Organization	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Organization	Organization American Realty Capital Properties, Inc. (the “Company” or “ARCP”) is a self-managed Maryland corporation incorporated on December 2, 2010 that qualified as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes beginning in the taxable year ended December 31, 2011. On September 6, 2011, the Company completed its initial public offering (the “IPO”). The Company’s common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market (“NASDAQ”) under the symbol “ARCP”. The Company operates through two business segments, Real Estate Investment (“REI”) and its private capital management business, Cole Capital (“Cole Capital”), as further discussed in Note 5 — Segment Reporting. Substantially all of the Company’s REI segment is conducted through ARC Properties Operating Partnership, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “OP”). The Company is the sole general partner and holder of 96.9% of the equity interests in the OP as of March 31, 2014. As of March 31, 2014, certain affiliates of the Company and certain unaffiliated investors are limited partners and owners of 2.5% and 0.6%, respectively, of the equity interests in the OP. Under the limited partnership agreement of the OP, after holding units of limited partner interests in the OP (“OP Units”) for a period of one year, unless otherwise consented to by the Company, holders of OP Units have the right to redeem the OP Units for the cash value of a corresponding number of shares of the Company’s common stock or, at the option of the OP, a corresponding number of shares of the Company’s common stock. The remaining rights of the holders of OP Units are limited, however, and do not include the ability to replace the general partner or to approve the sale, purchase or refinancing of the OP’s assets. Substantially all of the Cole Capital segment is conducted through Cole Capital Advisors, Inc. (“CCA”), an Arizona corporation. CCA is treated as a taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”) under Section 856 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”). Prior to January 8, 2014, ARC Properties Advisors, LLC (the Company’s “Former Manager”), a wholly owned subsidiary of AR Capital, LLC (“ARC”), managed the Company’s affairs on a day-to-day basis, with the exception of certain acquisition, accounting and portfolio management services performed by employees of the Company. In August 2013, the Company’s board of directors determined that it was in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders to become self-managed, and the Company completed its transition to self-management on January 8, 2014. In connection with becoming self-managed, the Company terminated the management agreement with its Former Manager at no internalization cost to the Company, entered into employment and incentive compensation arrangements with its executives and acquired from its Former Manager certain assets necessary for its operations. See Note 19 — Related Party Transactions and Arrangements for further discussion. The Company has advanced its investment objectives by not only growing its net lease portfolio through organic acquisitions but also through strategic mergers and acquisitions. See Note 2 — Mergers and Acquisitions for further discussion. On March 13, 2014, the Company announced a plan to spin off substantially all of its multi-tenant shopping center properties into a newly formed publicly traded entity expected to qualify as a REIT, American Realty Capital Centers, Inc., that will operate under the name “ARCenters” and that is expected to trade on The NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “ARCM”. The OP is expected to retain a 25% ownership stake of ARCM’s outstanding shares of common stock. The spin-off will be effected through a pro rata taxable special distribution of one share of ARCenters common stock for every 10 shares of the Company’s common stock and every 10 OP Units. The initial Form 10 registration statement relating to the spin-off was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on April 5, 2014 and the distribution is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2014. The Company’s board of directors has unanimously approved a plan to pursue the spin-off. The transaction is subject to certain conditions, including declaration by the SEC that ARCenters’ registration statement is effective, filing and approval of ARCenters’ listing application with The NASDAQ Global Market, customary third-party consents, and formal approval and declaration of the specified distribution by the Company’s board of directors. The Company may, at any time and for any reason until the proposed transaction is complete, abandon the spin-off or modify or change its terms.

Organization

American Realty Capital Properties, Inc. (the “Company” or “ARCP”) is a self-managed Maryland corporation incorporated on December 2, 2010 that qualified as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes beginning in the taxable year ended December 31, 2011. On September 6, 2011, the Company completed its initial public offering (the “IPO”). The Company’s common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market (“NASDAQ”) under the symbol “ARCP”.

The Company operates through two business segments, Real Estate Investment (“REI”) and its private capital management business, Cole Capital (“Cole Capital”), as further discussed in Note 5 — Segment Reporting. Substantially all of the Company’s REI segment is conducted through ARC Properties Operating Partnership, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “OP”). The Company is the sole general partner and holder of 96.9% of the equity interests in the OP as of March 31, 2014. As of March 31, 2014, certain affiliates of the Company and certain unaffiliated investors are limited partners and owners of 2.5% and 0.6%, respectively, of the equity interests in the OP. Under the limited partnership agreement of the OP, after holding units of limited partner interests in the OP (“OP Units”) for a period of one year, unless otherwise consented to by the Company, holders of OP Units have the right to redeem the OP Units for the cash value of a corresponding number of shares of the Company’s common stock or, at the option of the OP, a corresponding number of shares of the Company’s common stock. The remaining rights of the holders of OP Units are limited, however, and do not include the ability to replace the general partner or to approve the sale, purchase or refinancing of the OP’s assets. Substantially all of the Cole Capital segment is conducted through Cole Capital Advisors, Inc. (“CCA”), an Arizona corporation. CCA is treated as a taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”) under Section 856 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”).

Prior to January 8, 2014, ARC Properties Advisors, LLC (the Company’s “Former Manager”), a wholly owned subsidiary of AR Capital, LLC (“ARC”), managed the Company’s affairs on a day-to-day basis, with the exception of certain acquisition, accounting and portfolio management services performed by employees of the Company. In August 2013, the Company’s board of directors determined that it was in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders to become self-managed, and the Company completed its transition to self-management on January 8, 2014. In connection with becoming self-managed, the Company terminated the management agreement with its Former Manager at no internalization cost to the Company, entered into employment and incentive compensation arrangements with its executives and acquired from its Former Manager certain assets necessary for its operations. See Note 19 — Related Party Transactions and Arrangements for further discussion.

The Company has advanced its investment objectives by not only growing its net lease portfolio through organic acquisitions but also through strategic mergers and acquisitions. See Note 2 — Mergers and Acquisitions for further discussion.

On March 13, 2014, the Company announced a plan to spin off substantially all of its multi-tenant shopping center properties into a newly formed publicly traded entity expected to qualify as a REIT, American Realty Capital Centers, Inc., that will operate under the name “ARCenters” and that is expected to trade on The NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “ARCM”. The OP is expected to retain a 25% ownership stake of ARCM’s outstanding shares of common stock. The spin-off will be effected through a pro rata taxable special distribution of one share of ARCenters common stock for every 10 shares of the Company’s common stock and every 10 OP Units. The initial Form 10 registration statement relating to the spin-off was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on April 5, 2014 and the distribution is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2014. The Company’s board of directors has unanimously approved a plan to pursue the spin-off. The transaction is subject to certain conditions, including declaration by the SEC that ARCenters’ registration statement is effective, filing and approval of ARCenters’ listing application with The NASDAQ Global Market, customary third-party consents, and formal approval and declaration of the specified distribution by the Company’s board of directors. The Company may, at any time and for any reason until the proposed transaction is complete, abandon the spin-off or modify or change its terms.