Finance Receivables - Net Investments in Direct Financing Lease (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss
Allowance (release) for credit loss	$ 29,074	$ (24,976)	$ 266
Net investments in direct financing leases
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss
Lease payments receivable	285,512	332,618
Unguaranteed residual value	434,234	470,839
Gross minimum lease payments receivable	719,746	803,457
Less: unearned income	(251,441)	(296,411)
Less: allowance for credit losses	(36,977)	(8,733)
Net investments in direct financing leases	431,328	498,313
Financing Receivable
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss
Allowance (release) for credit loss	$ 28,200	$ (3,900)

Amount of deferred selling profit from direct financing lease.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 30
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147479773/842-30-50-6

+ Details

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

- Definition

Present value of lease payments not yet received by lessor and amount expected to be derived from underlying asset, following end of lease term, guaranteed by lessee or other third party unrelated to lessor, from direct financing lease.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount, after allowance for credit loss, of net investment in direct financing lease.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-SubTopic 30
-Topic 842
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147479016/842-30-45-1

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of allowance for credit loss on net investment in direct financing lease.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147479344/326-20-45-1

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (a)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147479319/326-20-50-13

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (f)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147479319/326-20-50-13

+ Details

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

- Definition

Present value expected to be derived from underlying asset, following end of lease term, not guaranteed by lessee or other third party unrelated to lessor.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147479319/326-20-50-13

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name Regulation S-K (SK)
-Number 229
-Section 1405
-Paragraph c
-Publisher SEC

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of expense related loan transactions, lease transactions, credit loss from transactions other than loan and lease transactions, and other loss based on assessment of uncollectability from the counterparty to reduce the account to their net realizable value.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (a)
-SubTopic 10
-Topic 230
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147482740/230-10-45-28

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11B
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-SubTopic 10
-Topic 310
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147481962/310-10-50-11B

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 220
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04.11)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147483589/942-220-S99-1

+ Details

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

- Definition

Direct Financing Lease, Net Investment In Lease, Excluding Deferred Selling Profit

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	wpc_DirectFinancingLeaseNetInvestmentInLeaseExcludingDeferredSellingProfit
Namespace Prefix:	wpc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis=wpc_DirectFinancingLeaseMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivableByReceivableTypeAxis=us-gaap_FinanceReceivablesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: