RSO VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended				1 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		1 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	6 Months Ended		0 Months Ended			6 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended			6 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012	Oct. 31, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] credit	Jun. 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]	Jun. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member]	Jun. 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]	Jun. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Whitney CLO I, Ltd. [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] VIE, Primary Beneficiary [Member] Entity	Jun. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] VIE, Primary Beneficiary [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] VIE, Primary Beneficiary [Member] Entity	Jun. 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]	Jun. 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]	Jun. 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]	Jun. 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]	Jun. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc [Member] Series E Preferred Stock [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Interest in RCT I and RCT II [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Interest in RCT I [Member]	Jun. 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	Jun. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Investment in RCAM [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Investment in RCAM [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Investment in RCAM [Member]	Jun. 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]	Jun. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member]	Jun. 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]	Jun. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member] Minimum [Member]	Jun. 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	Jun. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member]	Jun. 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]	Jul. 31, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] CVC Global Credit Opportunities Fund, LP [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] CVC Global Credit Opportunities Fund, LP [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] CVC Global Credit Opportunities Fund, LP [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Life Care Funding, LLC [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Life Care Funding, LLC [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Subsequent Event [Member] 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																									$ 34,000	$ 87,000	$ 136,000	$ 319,000
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																								10,000,000				2,000,000
Ownership percentage in VIE																												26.70%	27.50%										100.00%	100.00%																7.50%
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						63,405,000		63,405,000		45,413,000						36,300,000													40,000,000	33,100,000								1,500,000											1,400,000		1,400,000		2,300,000				569,000		569,000	526,000		10,100,000	10,100,000	1,800,000	1,800,000
Percentage of total value of trusts owned																																							3.00%	3.00%
Borrowings						1,558,910,000		1,558,910,000		1,785,600,000																													25,800,000	25,800,000
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						12,196,000		12,196,000		13,192,000																																	12,100,000		12,100,000		13,100,000
Fee income						1,527,000	2,141,000	2,937,000	3,751,000																																		1,500,000	1,800,000	2,900,000	3,700,000
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%
Number of condominium developments																																																								2
Equity in losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries	117,000	(273,000)	(1,144,000)	56,000		(72,000)	1,761,000	353,000	690,000			304,000	1,300,000	(32,000)	1,300,000					0																													101,000	486,000	214,000	(585,000)					(19,000)	100,000	(43,000)			(93,000)	(93,000)	242,000	242,000
Threshold for determination of capital call, aggregate capital contributions (exceeds $500 million)																																																									$ 500,000,000.0		$ 500,000,000.0