Income per Unit (Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings per Share) (Details) - shares	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	19,802,124	20,522,727
Series L Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	2,723,082
Digital Realty Trust, L.P.
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	11,522,789	11,292,816
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Series C Preferred Units
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	1,596,099	1,738,781
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Series G Preferred Units
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	1,979,075	2,155,992
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Series H Preferred Units
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)		3,159,382
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Series I Preferred Units
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	1,981,391	2,158,515
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Potentially dilutive Series J Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Units
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	1,580,822	1,722,138
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Potentially dilutive Series K Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Units
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	1,662,320	358,008
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Series L Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (units)	2,723,082