Income Taxes - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Percentage of REIT taxable income that is the Company's objective to distribute within the permitted timeframe	100.00%
Valuation allowance	$ 51,680	$ 74,141
Federal net operating loss carryforward	$ 142,100

Percentage of REIT taxable income that is the Company's objective to distribute within the permitted timeframe

No definition available.

Name:	mfa_RealEstateInvestmentTrustsREITTaxableIncomeDistributionObjectivePercent
Namespace Prefix:	mfa_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible domestic operating loss carryforwards. Excludes state and local operating loss carryforwards.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121826272&loc=d3e32632-109319

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121826272&loc=d3e32621-109319

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of deferred tax assets for which it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121826272&loc=d3e32537-109319

+ Details

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

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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