SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands				12 Months Ended
	May 18, 2016 $ / shares shares	Oct. 09, 2015 USD ($) shares	Jul. 17, 2015 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) multiplier component $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)
Common Stock [Abstract]
Common stock, shares authorized				25,413,000	25,413,000
Common stock, shares issued				25,413,000	25,413,000
Common stock, shares outstanding				18,774,000	19,021,000
Common stock voting rights per share | $ / shares				$ 1
Value of common stock paid at acquisition | $				$ 0	$ 21,733	$ 0
Equity Incentive Plan [Abstract]
Maximum number of Altisource share-based awards that can be granted under the Plan (in shares)				6,700,000
Share-based awards available for future grants under the Plan (in shares)				1,500,000
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Share-based compensation expense (in dollars) | $				$ 6,200	$ 4,800	$ 2,200
Estimated unrecognized compensation costs (in dollars) | $				$ 6,200
Weighted average remaining requisite service period for stock options over which unrecognized compensation costs would be recognized				2 years 1 month 17 days
Outstanding (in shares)				1,996,509	3,163,125
Stock options granted, approximate (in shares)				144,654	900,000	100,000
Weighted average exercise price of stock options granted (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 29.17	$ 24.21	$ 84.61
Assumptions used to determine the fair value of options as of the grant date
Fair value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				16.82	13.20	26.92
Weighted average fair value of stock options granted and total intrinsic value of stock options exercised
Weighted average fair value at grant date per share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 16.82	$ 13.20	$ 26.92
Intrinsic value of options exercised (in dollars) | $				$ 18,209	$ 1,998	$ 10,250
Grant date fair value of options vested during the period (in dollars) | $				$ 2,698	$ 1,616	$ 2,641
Black-Scholes
Assumptions used to determine the fair value of options as of the grant date
Risk-free interest rate, minimum (as a percent)				1.25%	1.50%	1.80%
Risk-free interest rate, maximum (as a percent)				1.89%	1.91%	1.91%
Expected stock price volatility, minimum (as a percent)				59.75%	55.06%	37.57%
Expected stock price volatility, maximum (as a percent)				62.14%	59.73%	45.15%
Expected option life						6 years 3 months
Binomial Lattice Model [Member]
Assumptions used to determine the fair value of options as of the grant date
Risk-free interest rate, minimum (as a percent)				0.23%	0.02%	0.01%
Risk-free interest rate, maximum (as a percent)				2.23%	2.34%	2.49%
Expected stock price volatility, minimum (as a percent)				59.76%	55.06%	38.38%
Expected stock price volatility, maximum (as a percent)				62.14%	59.73%	45.15%
Minimum
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Vesting period				1 year
Share based compensation arrangement by share based payment award estimated forfeiture rate				0.00%
Minimum | Black-Scholes
Assumptions used to determine the fair value of options as of the grant date
Fair value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 11.15	$ 10.01	$ 15.54
Expected option life				6 years	6 years
Weighted average fair value of stock options granted and total intrinsic value of stock options exercised
Weighted average fair value at grant date per share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 11.15	$ 10.01	15.54
Minimum | Binomial Lattice Model [Member]
Assumptions used to determine the fair value of options as of the grant date
Fair value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 11.06	$ 9.91	$ 12.66
Expected option life				4 years 22 days	4 years 29 days	4 years 4 months 10 days
Weighted average fair value of stock options granted and total intrinsic value of stock options exercised
Weighted average fair value at grant date per share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 11.06	$ 9.91	$ 12.66
Maximum
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Vesting period				4 years
Share based compensation arrangement by share based payment award estimated forfeiture rate				40.00%
Maximum | Black-Scholes
Assumptions used to determine the fair value of options as of the grant date
Fair value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 18.60	$ 17.66	41.79
Expected option life				6 years 3 months	6 years 3 months
Weighted average fair value of stock options granted and total intrinsic value of stock options exercised
Weighted average fair value at grant date per share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 18.60	$ 17.66	41.79
Maximum | Binomial Lattice Model [Member]
Assumptions used to determine the fair value of options as of the grant date
Fair value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 19.27	$ 18.05	$ 33.62
Expected option life				4 years 10 months 17 days	4 years 11 months 1 day	5 years 9 months 29 days
Weighted average fair value of stock options granted and total intrinsic value of stock options exercised
Weighted average fair value at grant date per share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 19.27	$ 18.05	$ 33.62
Employee and non employee stock option | Vesting Based on Service
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Vesting period				4 years
Outstanding (in shares)				900,000
Employee and non employee stock option | Vesting Based on Service | Minimum
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Vesting period				3 years
Employee and non employee stock option | Vesting Based on Service | Maximum
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Expiration term				10 years
Employee and non employee stock option | Market-Based
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Outstanding (in shares)				1,000,000
Number of components of an award | component				2
Employee and non employee stock option | Market-Based, ordinary performance
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Market-based options subject to specified performance achievement (as a percent)				0.67
Multiplier of stock price over exercise price as a condition for the award to vest | multiplier				2
Employee and non employee stock option | Market-Based, ordinary performance | Minimum
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Percentage of compounded annual gain of stock price over exercise price required for the award to vest				20.00%
Employee and non employee stock option | Market-Based, extraordinary performance
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Market-based options subject to specified performance achievement (as a percent)				0.33
Multiplier of stock price over exercise price as a condition for the award to vest | multiplier				3
Employee and non employee stock option | Market-Based, extraordinary performance | Minimum
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Percentage of compounded annual gain of stock price over exercise price required for the award to vest				25.00%
Employee and non employee stock option | Performance-Based
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Outstanding (in shares)				100,000
Vesting percentage for awards that vest upon achievement of certain criteria				25.00%
Cumulative vesting percentage for awards that vest in equal annual installments				75.00%
Employee and non employee stock option | Performance-Based | Minimum
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Vesting period				10 years
Stock Repurchase Program, Current
Stock Repurchase Plan [Abstract]
Number of shares of common stock authorized to be purchased	4,600,000
Percentage of outstanding shares authorized to be repurchased	25.00%
Minimum purchase price authorized (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 1.00
Maximum purchase price authorized (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 500.00
Stock Repurchase Programs
Stock Repurchase Plan [Abstract]
Number of shares of common stock purchased				1,400,000	2,100,000	2,500,000
Average purchase price per share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 26.81	$ 27.60	$ 103.67
Remaining number of shares available for repurchase under the plan				3,900,000
Capacity available to repurchase common stock under senior secured term loan (in dollars) | $				$ 395,000
RentRange, Investability and Onit Solutions
Common Stock [Abstract]
Purchase price | $							$ 24,584
Value of common stock paid at acquisition | $		$ 7,300
Contingent consideration arrangements, payment period		4 years
Number of shares exchanged for acquisition, no longer restricted				55,000
RentRange, Investability and Onit Solutions | Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Common Stock [Abstract]
Number of shares exchanged for acquisition		247,000
Value of common stock paid at acquisition | $		$ 7,300
CastleLine
Common Stock [Abstract]
Purchase price | $								$ 33,443
Number of shares exchanged for acquisition			495,000
Value of common stock paid at acquisition | $			$ 14,400
Contingent consideration arrangements, payment period			4 years
Initial purchase price allocation | RentRange, Investability and Onit Solutions
Common Stock [Abstract]
Purchase price | $		$ 24,792
Initial purchase price allocation | CastleLine
Common Stock [Abstract]
Purchase price | $			$ 33,443