Net Loss Per Share/Unit (Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted, Operating Partnership) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Net loss from continuing operations attributable to the Operating Partnership	$ 7,529	$ (280,398)	$ (128,963)	$ (626,562)
Less: dividends to preferred shares and participating securities	$ 18,191	$ 37,643	$ 54,142	$ 84,366
Weighted average number of common units outstanding - basic and diluted	903,461,323	902,096,102	903,267,282	756,289,984
VEREIT Operating Partnership, L.P. [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Net loss from continuing operations attributable to the Operating Partnership	$ 7,737	$ (288,202)	$ (132,458)	$ (650,720)
Less: dividends to preferred shares and participating securities	18,191	37,643	54,142	84,366
Net loss attributable to common stockholders/unitholders	$ (10,454)	$ (325,845)	$ (186,600)	$ (735,086)
Weighted average number of common units outstanding - basic and diluted	927,225,120	926,801,361	927,031,079	781,112,325
Basic and diluted net loss from continuing operations per unit attributable to common unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ (0.01)	$ (0.35)	$ (0.20)	$ (0.94)