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								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Net loss from continuing operations attributable to the Operating Partnership	$ (187,390)	$ 7,529	$ (106,522)	$ (29,970)	$ (350,623)	$ (280,398)	$ (54,720)	$ (291,444)	$ (316,353)	$ (977,185)	$ (491,499)
Less: dividends to preferred shares and participating securities									$ 72,302	$ 104,057	$ 3,631
Weighted average number of common units outstanding - basic and diluted	903,638,159	903,461,323	903,339,143	902,996,270	902,528,464	902,096,102	815,406,408	547,470,457	903,360,763	793,150,098	205,341,431
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	$ (192,308)	$ 7,737	$ (109,322)	$ (30,873)	$ (360,038)	$ (288,202)	$ (56,870)	$ (305,648)	$ (324,766)	$ (1,010,758)	$ (507,815)
Less: dividends to preferred shares and participating securities									72,302	104,057	3,631
Net loss attributable to common stockholders / unitholders									$ (397,068)	$ (1,114,815)	$ (511,446)
Weighted average number of common units outstanding - basic and diluted	927,401,956	927,225,120	927,102,940	926,760,067	926,999,843	926,801,361	840,184,663	572,457,009	927,124,560	817,883,937	214,352,289
Basic and diluted net loss from continuing operations per unit attributable to common unitholders (in dollars per share)									$ (0.43)	$ (1.36)	$ (2.39)