Net Income (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, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Net income (loss) attributable to the Operating Partnership	$ 29,495	$ 7,529	$ (80,445)	$ (128,963)
Dividends to preferred units	(17,973)	(17,974)	(53,919)	(53,920)
Net Income (loss) attributable to common stockholders/unitholders and limited partners used in basic and diluted net income (loss) per share/unit	$ 12,107	$ (10,662)	$ (134,764)	$ (183,105)
Weighted average number of common units outstanding - basic (shares)	943,480,170	903,461,323	917,233,898	903,267,282
Effect of dilutive securities (shares)	25,206,373	0	0	0
Weighted average number of common units outstanding - diluted (shares)	968,686,543	903,461,323	917,233,898	903,267,282
VEREIT Operating Partnership, L.P. [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Net income (loss) attributable to the Operating Partnership	$ 30,234	$ 7,737	$ (82,578)	$ (132,458)
Dividends to preferred units	(17,973)	(17,974)	(53,919)	(53,920)
Net income (loss) available to the Operating Partnership	12,261	(10,237)	(136,497)	(186,378)
Earnings allocated to participating units	(154)	(217)	(400)	(222)
Net Income (loss) attributable to common stockholders/unitholders and limited partners used in basic and diluted net income (loss) per share/unit	$ 12,107	$ (10,454)	$ (136,897)	$ (186,600)
Weighted average number of common units outstanding - basic (shares)	967,237,921	927,225,120	940,995,665	927,031,079
Effect of dilutive securities (shares)	1,448,622	0	0	0
Weighted average number of common units outstanding - diluted (shares)	968,686,543	927,225,120	940,995,665	927,031,079
Basic and diluted net loss per unit attributable to common unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ (0.01)	$ (0.15)	$ (0.20)