Condensed Consolidating Financial Information of Guarantor Subsidiaries - CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF INCOME AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Revenues:
Equipment rentals		$ 1,536	$ 1,322	$ 4,069	$ 3,643
Service and other revenues		30	25	86	79
Total revenues		1,766	1,508	4,719	4,239
Cost of revenues:
Cost of equipment rentals, excluding depreciation		557	486	1,556	1,391
Depreciation of rental equipment		290	250	804	735
Cost of service and other revenues		14	10	42	32
Total cost of revenues		993	852	2,777	2,493
Gross profit		773	656	1,942	1,746
Selling, general and administrative expenses		237	179	648	533
Merger related costs		16	0	32	0
Restructuring charge		9	4	28	8
Non-rental depreciation and amortization		63	61	189	192
Operating (loss) income		448	412	1,045	1,013
Interest (income) expense, net		131	110	338	349
Other (income) expense, net		(5)	(1)	(5)	(3)
Income before provision for income taxes		322	303	712	667
Provision for income taxes		123	116	263	254
Income (loss) before equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries		199	187	449	413
Equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries		0	0	0	0
Net income		199	187	449	413
Other comprehensive income (loss)		42	(9)	75	54
Comprehensive income (loss)	[1]	241	178	524	467
Eliminations
Revenues:
Equipment rentals		0	0	0	0
Service and other revenues		0	0	0	0
Total revenues		0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues:
Cost of equipment rentals, excluding depreciation		0	0	0	0
Depreciation of rental equipment		0	0	0	0
Cost of service and other revenues		0	0	0	0
Total cost of revenues		0	0	0	0
Gross profit		0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses		0	0	0	0
Merger related costs		0		0
Restructuring charge		0	0	0	0
Non-rental depreciation and amortization		0	0	0	0
Operating (loss) income		0	0	0	0
Interest (income) expense, net		(2)	(2)	(4)	(4)
Other (income) expense, net		0	0	0	0
Income before provision for income taxes		2	2	4	4
Provision for income taxes		0	0	0	0
Income (loss) before equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries		2	2	4	4
Equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries		(182)	(141)	(317)	(266)
Net income		(180)	(139)	(313)	(262)
Other comprehensive income (loss)		(116)	25	(211)	(146)
Comprehensive income (loss)		(296)	(114)	(524)	(408)
Parent | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Equipment rentals		0	0	0	0
Service and other revenues		0	0	0	0
Total revenues		0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues:
Cost of equipment rentals, excluding depreciation		0	0	0	0
Depreciation of rental equipment		0	0	0	0
Cost of service and other revenues		0	0	0	0
Total cost of revenues		0	0	0	0
Gross profit		0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses		42	2	84	10
Merger related costs		0		0
Restructuring charge		0	0	0	0
Non-rental depreciation and amortization		3	3	11	11
Operating (loss) income		(45)	(5)	(95)	(21)
Interest (income) expense, net		(5)	(1)	(10)	(4)
Other (income) expense, net		(144)	(123)	(387)	(345)
Income before provision for income taxes		104	119	302	328
Provision for income taxes		39	42	102	121
Income (loss) before equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries		65	77	200	207
Equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries		134	110	249	206
Net income		199	187	449	413
Other comprehensive income (loss)		42	(9)	75	54
Comprehensive income (loss)		241	178	524	467
URNA | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Equipment rentals		1,407	1,208	3,739	3,335
Service and other revenues		27	22	75	69
Total revenues		1,606	1,374	4,314	3,862
Cost of revenues:
Cost of equipment rentals, excluding depreciation		502	435	1,397	1,246
Depreciation of rental equipment		266	227	738	667
Cost of service and other revenues		12	11	37	30
Total cost of revenues		896	768	2,508	2,242
Gross profit		710	606	1,806	1,620
Selling, general and administrative expenses		167	151	483	450
Merger related costs		16		32
Restructuring charge		8	4	27	7
Non-rental depreciation and amortization		54	52	162	163
Operating (loss) income		465	399	1,102	1,000
Interest (income) expense, net		133	109	341	348
Other (income) expense, net		154	136	419	382
Income before provision for income taxes		178	154	342	270
Provision for income taxes		73	64	140	109
Income (loss) before equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries		105	90	202	161
Equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries		29	20	47	45
Net income		134	110	249	206
Other comprehensive income (loss)		42	(9)	75	54
Comprehensive income (loss)		176	101	324	260
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Equipment rentals		0	0	0	0
Service and other revenues		0	0	0	0
Total revenues		0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues:
Cost of equipment rentals, excluding depreciation		0	0	0	0
Depreciation of rental equipment		0	0	0	0
Cost of service and other revenues		0	0	0	0
Total cost of revenues		0	0	0	0
Gross profit		0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses		0	0	0	0
Merger related costs		0		0
Restructuring charge		0	0	0	0
Non-rental depreciation and amortization		0	0	0	0
Operating (loss) income		0	0	0	0
Interest (income) expense, net		1	1	2	2
Other (income) expense, net		0	0	0	0
Income before provision for income taxes		(1)	(1)	(2)	(2)
Provision for income taxes		0	0	0	0
Income (loss) before equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries		(1)	(1)	(2)	(2)
Equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries		19	11	21	15
Net income		18	10	19	13
Other comprehensive income (loss)		41	(9)	75	51
Comprehensive income (loss)		59	1	94	64
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries - Foreign | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Equipment rentals		129	114	330	308
Service and other revenues		3	3	11	10
Total revenues		160	134	405	377
Cost of revenues:
Cost of equipment rentals, excluding depreciation		55	51	159	145
Depreciation of rental equipment		24	23	66	68
Cost of service and other revenues		2	(1)	5	2
Total cost of revenues		97	84	269	251
Gross profit		63	50	136	126
Selling, general and administrative expenses		19	18	57	55
Merger related costs		0		0
Restructuring charge		1	0	1	1
Non-rental depreciation and amortization		6	6	16	18
Operating (loss) income		37	26	62	52
Interest (income) expense, net		1	1	1	2
Other (income) expense, net		10	9	33	29
Income before provision for income taxes		26	16	28	21
Provision for income taxes		7	5	7	6
Income (loss) before equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries		19	11	21	15
Equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries		0	0	0	0
Net income		19	11	21	15
Other comprehensive income (loss)		33	(7)	61	41
Comprehensive income (loss)		52	4	82	56
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries - SPV | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Equipment rentals		0	0	0	0
Service and other revenues		0	0	0	0
Total revenues		0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues:
Cost of equipment rentals, excluding depreciation		0	0	0	0
Depreciation of rental equipment		0	0	0	0
Cost of service and other revenues		0	0	0	0
Total cost of revenues		0	0	0	0
Gross profit		0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses		9	8	24	18
Merger related costs		0		0
Restructuring charge		0	0	0	0
Non-rental depreciation and amortization		0	0	0	0
Operating (loss) income		(9)	(8)	(24)	(18)
Interest (income) expense, net		3	2	8	5
Other (income) expense, net		(25)	(23)	(70)	(69)
Income before provision for income taxes		13	13	38	46
Provision for income taxes		4	5	14	18
Income (loss) before equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries		9	8	24	28
Equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries		0	0	0	0
Net income		9	8	24	28
Other comprehensive income (loss)		0	0	0	0
Comprehensive income (loss)		9	8	24	28
Rental equipment
Revenues:
Sales revenue		139	112	378	361
Cost of revenues:
Cost of goods sold		84	68	225	215
Rental equipment | Eliminations
Revenues:
Sales revenue		0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues:
Cost of goods sold		0	0	0	0
Rental equipment | Parent | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Sales revenue		0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues:
Cost of goods sold		0	0	0	0
Rental equipment | URNA | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Sales revenue		118	99	334	320
Cost of revenues:
Cost of goods sold		73	61	202	193
Rental equipment | Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Sales revenue		0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues:
Cost of goods sold		0	0	0	0
Rental equipment | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries - Foreign | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Sales revenue		21	13	44	41
Cost of revenues:
Cost of goods sold		11	7	23	22
Rental equipment | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries - SPV | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Sales revenue		0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues:
Cost of goods sold		0	0	0	0
New equipment
Revenues:
Sales revenue		40	30	126	96
Cost of revenues:
Cost of goods sold		34	25	108	79
New equipment | Eliminations
Revenues:
Sales revenue		0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues:
Cost of goods sold		0	0	0	0
New equipment | Parent | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Sales revenue		0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues:
Cost of goods sold		0	0	0	0
New equipment | URNA | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Sales revenue		36	28	113	86
Cost of revenues:
Cost of goods sold		31	23	97	71
New equipment | Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Sales revenue		0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues:
Cost of goods sold		0	0	0	0
New equipment | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries - Foreign | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Sales revenue		4	2	13	10
Cost of revenues:
Cost of goods sold		3	2	11	8
New equipment | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries - SPV | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Sales revenue		0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues:
Cost of goods sold		0	0	0	0
Contractor supplies
Revenues:
Sales revenue		21	19	60	60
Cost of revenues:
Cost of goods sold		14	13	42	41
Contractor supplies | Eliminations
Revenues:
Sales revenue		0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues:
Cost of goods sold		0	0	0	0
Contractor supplies | Parent | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Sales revenue		0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues:
Cost of goods sold		0	0	0	0
Contractor supplies | URNA | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Sales revenue		18	17	53	52
Cost of revenues:
Cost of goods sold		12	11	37	35
Contractor supplies | Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Sales revenue		0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues:
Cost of goods sold		0	0	0	0
Contractor supplies | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries - Foreign | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Sales revenue		3	2	7	8
Cost of revenues:
Cost of goods sold		2	2	5	6
Contractor supplies | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries - SPV | Reportable Legal Entities
Revenues:
Sales revenue		0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues:
Cost of goods sold		$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0

[1] There were no material reclassifications from accumulated other comprehensive loss reflected in other comprehensive income (loss) during 2017 or 2016. There is no tax impact related to the foreign currency translation adjustments, as the earnings are considered permanently reinvested. There were no material taxes associated with other comprehensive income (loss) during 2017 or 2016.