DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS (Details)	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2016 property	Jun. 30, 2017 property tenant
Real estate properties
Number of real estate properties		1,300
Number of properties leased		580
Concentration risk, number of tenants \| tenant		3
Number of senior housing community included in senior living operations	1	1
Brookdale Senior Living
Real estate properties
Number of properties leased		141
Number of senior housing community included in senior living operations		1
Kindred
Real estate properties
Number of properties included in investments in unconsolidated entities		(1)
Number of properties leased		68
Ardent
Real estate properties
Number of properties leased		10
Development Projects
Real estate properties
Number of real estate properties		8
Number of properties included in investments in unconsolidated entities		(1)
Seniors Housing Communities
Real estate properties
Number of independent third party managed properties		301

The number of real estate properties owned as of the balance sheet date.

No definition available.

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- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
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- Definition

Concentration Risk, Number of Tenants

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The number of properties that are managed by the independent third party.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	vtr_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
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Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of Properties Included in Investments in Unconsolidated Entities

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	vtr_NumberOfPropertiesIncludedInInvestmentsInUnconsolidatedEntities
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Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
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Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of properties owned that are leased to unaffiliated tenants under triple-net lease terms.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	vtr_NumberOfPropertiesLeasedUnderTripleNetLeases
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Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
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Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of Senior Housing Community

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	vtr_PropertySubjectToOperatingLeaseByLessorAxis=vtr_BrookdaleSeniorLivingMember
Namespace Prefix:
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Balance Type:
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- Details

Name:	vtr_PropertySubjectToOperatingLeaseByLessorAxis=vtr_KindredMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
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- Details

Name:	vtr_PropertySubjectToOperatingLeaseByLessorAxis=vtr_ArdentMember
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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RealEstatePropertiesAxis=vtr_DevelopmentProjectsMember
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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RealEstatePropertiesAxis=vtr_SeniorHousingCommunitiesMember
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