Consolidated Statements Of Income - USD ($) shares in Thousands		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Aug. 01, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Income Statement [Abstract]
Rental revenue										$ 399,589,000	$ 330,886,000	$ 286,673,000
Tenant reimbursements										15,595,000	16,320,000	17,663,000
Other income										9,039,000	3,629,000	1,009,000
Mortgage and other financing income										69,019,000	70,182,000	79,706,000
Total revenue		$ 130,831,000	$ 125,610,000	$ 118,033,000	$ 118,768,000	$ 111,988,000	$ 108,335,000	$ 101,258,000	$ 99,436,000	493,242,000	421,017,000	385,051,000
Property operating expense										22,602,000	23,433,000	24,897,000
Other expense										5,000	648,000	771,000
General and administrative expense										37,543,000	31,021,000	27,566,000
Retirement severance expense										0	18,578,000	0
Costs associated with loan refinancing or payoff										905,000	270,000	301,000
Interest expense, net										97,144,000	79,915,000	81,270,000
Transaction costs										7,869,000	7,518,000	2,452,000
Provision for loan losses										0	0	3,777,000
Depreciation and amortization										107,573,000	89,617,000	66,739,000
Income before equity in income from joint ventures and other items										219,601,000	170,017,000	177,278,000
Equity in income from joint ventures										619,000	969,000	1,273,000
Gain on sale of real estate	$ 0									5,315,000	23,829,000	1,209,000
Gain on sale of investment in a direct financing lease										0	0	220,000
Income before income taxes										225,535,000	194,815,000	179,980,000
Income tax expense										(553,000)	(482,000)	(4,228,000)
Income from continuing operations										224,982,000	194,333,000	175,752,000
Discontinued operations:
Income from discontinued operations										0	199,000	505,000
Transaction costs										0	0	3,376,000
Net income attributable to EPR Properties		$ 52,190,000	$ 51,575,000	$ 49,183,000	$ 48,228,000	$ 46,799,000	$ 44,244,000	$ 42,814,000	$ 36,869,000	224,982,000	194,532,000	179,633,000
Preferred dividend requirements										(23,806,000)	(23,806,000)	(23,807,000)
Net income available to common shareholders of EPR Properties										$ 201,176,000	$ 170,726,000	$ 155,826,000
Basic earnings per share data:
Income from continuing operations										$ 3.17	$ 2.93	$ 2.80
Income from discontinued operations										0.00	0.01	0.07
Net income available to common shareholders		$ 0.82	$ 0.81	$ 0.77	$ 0.77	$ 0.78	$ 0.76	$ 0.75	$ 0.65	3.17	2.94	2.87
Diluted earnings per share data:
Income from continuing operations										3.17	2.92	2.79
Income from discontinued operations										0.00	0.01	0.07
Net income available to common shareholders		$ 0.82	$ 0.81	$ 0.77	$ 0.77	$ 0.78	$ 0.76	$ 0.75	$ 0.64	$ 3.17	$ 2.93	$ 2.86
Shares used for computation (in thousands):
Basic										63,381	58,138	54,244
Diluted										63,474	58,328	54,444