Related Party Transaction, Cumulative Capital Investment Return

No definition available.

Name:	arcp_RelatedPartyTransactionCumulativeCapitalInvestmentReturn
Namespace Prefix:	arcp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Related Party Transaction, Cumulative Capital Investment Return, Threshold Percentage

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	arcp_RelatedPartyTransactionCumulativeCapitalInvestmentReturnThresholdPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	arcp_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Related Party Transaction, Minimum Equity Holding Period

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	arcp_RelatedPartyTransactionMinimumEquityHoldingPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	arcp_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Related Party Transaction, Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Conversion of Units

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	arcp_RelatedPartyTransactionStockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesConversionofUnits
Namespace Prefix:	arcp_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Expenses recognized resulting from transactions (excluding transactions that are eliminated in consolidated or combined financial statements) with related party.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 850

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6457730&loc=d3e39549-107864

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionExpensesFromTransactionsWithRelatedParty
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=arcp_AmericanRealtyCapitalTrustIVInc.Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=arcp_AmericanRealtyCapitalTrustIVInc.Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=arcp_FormerManagerMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=us-gaap_AffiliatedEntityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Related Party Transactions and Arrangements (Merger and Other Non-routine Transactions) (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Jan. 03, 2014
Former Manager [Member] \| Quarterly Incentive Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Affiliated Entity [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	203,558,000	0	0
Affiliated Entity [Member] \| Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	78,244,000	98,360,000
Affiliated Entity [Member] \| Merger And Acquisition Related Costs [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	137,778,000	156,146,000	0
ARCT IV [Member] \| Affiliated Entity [Member] \| Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	78,244,000	0
Minimum equity holding period				2 years
ARCT IV [Member] \| Affiliated Entity [Member] \| Merger And Acquisition Related Costs [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related party expenses	94,213,000	22,459,000
ARCT IV [Member] \| Member Units [Member] \| Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Cumulative capital investment return, threshold percentage				6.00%
ARCT IV [Member] \| Member Units [Member] \| Affiliated Entity [Member] \| Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Stock issued, shares, conversion of units				6,700,000
ARCT IV [Member] \| Member Units [Member] \| Affiliates of Former Manager, Six [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Cumulative capital investment return				358,300,000
ARCT IV [Member] \| ARCT IV [Member] \| Member Units [Member] \| Affiliated Entity [Member] \| Subordinated Distribution Fee [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Stock issued, shares, conversion of units				2,800,000