Noncontrolling Interests (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]

Distributions Declared to OP, LTIP, OPP and MYLTIP Units [Table Text Block]

The following table presents Boston Properties, Inc.’s dividends per share and Boston Properties Limited Partnership’s distributions per OP Unit and LTIP Unit paid in 2017:

Record Date	Payment Date	Dividend (Per Share)		Distribution (Per Unit)
March 31, 2017	April 28, 2017		$0.75		$0.75
December 31, 2016	January 30, 2017		$0.75		$0.75

Schedule Of Noncontrolling Interest Common Units [Table Text Block]

The following table reflects the activity of noncontrolling interests—redeemable partnership units of Boston Properties Limited Partnership for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 (in thousands):

Balance at December 31, 2016	$	2,262,040
Contributions	29,918
Net income	11,432
Distributions	(13,653		)
Conversion of redeemable partnership units	(793		)
Unearned compensation	(18,633		)
Cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle	(1,763		)
Accumulated other comprehensive income	146
Adjustment to reflect redeemable partnership units at redemption value	126,416
Balance at March 31, 2017	$	2,395,110
Balance at December 31, 2015	$	2,286,689
Contributions	30,808
Net income	21,393
Distributions	(11,865		)
Conversion of redeemable partnership units	(446		)
Unearned compensation	(22,424		)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(4,901		)
Adjustment to reflect redeemable partnership units at redemption value	8,218
Balance at March 31, 2016	$	2,307,472

Schedule Of Noncontrolling Interest Property Partnerships [Table Text Block]

The following table reflects the activity of the noncontrolling interests in property partnerships for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 (in thousands):

Balance at December 31, 2016	$	1,530,647
Capital contributions	8,145
Net income	4,424
Accumulated other comprehensive income	72
Distributions	(13,635		)
Balance at March 31, 2017	$	1,529,653
Balance at December 31, 2015	$	1,574,400
Capital contributions	2,489
Net income	10,464
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(10,526		)
Distributions	(12,915		)
Balance at March 31, 2016	$	1,563,912

Noncontrolling Interests [Member]

Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]

Distributions Declared to OP, LTIP, OPP and MYLTIP Units [Table Text Block]

The following table presents Boston Properties Limited Partnership’s distributions on the OP Units and LTIP Units (including the 2012 OPP Units and 2013 MYLTIP Units and, after the February 3, 2017 measurement date, the 2014 MYLTIP Units) and its distributions on the 2014 MYLTIP Units (prior to the February 3, 2017 measurement date), 2015 MYLTIP Units, 2016 MYLTIP Units and 2017 MYLTIP Units (after the February 7, 2017 issuance date) paid in 2017:

Record Date	Payment Date	Distributions per OP Unit and LTIP Unit		Distributions per MYLTIP Unit
March 31, 2017	April 28, 2017		$0.75		$0.075
December 31, 2016	January 30, 2017		$0.75		$0.075