Shareholders’ Equity (Preferred Shares Outstanding) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Shares Outstanding	173,000us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesOutstanding	142,500us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesOutstanding
Liquidation Preference	$ 4,325,000psa_LiquidationPreference	$ 3,562,500psa_LiquidationPreference
Series O Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Earliest Redemption Date	Apr. 15, 2015
Dividend Rate %	6.875%
Shares Outstanding	5,800	5,800
Liquidation Preference	145,000	145,000
Series P Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Earliest Redemption Date	Oct. 07, 2015
Dividend Rate %	6.50%
Shares Outstanding	5,000	5,000
Liquidation Preference	125,000	125,000
Series Q Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Earliest Redemption Date	Apr. 14, 2016
Dividend Rate %	6.50%
Shares Outstanding	15,000	15,000
Liquidation Preference	375,000	375,000
Series R Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Earliest Redemption Date	Jul. 26, 2016
Dividend Rate %	6.35%
Shares Outstanding	19,500	19,500
Liquidation Preference	487,500	487,500
Series S Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Earliest Redemption Date	Jan. 12, 2017
Dividend Rate %	5.90%
Shares Outstanding	18,400	18,400
Liquidation Preference	460,000	460,000
Series T Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Earliest Redemption Date	Mar. 13, 2017
Dividend Rate %	5.75%
Shares Outstanding	18,500	18,500
Liquidation Preference	462,500	462,500
Series U Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Earliest Redemption Date	Jun. 15, 2017
Dividend Rate %	5.625%
Shares Outstanding	11,500	11,500
Liquidation Preference	287,500	287,500
Series V Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Earliest Redemption Date	Sep. 20, 2017
Dividend Rate %	5.375%
Shares Outstanding	19,800	19,800
Liquidation Preference	495,000	495,000
Series W Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Earliest Redemption Date	Jan. 16, 2018
Dividend Rate %	5.20%
Shares Outstanding	20,000	20,000
Liquidation Preference	500,000	500,000
Series X Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Earliest Redemption Date	Mar. 13, 2018
Dividend Rate %	5.20%
Shares Outstanding	9,000	9,000
Liquidation Preference	225,000	225,000
Series Y Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Earliest Redemption Date	Mar. 17, 2019
Dividend Rate %	6.375%
Shares Outstanding	11,400
Liquidation Preference	285,000
Series Z Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Earliest Redemption Date	Jun. 04, 2019
Dividend Rate %	6.00%
Shares Outstanding	11,500
Liquidation Preference	287,500
Series A Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Earliest Redemption Date	Dec. 02, 2019
Dividend Rate %	5.875%
Shares Outstanding	7,600
Liquidation Preference	$ 190,000

The liquidation value of our cumulative preferred shares that we repurchased during March 2009.

No definition available.

Name:	psa_LiquidationPreference
Namespace Prefix:	psa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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

- Definition

The percentage rate used to calculate dividend payments on preferred stock.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PreferredStockDividendRatePercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Date the preferred stock has been redeemed, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 505

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21475-112644

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 505

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 11

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21564-112644

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PreferredStockRedemptionDate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Aggregate share number for all nonredeemable preferred stock (or preferred stock redeemable solely at the option of the issuer) held by stockholders. Does not include preferred shares that have been repurchased.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.28)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 29

-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesOutstanding
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=psa_SeriesOPreferredStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=psa_SeriesPPreferredStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=psa_SeriesPreferredStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=psa_SeriesQPreferredStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=psa_SeriesRPreferredStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=psa_SeriesSPreferredStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=psa_SeriesTPreferredStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=psa_SeriesUPreferredStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=psa_SeriesVPreferredStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=psa_SeriesWPreferredStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=psa_SeriesXPreferredStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=psa_SeriesYPreferredStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=psa_SeriesZPreferredStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: