Merger Agreement	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Merger Agreement [Abstract]
Mergers, Acquisitions and Dispositions Disclosures [Text Block]	— Merger Agreement On December 14, 2012, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with ARCT III and certain subsidiaries of each company. The Merger Agreement provided for the merger of ARCT III with and into a subsidiary of the Company (the “Merger”). The Merger was consummated on February 28, 2013. Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, each outstanding share of common stock of ARCT III was converted into the right to receive (i) 0.95 of a share of the Company's common stock, (the "Exchange Ratio") or (ii) $12.00 in cash. In addition, each outstanding unit of equity ownership of the ARCT III OP was converted into the right to receive 0.95 of the same class of unit of equity ownership in the OP. Upon the closing of the Merger, on February 28, 2013, 29.2 million shares, or 16.5% of the then outstanding shares of ARCT III's common stock, were paid in cash at $12.00 per share, which is equivalent to 27.7 million shares of the Company's common stock based on the Exchange Ratio. In addition, 148.1 million shares of ARCT III's common stock were converted to shares of the Company's common stock at the Exchange Ratio, resulting in an additional 140.7 million shares of the Company's common stock outstanding after the exchange. Upon the consummation of the Merger, American Realty Capital III Special Limited Partnership, LLC, the holder of the special limited partner interest in the American Realty Capital Operating Partnership III (the "ARCT III OP"), was entitled to subordinated distributions of net sales proceeds from ARCT III OP which resulted in the issuance of units of limited partner interests in the ARCT III OP, when after applying the Exchange Ratio, resulting in the issuance of an additional 7.3 million OP Units. The parties have agreed that such OP Units will be subject to a minimum one-year holding period before being exchangeable into the Company's common stock. Upon consummation of the Merger, the vesting of the shares of the Company's and ARCT III's outstanding restricted stock was accelerated. In connection with the Merger, the Company also had entered into an agreement with the Sponsor and its affiliates to internalize certain functions performed by them prior to the Merger, at no cost to the Company, including acquisition, accounting and portfolio management services (the “Internalization”). In connection with the Internalization, (i) the Company and its Sponsor terminated the acquisition and capital services agreement dated September 6, 2011, between the parties, which eliminated acquisition and financing fees payable by the Company and (ii) the Manager reduced asset management fees from an annualized 0.50% of the unadjusted book value of all of the Company's assets to 0.50% for up to $3.0 billion of unadjusted book value of assets and 0.40% of unadjusted book value of assets greater than $3.0 billion. In addition, the Company paid $4.1 million for certain furniture, fixtures, equipment, and $1.7 million for other assets and certain costs associated with the Merger. The Company and the Manager are considered entities under common control, as such, the assets acquired from the Manager were recorded by the Company at their carryover basis. Accounting Treatment of the Merger The Company and ARCT III, to the Merger date, were considered to be entities under common control. Both entities' advisors were wholly owned subsidiaries of the Sponsor. The Sponsor and its related parties have significant ownership interests in the Company and had significant ownership of ARCT III through the ownership of shares of common stock and other equity interests. In addition, the advisors of both entities were contractually eligible to charge potential fees for their services to both of the companies including asset management fees, incentive fees and other fees and continue to charge fees to the Company. Due to the significance of these fees, the advisors and ultimately the Sponsor is determined to have a significant economic interest in both companies in addition to having the power to direct the activities of the companies through advisory/management agreements, which qualifies them as affiliated companies under common control in accordance with generally accepted accounting principals in the United States ("U.S. GAAP"). The acquisition of an entity under common control is accounted for on the carryover basis of accounting whereby the assets and liabilities of the companies are recorded upon the merger on the same basis as they were carried by the companies on the Merger date. In addition, U.S. GAAP requires that we present historical financial information as if the entities were combined for each period presented, therefore all financial statements including the notes thereto are presented combining ARCP and ARCT III historical financial information. New Credit Facility On February 14, 2013, ARCT III, through ARCT III OP, its operating partnership, entered into an unsecured credit facility (the "New Credit Facility"), with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, RBS Citizens, N.A. and Regions Bank, as syndication agents, and Capital One, N.A. and JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., as documentation agents. Additionally, upon consummation of the Merger, the Company's senior secured revolving credit facility with RBS (the "RBS Facility") of up to $150.0 million was paid off in full and terminated. ARCT III terminated the Senior Facility (as defined in Note 5 - Credit Facilities) agreement with RBS simultaneous with entering into the New Credit Facility. See Note 5 — Credit Facilities for further description of the New Credit Facility and repayments and terminations of facilities upon the consummation of the Merger.

