Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	6 Months Ended
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	Jun. 30, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Accounting	The consolidated financial statements of the Company presented herein include the accounts of the General Partner and its consolidated subsidiaries, including the OP. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated upon consolidation. The financial statements are prepared on the accrual basis of accounting in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”).
Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation	The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries and consolidated joint venture arrangements. The portions of the consolidated joint venture arrangements not owned by the Company are presented as non-controlling interests. In addition, as described in Note 1 – Organization, certain third parties have been issued OP Units. Holders of OP Units are considered to be non-controlling interest holders in the OP and their ownership interest is reflected as equity in the consolidated balance sheets. Further, a portion of the earnings and losses of the OP are allocated to non-controlling interest holders based on their respective ownership percentages. Upon conversion of OP Units to common stock, any difference between the fair value of common shares issued and the carrying value of the OP Units converted is recorded as a component of equity. As of both June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, there were approximately 23.8 million Limited Partner OP Units outstanding. In determining whether the Company has a controlling financial interest in a joint venture and the requirement to consolidate the accounts of that entity, management considers factors such as ownership interest, authority to make decisions and contractual and substantive participating rights of the other partners or members as well as whether the entity is a variable interest entity of which the Company is the primary beneficiary. A variable interest is an investment or other interest that will absorb portions of an entity’s expected losses or receive portions of the entity’s expected residual returns. The Company’s evaluation includes consideration of the qualitative and quantitative significance of fees it earns from certain of its relationships and investments. If the Company determines that it holds a variable interest in an entity, it evaluates whether such interest is in a variable interest entity (“VIE”). A VIE is broadly defined as an entity where either (1) the equity investors as a group, if any, lack the power through voting or similar rights to direct the activities of an entity that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance or (2) the equity investment at risk is insufficient to finance that entity’s activities without additional subordinated financial support. A variable interest holder is considered to be the primary beneficiary of a VIE if it has the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and has the obligation to absorb losses of, or the right to receive benefits from, the entity that could potentially be significant to the VIE. The Company qualitatively assesses whether it is (or is not) the primary beneficiary of a VIE. Consideration of various factors include, but are not limited to, the Company’s ability to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance, its form of ownership interest, its representation on the entity’s governing body, the size and seniority of its investment, its ability and the rights of other investors to participate in policy making decisions and to replace the manager of and/or liquidate the entity. The Company consolidates any VIEs when the Company is determined to be the primary beneficiary of the VIE’s operations and the difference between consolidating the VIE and accounting for it using the equity method would be material to the Company’s consolidated financial statements. The Company continually evaluates the need to consolidate joint ventures and the managed investment programs based on standards set forth in GAAP as described above.
Reclassification	The other debt balance from prior year has been combined in the consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows into the captions mortgage notes payable and other debt, net and payments on mortgage notes payable and other debt, respectively. Additionally, state property income and franchise taxes previously included in general and administrative expenses and federal and state income taxes previously included in other income, net have been combined into the caption (provision for) benefit from income and franchise taxes in the consolidated statements of operations.
Assets Held for Sale	The Company classifies real estate investments as held for sale in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Assets held for sale are recorded at the lower of carrying value or estimated fair value, less estimated cost to dispose of the assets. As of June 30, 2015, two properties were classified as held for sale. As of December 31, 2014, two properties were classified as held for sale, which were sold during the first quarter. If circumstances arise which the Company previously considered unlikely and, as a result, the Company decides not to sell a property previously classified as held for sale, the Company will reclassify the property as held and used. The Company measures and records a property that is reclassified as held and used at the lower of (i) its carrying amount before the property was classified as held for sale, adjusted for any depreciation expense that would have been recognized had the property been continuously classified as held and used or (ii) the estimated fair value at the date of the subsequent decision not to sell. Upon classifying an asset as held for sale, the Company will no longer recognize depreciation expense related to the depreciable assets of the property.
Cash and Cash Equivalents	Cash and cash equivalents include cash in bank accounts, as well as investments in highly-liquid money market funds with original maturities of three months or less. The Company deposits cash with several high quality financial institutions. These deposits are guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Company (“FDIC”) up to an insurance limit of $250,000. At times, our cash and cash equivalents may exceed federally insured levels. Although the Company bears risk on amounts in excess of those insured by the FDIC, it has not experienced and does not anticipate any losses due to the high quality of the institutions where the deposits are held. Restricted Cash Restricted cash primarily consists of reserves related to lease expirations, as well as maintenance, structural and debt service reserves.
