CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS (Fees From Unconsolidated Investment Entities) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Commercial Finance, Four Investment Entities [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities:
Amount waived of the fund management fees from commercial finance investment entities	$ 751,000		$ 1,500,000
Real Estate Investment Entities [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities:
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities	4,017,000	[1]	3,768,000	[1]
Discounts recorded	538,000		76,000
Financial Fund Management Investment Entities [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities:
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities	760,000		850,000
Commercial Finance Investment Entities [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities:
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities	0	[2]	0	[2]
Resource Capital Corp [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities:
Management, incentive and other fees	4,849,000		3,830,000
Dividends paid	534,000		631,000
Reimbursement of costs and expenses	1,160,000		705,000
CVC Credit Partners, L.P. [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities:
Reimbursement of costs and expenses	216,000		0
Resource Real Estate Opportunity REIT Inc [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities:
Reimbursement of costs and expenses	75,000		105,000
LEAF [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities:
Reimbursement of costs and expenses	59,000		60,000
Payment for sub-servicing the commercial finance investment partnerships	(382,000)		(405,000)
Payment for rent and related expenses	(197,000)		(120,000)
1845 Walnut Associates Ltd. [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities:
1845 Walnut Associates Ltd. – payment of rent and operating expenses	(154,000)		(106,000)
Brandywine Construction & Management, Inc. (BCMI) [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities:
Payments for Property Management	(54,000)		(59,000)
Atlas Energy, L.P. [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities:
Reimbursement of costs and expenses	144,000		169,000
Ledgewood P.C. [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities:
Ledgewood P.C. – payment for legal services	(53,000)		(155,000)
Graphic Images, LLC [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities:
Graphic Images, LLC – payment for printing services	(27,000)		(8,000)
The Bancorp, Inc. [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities:
Reimbursement of costs and expenses	28,000		45,000
9 Henmar LLC [Member]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities:
9 Henmar, LLC – payment of broker/consulting fees	$ (19,000)		$ (18,000)

[1] discounts recorded by the Company of $538,000 and $76,000 recorded in the three months ended December 31, 2012 and 2011 in connection with management fees from its real estate investment entities that it expects to receive in future periods.

[2] During the three months ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company waived $751,000 and $1.5 million, respectively, of fund management fees from its commercial finance investment entities.