RSO VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended				1 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		0 Months Ended			9 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 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	1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended			1 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Jan. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] credit	Sep. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Nov. 16, 2011 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Preferred Shares - Series B [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member]	Nov. 16, 2011 Resource Capital Corp [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member]	Feb. 28, 2011 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Investment in RCAM [Member] Entity	Oct. 31, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Whitney CLO I, Ltd. [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Whitney CLO I, Ltd. [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] VIE, Primary Beneficiary [Member] Entity	Sep. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] VIE, Primary Beneficiary [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] VIE, Primary Beneficiary [Member] Entity	Sep. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] VIE, Primary Beneficiary [Member]	Oct. 31, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] VIE, Primary Beneficiary [Member] Investment in RCAM [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] VIE, Primary Beneficiary [Member] Whitney CLO I, Ltd. [Member]	May 31, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] VIE, Primary Beneficiary [Member] Whitney CLO I, Ltd. [Member]	Nov. 16, 2011 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Position	Dec. 31, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member]	Jan. 18, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Preferred Shares - Series A [Member]	Nov. 16, 2011 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Preferred Shares - Series A [Member]	Nov. 16, 2011 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Preferred Shares - Series B [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Preferred Shares - Series B [Member]	Nov. 16, 2011 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Series D Preferred Stock [Member]	Jan. 18, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Series A-1 Preferred Stock [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Series E Preferred Stock [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Interest in RCT I and RCT II [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Interest in RCT I [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Interest in RCT II [Member]	Jan. 31, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Investment in RCAM [Member] Entity	Feb. 28, 2011 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Investment in RCAM [Member] Entity	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Investment in RCAM [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Investment in RCAM [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Investment in RCAM [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Investment in RCAM [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Investment in RCAM [Member]	Dec. 01, 2009 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member] Minimum [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member] Maximum [Member]	Jun. 19, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member] Property	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] CVC Global Credit Opportunities Fund, LP [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] CVC Global Credit Opportunities Fund, LP [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] CVC Global Credit Opportunities Fund, LP [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Life Care Funding, LLC [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Life Care Funding, LLC [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Harvard CLO VII Limited [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Harvard CLO VII Limited [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 VIE, Primary Beneficiary [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 VIE, Primary Beneficiary [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Whitney CLO I Senior Notes [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of consolidated VIEs																						7		7
Number of VIEs for which persons of power are considered a related party group																						6		6
Number of credits supported in VIEs									2
Financial support provided to VIEs																						$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 199,000																									$ 20,000	$ 145,000	$ 157,000	$ 465,000
Shares received in equity method transaction (in shares)																																	31,341	4,872		2,364	3,682	3,323
Preferred stock, coupon authorized (in hundredths)												8.00%																							8.00%
Equity contribution to VIE																																3,700,000						3,300,000																									15,000,000			2,000,000
Ownership percentage in VIE																													26.70%	27.50%										100.00%	100.00%																7.50%							34.40%				9.52%
Variable interest entity, number of board positions held by the company																														2
Variable interest entity, total number of board positions																														6
Investments in unconsolidated entities							72,955,000		72,955,000		45,413,000						36,300,000													40,800,000	33,100,000								1,500,000											(330,000)		(330,000)		2,300,000				575,000		575,000	526,000	15,500,000		15,500,000	1,700,000	1,700,000
Percentage of total value of trusts owned																																								3.00%	3.00%
Borrowings							1,422,430,000		1,422,430,000		1,785,600,000																													25,800,000	25,800,000																												1,422,430,000	1,785,600,000
Bank loan assets under management																																											1,900,000,000
Number of CLOs held by purchased entity																		5																									4
Acquisition																																											22,500,000						2,100,000
Intangible assets							11,728,000		11,728,000		13,192,000																																	11,700,000		11,700,000		13,100,000
Fee income							1,245,000	1,777,000	4,182,000	5,528,000																																		1,200,000	1,800,000	4,200,000	5,500,000
Number of Collateralized Loan Obligations Liquidated																																										1
Preferred equity acquired						66.60%													66.60%							66.60%
Ownership interests in variable interest entities (in hundredths)																			66.60%	68.30%							68.30%	68.30%
Repayments of debt																																																																							103,700,000
Required contribution to joint venture, as a percentage of the total funding required for each asset acquisition on a monthly basis																																																							3.00%	5.00%
Ownership percentage (in hundredths)					10.00%
Number of condominium developments																																																									2
Equity in losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries	1,384,000	2,938,000	2,528,000	2,882,000			(505,000)	(779,000)	(858,000)	(1,469,000)			(346,000)	(1,000,000)	(378,000)	(2,300,000)					(100,000)																													(521,000)	346,000	(735,000)	931,000					6,000	(100,000)	49,000		433,000		526,000	(107,000)	(349,000)
Threshold for determination of capital call, aggregate capital contributions (exceeds $500 million)																																																										500,000,000.0		500,000,000.0
VIE, purchase of subordinated notes																																																																			$ 5,300,000