Debt of the Operating Partnership (Floating and Base Rate Borrowing) (Details) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 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 | $ / $	0.74	0.77
Digital Realty Trust, L.P.
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 12,474,315
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Global revolving credit facilities, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 74,349	$ 245,766
Interest rate basis spread	0.90%
Commitment fee percentage	0.20%
Letters of credit issued	$ 55,300
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Yen Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross		$ 146,451
Weighted-average interest rate		0.50%
Commitment fee percentage	0.50%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loans, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 801,906
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Unsecured term loans, net | Interest Rate Swap
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted-average interest rate	1.97%	2.39%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 11,359,060
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Secured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 239,000
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | 2023 and 2024 Term Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate basis spread	1.00%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | 2023 and 2024 Term Loan | Unsecured term loans, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 801,906	$ 813,205
Weighted-average interest rate	1.48%	2.62%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | 3.750% notes due 2030 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 682,055	$ 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	$ 74,349	$ 99,315
Weighted-average interest rate	1.06%	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	$ 74,349	$ 245,766
Weighted-average interest rate	1.06%	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	1.18%	2.74%
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 | $ / €	1.12	1.12
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Euro () | Floating Rate | Global revolving credit facilities, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross		$ 44,852
Weighted-average interest rate		0.90%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Australian dollar (AUD) | Global revolving credit facilities, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Exchange rate | $ / $	0.69	0.70
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Australian dollar (AUD) | Unsecured term loans, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Exchange rate | $ / $	0.69	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	$ 200,394	$ 203,820
Weighted-average interest rate	1.09%	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	$ 1,243	$ 1,264
Weighted-average interest rate	0.99%	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	$ 86,083	$ 85,629
Weighted-average interest rate	1.55%	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	$ 2,709
Weighted-average interest rate	1.45%
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 | $ / $	0.72	0.74
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Singapore dollar (SGD) | Unsecured term loans, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Exchange rate | $ / $	0.72	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	$ 142,874	$ 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	$ 70,397	$ 53,199
Weighted-average interest rate	1.05%	2.46%
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | Canadian dollar (CAD) | Unsecured term loans, net
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Exchange rate | $ / $	0.74	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	$ 72,555	$ 75,825
Weighted-average interest rate	1.52%	3.00%