Selected quarterly financial data (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended												12 Months Ended
	Jun. 12, 2017	Oct. 31, 2018	Jul. 31, 2018	Apr. 30, 2018		Jan. 31, 2018		Oct. 31, 2017	Jul. 31, 2017		Apr. 30, 2017		Jan. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2018	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Revenue		$ 14,847	$ 14,631	$ 14,325		$ 14,194		$ 13,691	$ 12,680		$ 12,664		$ 12,599	$ 57,997	$ 51,634	$ 46,254
Expenses		14,499	14,520	12,898	[1]	15,114	[2]	14,064	(421)	[3]	14,365	[4]	12,943	57,031	40,951
Net income (loss)		348	111	1,427		(920)		(373)	13,101		(1,701)		(344)	966	10,683	3,099
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries		85	181	(312)		563		371	653		1,002		407	517	2,433	(94)
Net income (loss) attributable to common equity		$ 433	$ 292	$ 1,115		$ (357)		$ (2)	$ 13,754		$ (699)		$ 63	$ 1,483	$ 13,116	$ 3,005
Earnings per share - basic and diluted		$ 0.06	$ 0.04	$ 0.16	[1]	$ (0.05)	[2]		$ 2.01	[3]	$ (0.10)	[4]	$ 0.01	$ 0.21	$ 1.92	$ 0.44
Dividends declared per share		$ 0.05	$ 0.05	$ 0.05									$ 0.15	$ 0.15	$ 0.15	$ 1.20
Deferred rents - straight lining														$ (605)	$ (634)	$ (608)
Straight line rent expense per share	$ 2.08														$ 0.03
Commercial associates per share	$ 0.11													$ 0.13
Gain from sales	$ 15,400
Loan prepayment costs relating to property sale	$ 1,100														$ (1,139)
Lease termination fee															$ 620
Loan prepayment cost related to refinancing														1,200
Real estate tax refunds and credits														$ 1,500

[1] Includes $1.5 million in real estate tax refunds and credits related to tax years 2017 through second quarter of Fiscal 2018 at the Icon property, owned by Grande Rotunda, LLC, which is a consolidated subsidiary. ($0.13 per share)

[2] Includes $1.2 million loan prepayment cost related to refinancing of the loan for Pierre Towers, LLC, owned by S And A Commercial Associates Limited Partnership, which is a consolidated subsidiary. ($0.11 per share)

[3] 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)

[4] 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)