Revenue Recognition	The Company’s revenues, which are derived primarily from rental income, include rents that each tenant pays in accordance with the terms of each lease reported on a straight-line basis over the initial term of the lease. When the Company acquires a property, the term of each existing lease is considered to commence as of the acquisition date for the purposes of this calculation. Since many of the leases provide for rental increases at specified intervals, straight-line basis accounting requires the Company to record a receivable, and include in revenues, unbilled rent receivables that the Company will only receive if the tenant makes all rent payments required through the expiration of the initial term of the lease. Straight-line rent receivables are included in deferred costs and other assets, net, in the consolidated balance sheets. See Note 8 – Deferred Costs and Other Assets, Net. The Company defers the revenue related to lease payments received from tenants in advance of their due dates. As of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company had $59.0 million and $57.8 million, respectively, of deferred rental income, which is included in deferred rent, derivative, and other liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. Cost recoveries from tenants are included within operating expense reimbursements in the consolidated statements of operations, in the period the related costs are incurred. The Company continually reviews receivables related to rent and unbilled rent receivables and determines collectability by taking into consideration the tenant’s payment history, the financial condition of the tenant, business conditions in the industry in which the tenant operates and economic conditions in the area in which the property is located. In the event that the collectability of a receivable is uncertain, the Company will record an increase in the allowance for uncollectible accounts or record a direct write-off of the receivable in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
Acquisition Related Expenses and Merger and Other Non-routine Transaction Related Expenses	All direct costs incurred as a result of a business combination are classified as acquisition related costs or merger and other non-routine transaction costs and expensed as incurred. Acquisition related expenses include legal and other transaction related costs incurred in connection with self-originated acquisitions including purchases of portfolios. In addition, indirect costs, such as internal salaries, that are tracked and documented in a manner that clearly indicates that the activities driving the cost directly relate to activities necessary to complete, or effect, self-originating purchases are classified as acquisition related expenses. Similar costs incurred in relation to mergers, which are not accounted for as acquisitions, are included in merger and other non-routine transactions in the consolidated statements of operations. Other non-routine transaction related expenses are also presented within merger and other non-routine transactions in the consolidated statements of operations.
Income Taxes	currently qualifies and has elected to be taxed as a REIT for federal income tax purposes under Sections 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code. As a REIT, except as discussed below, the General Partner generally is not subject to federal income tax on taxable income that it distributes to its stockholders so long as it distributes at least 90% of its annual taxable income (computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction and excluding net capital gains). REITs are subject to a number of other organizational and operational requirements. Even if the General Partner maintains its qualification for taxation as a REIT, it may be subject to certain state and local taxes on its income and property, federal income taxes on certain income and excise taxes on its undistributed income. The OP is classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes. As a partnership, the OP is not a taxable entity for federal income tax purposes. Instead, each partner in the OP is required to take into account its allocable share of the OP’s income, gains, losses, deductions and credits for each taxable year. However, the OP may be subject to certain state and local taxes on its income and property. As of June 30, 2015, the OP and the General Partner had no material uncertain income tax positions. The tax years subsequent to and including the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 remain open to examination by the major taxing jurisdictions to which the OP, the General Partner, American Realty Capital Trust III, Inc. (“ARCT III”), CapLease, Inc. (“CapLease”), American Realty Capital Trust IV, Inc., (“ARCT IV”), Cole Real Estate Investments, Inc. (“Cole”) and Cole Credit Property Trust, Inc. are subject. Under the LPA, the OP is to conduct business in such a manner as to permit the General Partner at all times to qualify as a REIT. The Company conducts substantially all of its Cole Capital segment through a TRS structure. A TRS is a subsidiary of a REIT that is subject to corporate federal, state and local income taxes, as applicable. The Company’s use of a TRS enables it to engage in certain business activities while complying with the REIT qualification requirements and to retain any income generated by these businesses for reinvestment without the requirement to distribute those earnings. The Company conducts all of its business in the United States and Canada and, as a result, it files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction, Canadian federal jurisdiction and various state and local jurisdictions. Certain of the Company’s inter-company transactions that have been eliminated in consolidation for financial accounting purposes are also subject to taxation. The Company provides for income taxes in accordance with current authoritative accounting and tax guidance. The tax provision or benefit related to significant or unusual items is recognized in the quarter in which those items occur. In addition, the effect of changes in enacted tax laws, rates or tax status is recognized in the quarter in which the change occurs. The accounting estimates used to compute the provision for or benefit from income taxes may change as new events occur, additional information is obtained or the tax environment changes.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	In May 2014, the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update, (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASU 2014-09”), which supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Revenue Recognition (Topic 605) and requires an entity to recognize revenue in a way that depicts the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017, and allows for either full retrospective adoption or modified retrospective adoption, with early application not permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new standard on its financial statements. In February 2015, FASB issued ASU No. 2015-02, Consolidation (Topic 810): Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis (“ASU 2015-02”), which eliminates the deferral of Financial Accounting Standard (“FAS”) No.167, Amendments to FASB Interpretation No. 46(R), modifies the evaluation of whether limited partnerships and similar legal entities are variable or voting interest entities, eliminates the presumption that the general partner should consolidate a limited partnership, modifies the consolidation analysis for reporting entities that are involved with variable interest entities, particularly those that have fee arrangements and related party relationships, and provides a scope exception for reporting entities with interests in legal entities that operate as registered money market funds. These changes will require re-evaluation of the consolidation conclusion for certain entities and will require the Company to revise its analysis regarding the consolidation or deconsolidation of such entities. ASU 2015-02 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. Companies may elect to apply the amendments in ASU 2015-02 using a modified retrospective approach or by applying the amendments retrospectively. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new standard on its financial statements. In April 2015, FASB issued ASU 2015-03, Interest – Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs. The update requires debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability rather than presenting the costs as an asset, a deferred charge. The previous requirement to recognize debt issuance costs as deferred charges conflicts with the guidance in FASB Concepts Statement No. 6, “Elements of Financial Statements,” which states that debt issuance costs are similar to debt discounts and in effect reduce the proceeds of borrowing, thereby increasing the effective interest rate. FASB Concepts Statement No. 6 further states that debt issuance costs cannot be an asset because they provide no future economic benefit. After the update is adopted, debt disclosures will include the face amount of the debt liability and the effective interest rate. For public companies, ASU 2015-03 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and is to be applied retrospectively, with early adoption permitted. The Company has evaluated the impact of the adoption of this new standard, which is expected to result in reclassifications of certain deferred costs on the Company’s balance sheets but will not have an impact on its results of operations or cash flows.