Statement Of Equity (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Cumulative Preferred Shares [Member]	Common Shares [Member]	Paid-In Capital [Member]	Accumulated Deficit [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income [Member]	Total Public Storage Shareholders' Equity [Member]	Permanent Noncontrolling Interests [Member]	Total
Balance at Dec. 31, 2009	$ 3,399,777	$ 16,842	$ 5,680,549	$ (153,759)	$ (15,002)	$ 8,928,407	$ 132,974	$ 9,061,381
Redemption of preferred shares (Note 8)	(273,750)		800			(272,950)		(272,950)
Issuance of preferred shares (Note 8)	270,000		(8,897)			261,103		261,103
Redemption of preferred partnership units (Note 7)			(400)			(400)	(100,000)	(100,400)
Redemption of Equity Shares, Series A (8,377,193 shares) (Note 8)			(205,366)			(205,366)		(205,366)
Issuance of common shares in connection with share-based compensation (Note 10)		85	41,223			41,308		41,308
Issuance of common shares (1,149,481 shares) (Note 8)								41,308
Share-based compensation expense, net of cash paid in lieu of common shares (Note 10)			7,918			7,918		7,918
Adjustments of redeemable noncontrolling interest to liquidation value (Note 7)				(319)		(319)		(319)
Increase (decrease) in permanent noncontrolling interest in connection with:
Net income				696,114		696,114		696,114
Net income allocated to:
Redeemable noncontrolling interests				(933)		(933)		(933)
Permanent noncontrolling interests				(22,743)		(22,743)	22,743
Distributions to equity holders:
Preferred shares (Note 8)				(232,745)		(232,745)		(232,745)
Permanent noncontrolling interests							(23,381)	(23,381)
Equity Shares, Series A ($0.6125 per depositary share)				(5,131)		(5,131)		(5,131)
Common shares and restricted share units				(516,894)		(516,894)		(516,894)
Other comprehensive income (Note 2)					(771)	(771)		(771)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2010	3,396,027	16,927	5,515,827	(236,410)	(15,773)	8,676,598	32,336	8,708,934
Redemption of preferred shares (Note 8)	(1,147,256)					(1,147,256)		(1,147,256)
Issuance of preferred shares (Note 8)	862,500		(26,873)			835,627		835,627
Issuance of common shares in connection with share-based compensation (Note 10)		49	26,367			26,416		26,416
Issuance of common shares (1,149,481 shares) (Note 8)								83,524
Issuance of common shares in connection with acquisition of noncontrolling interests (Note 7)		48	57,060			57,108		57,108
Share-based compensation expense, net of cash paid in lieu of common shares (Note 10)			19,445			19,445		19,445
Adjustments of redeemable noncontrolling interest to liquidation value (Note 7)				(764)		(764)		(764)
Increase (decrease) in permanent noncontrolling interest in connection with:
Consolidation or partially-owned entities (Note 4)							17,663	17,663
Acquisition of interests in Subsidiaries (Note 7)			(149,320)			(149,320)	(26,206)	(175,526)
Net income				836,459		836,459		836,459
Net income allocated to:
Redeemable noncontrolling interests				(938)		(938)		(938)
Permanent noncontrolling interests				(11,679)		(11,679)	11,679
Distributions to equity holders:
Preferred shares (Note 8)				(224,877)		(224,877)		(224,877)
Permanent noncontrolling interests							(12,754)	(12,754)
Common shares and restricted share units				(621,369)		(621,369)		(621,369)
Other comprehensive income (Note 2)					(7,241)	(7,241)		(7,241)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2011	3,111,271	17,024	5,442,506	(259,578)	(23,014)	8,288,209	22,718	8,310,927
Redemption of preferred shares (Note 8)	(1,978,771)					(1,978,771)		(1,978,771)
Issuance of preferred shares (Note 8)	1,705,000		(53,544)			1,651,456		1,651,456
Issuance of common shares in connection with share-based compensation (Note 10)								23,185
Issuance of common shares (1,149,481 shares) (Note 8)		115	124,332			124,447		124,447
Share-based compensation expense, net of cash paid in lieu of common shares (Note 10)			15,606			15,606		15,606
Acquisition of redeemable noncontrolling interests			(7,954)			(7,954)		(7,954)
Increase (decrease) in permanent noncontrolling interest in connection with:
Consolidation or partially-owned entities (Note 4)							8,224	8,224
Acquisition of interests in Subsidiaries (Note 7)			(1,350)			(1,350)	(75)	(1,425)
Net income				943,035		943,035		943,035
Net income allocated to:
Redeemable noncontrolling interests				(236)		(236)		(236)
Permanent noncontrolling interests				(3,541)		(3,541)	3,541
Distributions to equity holders:
Preferred shares (Note 8)				(205,241)		(205,241)		(205,241)
Permanent noncontrolling interests							(5,300)	(5,300)
Common shares and restricted share units				(753,913)		(753,913)		(753,913)
Other comprehensive income (Note 2)					22,009	22,009		22,009
Balance at Dec. 31, 2012	$ 2,837,500	$ 17,139	$ 5,519,596	$ (279,474)	$ (1,005)	$ 8,093,756	$ 29,108	$ 8,122,864