SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION (Details)				12 Months Ended
	May 18, 2016 $ / shares shares	Oct. 09, 2015 USD ($) shares	Jul. 17, 2015 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) component vote $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) $ / shares shares
Common Stock [Abstract]
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares)				100,000,000	25,413,000
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)				25,413,000	25,413,000
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares)				17,418,000	18,774,000
Voting rights per share | vote				1
Business combination, consideration transferred | $				$ 0
Value of common stock paid at acquisition | $				$ 0	$ 0	$ 21,733,000
Equity Incentive Plan [Abstract]
Maximum number of Altisource share-based awards that can be granted under the Plan (in shares)				6,700,000.0
Share-based awards available for future grants under the Plan (in shares)				1,500,000
Share Repurchase Program [Abstract]
Capacity available to repurchase common stock under senior secured term loan (in dollars) | $				$ 446,000,000
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Estimated unrecognized compensation costs (in dollars) | $				9,000,000
Share-based compensation expense (in dollars) | $				$ 4,300,000	$ 6,200,000	$ 4,800,000
Weighted average remaining requisite service period for stock options over which unrecognized compensation costs would be recognized				2 years 2 months 5 days
Options outstanding (in shares)				1,745,906	1,996,509
Stock options granted, approximate (in shares)				243,930	145,000	854,000
Weighted average exercise price of stock options granted (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 33.28	$ 29.17	$ 24.21
Assumptions used to determine the fair value of options as of the grant date
Expected dividend yield				0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
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				$ 20.44	$ 16.82	$ 13.20
Intrinsic value of options exercised (in dollars) | $				$ 3,028,000	$ 18,209,000	$ 1,998,000
Grant date fair value of options vested during the period (in dollars) | $				$ 2,279,000	$ 2,698,000	$ 1,616,000
Minimum
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
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
Risk-free interest rate (%)				1.89%	1.25%	1.50%
Expected stock price volatility (%)				61.49%	59.75%	55.06%
Expected option life (in years)				6 years	6 years	6 years
Fair value (in usd per share) | $ / shares				$ 13.57	$ 11.15	$ 10.01
Minimum | Binomial
Assumptions used to determine the fair value of options as of the grant date
Risk-free interest rate (%)				0.77%	0.23%	0.02%
Expected stock price volatility (%)				66.68%	59.76%	55.06%
Expected option life (in years)				2 years 6 months 18 days	4 years 22 days	4 years 29 days
Fair value (in usd per share) | $ / shares				$ 11.94	$ 11.06	$ 9.91
Maximum
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
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
Risk-free interest rate (%)				2.29%	1.89%	1.91%
Expected stock price volatility (%)				71.52%	62.14%	59.73%
Expected option life (in years)				7 years 6 months	6 years 3 months	6 years 3 months
Fair value (in usd per share) | $ / shares				$ 24.80	$ 18.60	$ 17.66
Maximum | Binomial
Assumptions used to determine the fair value of options as of the grant date
Risk-free interest rate (%)				2.38%	2.23%	2.34%
Expected stock price volatility (%)				71.52%	62.14%	59.73%
Expected option life (in years)				4 years 9 months 26 days	4 years 10 months 17 days	4 years 11 months 1 day
Fair value (in usd per share) | $ / shares				$ 24.30	$ 19.27	$ 18.05
Stock Repurchase Program, Current
Share Repurchase Program [Abstract]
Number of shares of common stock authorized to be purchased	4,600,000.0
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 program, period in force	5 years
Remaining number of shares available for repurchase under the plan (in shares)				3,400,000
Stock Repurchase Programs
Share Repurchase Program [Abstract]
Number of shares of common stock purchased (in shares)				1,600,000	1,400,000	2,100,000
Average purchase price per share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 23.84	$ 26.81	$ 27.60
Luxembourg law limitation
Share Repurchase Program [Abstract]
Capacity available to repurchase common stock under senior secured term loan (in dollars) | $				$ 178,000,000
Restricted Shares | Performance-Based, Vesting Period One
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, award vesting rights, percentage				33.00%
Restricted Shares | Performance-Based, Vesting Period Two
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, award vesting rights, percentage				33.00%
Restricted Shares | Performance-Based, Vesting Period Three
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, award vesting rights, percentage				33.00%
Restricted Shares | Minimum | Vesting Based on Service
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Vesting period				1 year
Restricted Shares | Minimum | Performance-Based
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Attainment above threshold performance levels, vesting percentage				80.00%
Restricted Shares | Maximum | Vesting Based on Service
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Vesting period				4 years
Restricted Shares | Maximum | Performance-Based
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Attainment above threshold performance levels, vesting percentage				150.00%
Employee and non employee stock option | Performance-Based, Vesting Period One
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, award vesting rights, percentage				33.00%
Employee and non employee stock option | Performance-Based, Vesting Period Two
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, award vesting rights, percentage				33.00%
Employee and non employee stock option | Performance-Based, Vesting Period Three
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, award vesting rights, percentage				33.00%
Employee and non employee stock option | Vesting Based on Service
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Options outstanding (in shares)				684,000
Employee and non employee stock option | Market-Based
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Options outstanding (in shares)				936,000
Number of components of an award | component				2
Allowable performance period before expiration date				3 years
Employee and non employee stock option | Performance-Based
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Options outstanding (in shares)				126,000
Employee and non employee stock option | Minimum | Vesting Based on Service
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Vesting period				3 years
Employee and non employee stock option | Minimum | Market-Based
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Vesting period				3 years
Expiration term				10 years
Employee and non employee stock option | Minimum | Market-Based, ordinary performance
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 | Minimum | Market-Based, extraordinary performance
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 | Minimum | Performance-Based
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Allowable performance period before expiration date				10 years
Attainment above threshold performance levels, vesting percentage				70.00%
Employee and non employee stock option | Maximum | Vesting Based on Service
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Vesting period				4 years
Expiration term				10 years
Employee and non employee stock option | Maximum | Market-Based
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Vesting period				4 years
Employee and non employee stock option | Maximum | Performance-Based
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Attainment above threshold performance levels, vesting percentage				150.00%
RentRange, Investability and Onit Solutions
Common Stock [Abstract]
Business combination, consideration transferred | $		$ 24,800,000
Contingent consideration arrangements, payment period		4 years
Number of shares exchanged for acquisition, no longer restricted (in shares)				14,000	55,000
RentRange, Investability and Onit Solutions | Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Common Stock [Abstract]
Number of shares exchanged for acquisition (in shares)		247,000
Value of common stock paid at acquisition | $		$ 7,300,000
Shares exchanged for acquisition, number of shares repurchased				170,000
CastleLine
Common Stock [Abstract]
Number of shares exchanged for acquisition (in shares)			495,000
Value of common stock paid at acquisition | $			$ 14,400,000
Contingent consideration arrangements, payment period			4 years
CastleLine | Initial purchase price allocation
Common Stock [Abstract]
Business combination, consideration transferred | $			$ 33,400,000