RSO INVESTMENTS IN UNCONSOLIDATED ENTITIES (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended				0 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended				3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended				3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended					9 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		5 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		0 Months Ended			9 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Jan. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] trust	Sep. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] trust	Sep. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Nov. 16, 2011 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Preferred Shares - Series A [Member]	Nov. 16, 2011 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Preferred Shares - Series B [Member]	Nov. 16, 2011 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Series D Preferred Stock [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] CVC Credit Partners, LLC [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Resource Real Estate [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Resource Real Estate [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Resource Real Estate [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Resource Real Estate [Member]	Jun. 19, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member]	Dec. 01, 2009 Resource Capital Corp [Member] RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Interest in RCT I and RCT II [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Interest in RCT I and RCT II [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Interest in RCT I and RCT II [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Interest in RCT I and RCT II [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Interest in RCT I [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Interest in RCT II [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Jun. 19, 2012 Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member] Property	Sep. 30, 2013 RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Dec. 01, 2009 RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Dec. 01, 2009 RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member] Resource Real Estate [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Nov. 16, 2011 LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] CVC Global Credit Opportunities Fund, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Interest in RCT II [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] CVC Global Credit Opportunities Fund, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] CVC Global Credit Opportunities Fund, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] CVC Global Credit Opportunities Fund, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Life Care Funding, LLC [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Life Care Funding, LLC [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Jun. 19, 2012 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Nov. 16, 2011 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Jan. 18, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member] Preferred Shares - Series A [Member]	Nov. 16, 2011 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member] Preferred Shares - Series A [Member]	Nov. 16, 2011 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member] Preferred Shares - Series B [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member] Preferred Shares - Series B [Member]	Nov. 16, 2011 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member] Series D Preferred Stock [Member]	Jan. 18, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member] Series A-1 Preferred Stock [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member] Series E Preferred Stock [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity contribution to VIE																																													$ 15,000,000			$ 15,000,000			$ 2,000,000									$ 3,700,000						$ 3,300,000
Asset management fees percentage (in hundredths)														1.50%																								1.00%
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	1,384,000	2,938,000	2,528,000	2,882,000		(505,000)	(779,000)	(858,000)	(1,469,000)																		6,000	(100,000)	49,000			(521,000)	346,000	(735,000)	931,000				(100,000)		(346,000)	(1,000,000)	(378,000)	(2,300,000)			433,000		526,000	(107,000)	(349,000)		6,000	(100,000)	49,000
Investments in unconsolidated entities						72,955,000		72,955,000		45,413,000										2,100,000	1,500,000		1,500,000		774,000	774,000	575,000		575,000	526,000		(330,000)		(330,000)		2,300,000				36,300,000					15,500,000		15,500,000		15,500,000	1,700,000	1,700,000		575,000		575,000	526,000		40,800,000	33,100,000
Number of condominium developments purchased by joint venture																															2
Ownership percentage (in hundredths)					10.00%														7.50%		100.00%		100.00%																							100.00%
Shares of stock received (in shares)											31,341	4,872	2,364
Preferred stock, coupon authorized (in hundredths)												8.00%																																																			8.00%
Ownership percentage in VIE																																																	34.40%			7.50%					26.70%	27.50%
Loss on transaction																																								2,200,000
Shares received in equity method transaction (in shares)																																																													31,341	4,872		2,364	3,682	3,323
Accrued Dividends on Preferred Stock Investment																																																																		207,000
Asset acquisition funding minimum																																					3.00%
Asset acquisition funding maximum																																					5.00%
Management fees − related party						5,113,000	5,521,000	11,006,000	13,512,000						6,500	11,000	23,000	35,000
Ownership percentage																					3.00%		3.00%
Number of trusts						2		2
Related party interest expense																					604,000	626,000	1,800,000	1,900,000
Amortization of deferred debt issuance costs																					$ 48,000	$ 46,000	$ 143,000	$ 136,000