28,000,000			1,400,000			39,600,000									(500,000)										600,000													(300,000)
Impairment recognized on asset to be disposed																1,100,000	10,500,000	3,400,000		3,100,000			12,500,000						1,300,000		1,700,000	100,000		1,800,000										3,500,000	3,900,000	200,000						4,700,000
Payment of mortgage obligation																				11,400,000						45,100,000																			5,700,000													18,900,000
Real estate investment property	4,833,074,000				2,353,391,000				4,833,074,000	2,353,391,000		33,625,000																																						14,500,000			1,970,175,000	1,969,274,000	1,970,175,000
Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt, reported in continuing operations									(1,244,000)	(2,415,000)	0									(100,000)						(2,500,000)																			(100,000)											(1,200,000)
Number of officers																									2		2
Ownership interest in joint ventures																										38.30%										1.70%	60.00%
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest									179,000	(23,941,000)	(704,000)															24,400,000												179,000	(23,941,000)	(704,000)							177,000	(24,069,000)	(706,000)
Loss on extinguishment of debt attributable to noncontrolling interest, net of tax																										(1,500,000)
Distribution to noncontrolling interest holders									20,646,000	72,059,000	7,314,000															40,800,000
Goodwill allocation adjustment									3,762,000	13,118,000	3,158,000																											3,762,000	13,118,000	3,158,000	2,700,000	3,200,000	7,000,000
Number of properties held for sale																					9								4
Contract selling price																					117,500,000								10,000,000																														5,800,000
Contract Termination Income																																																												1,400,000	4,400,000
Proceeds from sale of direct financing lease													5,500,000	2,000,000
Gain (loss) on sale of direct financing lease													$ (300,000)	$ (200,000)