Consolidated Statements of Income - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Revenues
Revenues from rental properties	$ 1,144,474	$ 958,888	$ 825,210
Management and other fee income	22,295	35,009	36,317
Total revenues	1,166,769	993,897	861,527
Operating expenses
Rent	12,347	14,250	13,347
Real estate taxes	147,150	124,670	108,746
Operating and maintenance	144,980	119,697	99,405
General and administrative expenses	122,735	122,201	127,470
Provision for doubtful accounts	6,075	4,882	6,133
Impairment charges	45,464	217,858	190,218
Depreciation and amortization	344,527	258,074	224,713
Total operating expenses	823,197	683,582	612,061
Operating income	343,572	310,315	249,466
Other income/(expense)
Mortgage financing income	2,940	3,129	4,304
Interest, dividends and other investment income	39,061	966	16,847
Other income/(expense), net	2,234	(8,544)	1,195
Interest expense	(218,891)	(203,759)	(212,240)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes, equity in income of joint ventures, gain on change in control of interests and equity in income from other real estate investments	168,916	102,107	59,572
Provision for income taxes, net	(60,230)	(22,438)	(32,654)
Equity in income of equity method investments, net	480,395	159,560	208,689
Income from continuing operations	774,405	384,506	288,454
Gain on change in control of interests, net	149,234	107,235	21,711
Discontinued operations
(Loss)/income from discontinued operating properties, net of tax	(15)	36,780	50,610
Impairment/loss on operating properties, net of tax	(60)	(176,315)	(143,057)
Gain on disposition of operating properties, net of tax		190,520	43,914
(Loss)/income from discontinued operations	(75)	50,985	(48,533)
Gain on sale of operating properties, net, net of tax	125,813	389	1,432
Net income	900,143	435,880	241,353
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(6,028)	(11,879)	(5,072)
Net income attributable to the Company	894,115	424,001	236,281
Preferred stock redemption costs	(5,816)
Preferred dividends	(57,084)	(58,294)	(58,294)
Net income available to the Company's common shareholders	$ 831,215	$ 365,707	$ 177,987
Income from continuing operations:
-Basic (in Dollars per share)	$ 2.01	$ 0.77	$ 0.53
-Diluted (in Dollars per share)	2.00	0.77	0.53
Net income attributable to the Company:
-Basic (in Dollars per share)	2.01	0.89	0.43
-Diluted (in Dollars per share)	$ 2.00	$ 0.89	$ 0.43
Weighted average shares:
-Basic (in Shares)	411,319	409,088	407,631
-Diluted (in Shares)	412,851	411,038	408,614
Amounts available to the Company's common shareholders:
Income from continuing operations	$ 831,290	$ 316,839	$ 218,590
(Loss)/income from discontinued operations	(75)	48,868	(40,603)
Joint Ventures [Member]
Other income/(expense)
Equity in income of equity method investments, net	480,395	159,560	208,689
Other Real Estate Investments [Member]
Other income/(expense)
Equity in income of equity method investments, net	36,090	38,042	31,136
Continuing Operations [Member]
Operating expenses
Impairment charges	$ 45,383	$ 39,808	$ 32,247