— Merger Agreement

On December 14, 2012, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with ARCT III and certain subsidiaries of each company. The Merger Agreement provided for the merger of ARCT III with and into a subsidiary of the Company (the “Merger”). The Merger was consummated on February 28, 2013.

Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, each outstanding share of common stock of ARCT III was converted into the right to receive (i) 0.95 of a share of the Company's common stock, (the "Exchange Ratio") or (ii) $12.00 in cash. In addition, each outstanding unit of equity ownership of the ARCT III OP was converted into the right to receive 0.95 of the same class of unit of equity ownership in the OP.

Upon the closing of the Merger, on February 28, 2013, 29.2 million shares, or 16.5% of the then outstanding shares of ARCT III's common stock, were paid in cash at $12.00 per share, which is equivalent to 27.7 million shares of the Company's common stock based on the Exchange Ratio. In addition, 148.1 million shares of ARCT III's common stock were converted to shares of the Company's common stock at the Exchange Ratio, resulting in an additional 140.7 million shares of the Company's common stock outstanding after the exchange.

Upon the consummation of the Merger, American Realty Capital III Special Limited Partnership, LLC, the holder of the special limited partner interest in the American Realty Capital Operating Partnership III (the "ARCT III OP"), was entitled to subordinated distributions of net sales proceeds from ARCT III OP which resulted in the issuance of units of limited partner interests in the ARCT III OP, when after applying the Exchange Ratio, resulting in the issuance of an additional 7.3 million OP Units. The parties have agreed that such OP Units will be subject to a minimum one-year holding period before being exchangeable into the Company's common stock.

Upon consummation of the Merger, the vesting of the shares of the Company's and ARCT III's outstanding restricted stock was accelerated.

In connection with the Merger, the Company also had entered into an agreement with the Sponsor and its affiliates to internalize certain functions performed by them prior to the Merger, at no cost to the Company, including acquisition, accounting and portfolio management services (the “Internalization”). In connection with the Internalization, (i) the Company and its Sponsor terminated the acquisition and capital services agreement dated September 6, 2011, between the parties, which eliminated acquisition and financing fees payable by the Company and (ii) the Manager reduced asset management fees from an annualized 0.50% of the unadjusted book value of all of the Company's assets to 0.50% for up to $3.0 billion of unadjusted book value of assets and 0.40% of unadjusted book value of assets greater than $3.0 billion. In addition, the Company paid $4.1 million for certain furniture, fixtures, equipment, and $1.7 million for other assets and certain costs associated with the Merger. The Company and the Manager are considered entities under common control, as such, the assets acquired from the Manager were recorded by the Company at their carryover basis.

Accounting Treatment of the Merger

The Company and ARCT III, to the Merger date, were considered to be entities under common control. Both entities' advisors were wholly owned subsidiaries of the Sponsor. The Sponsor and its related parties have significant ownership interests in the Company and had significant ownership of ARCT III through the ownership of shares of common stock and other equity interests. In addition, the advisors of both entities were contractually eligible to charge potential fees for their services to both of the companies including asset management fees, incentive fees and other fees and continue to charge fees to the Company. Due to the significance of these fees, the advisors and ultimately the Sponsor is determined to have a significant economic interest in both companies in addition to having the power to direct the activities of the companies through advisory/management agreements, which qualifies them as affiliated companies under common control in accordance with generally accepted accounting principals in the United States ("U.S. GAAP"). The acquisition of an entity under common control is accounted for on the carryover basis of accounting whereby the assets and liabilities of the companies are recorded upon the merger on the same basis as they were carried by the companies on the Merger date. In addition, U.S. GAAP requires that we present historical financial information as if the entities were combined for each period presented, therefore all financial statements including the notes thereto are presented combining ARCP and ARCT III historical financial information.

New Credit Facility

On February 14, 2013, ARCT III, through ARCT III OP, its operating partnership, entered into an unsecured credit facility (the "New Credit Facility"), with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, RBS Citizens, N.A. and Regions Bank, as syndication agents, and Capital One, N.A. and JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., as documentation agents.

Additionally, upon consummation of the Merger, the Company's senior secured revolving credit facility with RBS (the "RBS Facility") of up to $150.0 million was paid off in full and terminated. ARCT III terminated the Senior Facility (as defined in Note 5 - Credit Facilities) agreement with RBS simultaneous with entering into the New Credit Facility.

See Note 5 — Credit Facilities for further description of the New Credit Facility and repayments and terminations of facilities upon the consummation of the Merger.