Debt of the Operating Partnership (Floating and Base Rate Borrowing) (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($) $ / $ $ / € $ / $ $ / $ $ / $ $ / £ $ / ¥	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) $ / $ $ / $ $ / $ $ / ¥ $ / £ $ / € $ / $
3.750% notes due 2030 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	3.75%
Canadian dollar (CAD) | Unsecured term loans, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Exchange rate | $ / $	0.71	0.77
Digital Realty Trust, L.P.
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 12,350,185
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Global revolving credit facilities, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 613,913	$ 245,766
Interest rate basis spread	0.90%
Commitment fee percentage	0.20%
Letters of credit issued	$ 46,500
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Yen Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 227,919	$ 146,451
Weighted-average interest rate	0.50%	0.50%
Commitment fee percentage	0.50%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loans, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 774,096
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loans, net | Interest Rate Swap
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted-average interest rate	2.18%	2.39%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 10,722,212
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Secured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	239,964
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | 2023 and 2024 Term Loan | Unsecured term loans, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 774,096	$ 813,205
Weighted-average interest rate	1.97%	2.62%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | 3.750% notes due 2030 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 683,100	$ 729,135
Stated interest rate	3.75%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Floating Rate | Global revolving credit facilities, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 385,994	$ 99,315
Weighted-average interest rate	1.51%	1.75%
Interest rate basis spread	0.90%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Floating Rate | Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 613,913	$ 245,766
Weighted-average interest rate	1.13%	1.00%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | U.S. dollar ($) | Unsecured term loans, net | Interest Rate Swap
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted-average interest rate	2.44%	2.44%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | U.S. dollar ($) | 2023 and 2024 Term Loan | Unsecured term loans, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 300,000	$ 300,000
Weighted-average interest rate	1.70%	2.74%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | U.S. dollar ($) | Floating Rate | Global revolving credit facilities, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 200,000
Weighted-average interest rate	1.82%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | British pound sterling () | Unsecured term loans, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Exchange rate | $ / £	1.24	1.33
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Euro () | Global revolving credit facilities, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Exchange rate | $ / €	1.10	1.12
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Euro () | Floating Rate | Global revolving credit facilities, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 110,310	$ 44,852
Weighted-average interest rate	0.90%	0.90%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Australian dollar (AUD) | Global revolving credit facilities, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Exchange rate | $ / $	0.61	0.70
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Australian dollar (AUD) | Unsecured term loans, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Exchange rate | $ / $	0.61	0.70
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Australian dollar (AUD) | 2023 and 2024 Term Loan | Unsecured term loans, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 177,983	$ 203,820
Weighted-average interest rate	1.59%	1.85%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Australian dollar (AUD) | Floating Rate | Global revolving credit facilities, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 1,104	$ 1,264
Weighted-average interest rate	1.36%	1.74%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Hong Kong dollar (HKD) | Global revolving credit facilities, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Exchange rate | $ / $	0.13
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Hong Kong dollar (HKD) | Unsecured term loans, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Exchange rate | $ / $	0.13	0.13
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Hong Kong dollar (HKD) | 2023 and 2024 Term Loan | Unsecured term loans, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 86,082	$ 85,629
Weighted-average interest rate	2.27%	3.60%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Hong Kong dollar (HKD) | Floating Rate | Global revolving credit facilities, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 1,548
Weighted-average interest rate	2.04%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Japanese yen (JPY) | Global revolving credit facilities, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Exchange rate | $ / ¥	0.01	0.01
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Singapore dollar (SGD) | Global revolving credit facilities, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Exchange rate | $ / $	0.70	0.74
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Singapore dollar (SGD) | Unsecured term loans, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Exchange rate | $ / $	0.70	0.74
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Singapore dollar (SGD) | 2023 and 2024 Term Loan | Unsecured term loans, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 140,007	$ 147,931
Weighted-average interest rate	2.56%	2.68%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Singapore dollar (SGD) | Floating Rate | Global revolving credit facilities, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 56,326	$ 53,199
Weighted-average interest rate	1.26%	2.46%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Canadian dollar (CAD) | Global revolving credit facilities, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Exchange rate | $ / $	0.71
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Canadian dollar (CAD) | Unsecured term loans, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Exchange rate | $ / $	0.71	0.77
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Canadian dollar (CAD) | Unsecured term loans, net | Interest Rate Swap
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted-average interest rate	1.78%	1.78%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Canadian dollar (CAD) | 2023 and 2024 Term Loan | Unsecured term loans, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 70,024	$ 75,825
Weighted-average interest rate	2.53%	3.00%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Canadian dollar (CAD) | Floating Rate | Global revolving credit facilities, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 16,706
Weighted-average interest rate	2.51%