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, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Net loss attributable to the Operating Partnership	$ (115,418)	$ 29,495	$ 3,146	$ (113,086)	$ (187,390)	$ 7,529	$ (106,522)	$ (29,970)	$ (195,863)	$ (316,353)	$ (977,185)
Dividends to preferred units									(71,892)	(71,892)	(98,722)
Earnings allocated to participating units	(89)	(154)	(210)	(125)	$ (188)	$ (217)	$ 0	$ (5)
Net (loss) income available to common stockholders/unitholders and limited partners used in basic and diluted net income (loss) per share/unit	(133,480)	12,107	(15,037)	(131,184)					$ (268,247)	$ (388,655)	$ (1,081,242)
Weighted-average shares outstanding - basic and diluted (shares)					903,638,159	903,461,323	903,339,143	902,996,270	931,422,844	903,360,763	793,150,098
VEREIT Operating Partnership, L.P. [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Net loss attributable to the Operating Partnership	(118,232)	30,234	3,229	(116,041)	$ (192,308)	$ 7,737	$ (109,322)	$ (30,873)	$ (200,810)	$ (324,766)	$ (1,010,758)
Dividends to preferred units									(71,892)	(71,892)	(98,722)
Net loss available to the Operating Partnership									(272,702)	(396,658)	(1,109,480)
Earnings allocated to participating units	$ (89)	$ (154)	$ (210)	$ (125)	$ (188)	$ (217)	$ 0	$ (5)	(492)	(410)	(5,335)
Net (loss) income available to common stockholders/unitholders and limited partners used in basic and diluted net income (loss) per share/unit									$ (273,194)	$ (397,068)	$ (1,114,815)
Weighted-average shares outstanding - basic and diluted (shares)					927,401,956	927,225,120	927,102,940	926,760,067	955,181,238	927,124,560	817,883,937
Basic and diluted net loss per unit attributable to common unitholders (in dollars per share)									$ (0.29)	$ (0.43)	$ (1.36)