Selected quarterly financial data (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands			3 Months Ended											12 Months Ended
	Jun. 12, 2017	Jun. 17, 2016	Oct. 31, 2017	Jul. 31, 2017		Apr. 30, 2017		Jan. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016	Jul. 31, 2016		Apr. 30, 2016	Jan. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Revenue			$ 13,691	$ 12,680		$ 12,664		$ 12,599	$ 12,176	$ 11,590		$ 11,064	$ 11,424	$ 51,634	$ 46,254	$ 44,783
Expenses			14,064	(421)	[1]	14,365	[2]	12,943	12,511	10,133	[3]	10,130	10,381	40,951	43,155
Net income (loss)			(373)	13,101		(1,701)		(344)	(335)	1,457		934	1,043	10,683	3,099	2,912
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries			(371)	(653)		(1,002)		(407)	(283)	211		125	41	(2,433)	94	281
Net income (loss) attributable to common equity			$ (2)	$ 13,754		$ (699)		$ 63	$ (52)	$ 1,246		$ 809	$ 1,002	$ 13,116	$ 3,005	$ 2,631
Earnings per share - basic and diluted				$ 2.01	[1]	$ (0.10)	[2]	$ 0.01	$ (0.01)	$ 0.18	[3]	$ 0.12	$ 0.15	$ 1.92	$ 0.44	$ 0.39
Dividends declared per share								$ 0.15	$ 0.30	$ 0.30		$ 0.30	$ 0.30	$ 0.15	$ 1.20	$ 1.20
Deferred rents - straight lining		$ 300												$ (634)	$ (608)	$ 219
Straight line rent expense per share	$ 2.08	$ 0.05												$ 0.03
Gain from sales	$ 15,400
Loan prepayment costs relating to property sale	$ 1,100													$ (1,139)
Lease termination fee														$ 620

[1] Includes a $15.4 million gain from the sale of the Maywood, New Jersey property ("Hammel Gardens") on June 12, 2017 offset by a $1.1 million loan prepayment cost related to this sale ($2.08 per share)

[2] Includes expense for lease termination fee paid in the amount of $620,000 to Macy's to terminate the lease and take possession of the space at the Preakness Shopping center located in Wayne, NJ ($0.03 per share)

[3] Includes $0.3M gain on sale of commercial property in Rochelle Park, New Jersey which was sold on June 17, 2016 ($0.05 per share)