Equity (Details 2) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			1 Months Ended				9 Months Ended						3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended									9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012 partnership	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012 Dividend distributions	Nov. 30, 2012 Dividend distributions	Oct. 31, 2012 Dividend distributions	Sep. 30, 2012 Equity Distribution Agreement	Sep. 30, 2012 Shelf Registration	Sep. 30, 2012 Total Cumulative Preferred Stock	Sep. 30, 2011 Total Cumulative Preferred Stock	Sep. 30, 2012 Series C Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock	Sep. 30, 2011 Series C Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock	Sep. 30, 2011 Series F Cumulative Preferred Stock	Sep. 30, 2012 Series E Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock	Sep. 30, 2012 Common Stock	Aug. 31, 2012 Common Stock	Jul. 31, 2012 Common Stock	Jun. 30, 2012 Common Stock	May 31, 2012 Common Stock	Apr. 30, 2012 Common Stock	Mar. 31, 2012 Common Stock	Feb. 29, 2012 Common Stock	Jan. 31, 2012 Common Stock	Sep. 30, 2012 Common Stock	Sep. 30, 2011 Common Stock	Sep. 30, 2011 Common Stock Underwritten public offering	Sep. 30, 2012 Conversion of noncontrolling interest	Sep. 30, 2012 Conversion of noncontrolling interest item
Equity
Shares outstanding	2,000,000		2,000,000		2,000,000								2,000,000
Dividend Rate (as a percent)													8.50%		8.00%	8.50%
Number of shares of common stock to be issued upon conversion													2,000,000
Conversion price per share													$ 19.25
Total shares reserved for issuance of common stock related to the conversion of preferred stock													2,000,000
Number of shares of preferred stock redeemed															3,536,530
Liquidation Value Per share															$ 25.00
Redemption price (in dollars per share)															$ 25.1333
Income allocated to preferred stockholders	$ 818,000	$ 818,000	$ 2,454,000	$ 8,260,000											$ 3,566,000
Maximum aggregate offering price of shares authorized for issuance									85,686,000
Amount available under equity distribution agreement									64,573,000
Common stock sold (in shares)																												3,990,000
Sale price of common stock (in dollars per share)																												$ 27.25
Net proceeds																												103,631,000
Amount available under effective shelf registration statement										167,614,000
Maximum offering capacity under shelf registration statement										400,000,000
Dividend Distributions
Declared	42,777,000	41,243,000	42,777,000	41,243,000							2,454,000	4,694,000	2,454,000	2,454,000	2,240,000		40,323,000									40,323,000	36,549,000
Paid			42,777,000	43,011,000							2,454,000	6,462,000	2,454,000	2,454,000	4,008,000											40,323,000	36,549,000
Dividend declared per share per month						$ 0.155	$ 0.155	$ 0.155									$ 0.155	$ 0.155	$ 0.145	$ 0.145	$ 0.145	$ 0.145	$ 0.145	$ 0.145	$ 0.145		$ 0.14
Non-controlling Interests
Number of limited partnerships			1
Limited partnership, conversion basis			one-for-one basis
Number of limited partners exercising conversion rights																														2
Number of limited partners exchanging all of their 67,294 partnership units																														1
Number of partnership units converted by first limited partner																														67,294
Number of partnership units converted by second limited partner																														22,000
Redemption notification of limited partnership units																														89,294
Cash paid, redemption of non-controlling interest			2,764,000																											2,764,000
Margin added to the common stock price per share on redemption date to determine amount to be paid to limited partner																														$ 0.05
Excess of redemption value over the book value																														1,246,000
Number of partnership units converted																													3,294
Number of shares reserved under limited partnership agreement																													20,000	20,000
Partnership unit conversion price (per unit)																													$ 17.00	$ 17.00
Change from net income attributable to and transfers from non-controlling interest
Net income attributable to LTC Properties, Inc	12,495,000	12,375,000	38,519,000	36,695,000
Transfers from the non-controlling interest: Increase in paid-in capital for limited partners conversion	56,000		56,000
Transfers from the non-controlling interest: Decrease in paid-in capital for limited partners conversion			(1,246,000)
Change from net income attributable to LTC Properties, Inc. and transfers from non-controlling interest	12,551,000	12,375,000	37,329,000	36,695,000
Carrying value of the partnership conversion rights	349,000		349,000		1,962,000
Market value of the partnership conversion rights	646,000		646,000
Common Stock
Number of shares terminated its authorization to be repurchased	5,000,000		5,000,000
Remaining number of shares authorized to be repurchased					3,360,237
Number of authorized common stock before amendment (in shares)	45,000,000		45,000,000
Common stock, shares authorized	60,000,000		60,000,000		45,000,000
Other Equity
Accumulated other comprehensive income	160,000		160,000		199,000
Stock option exercises (in shares)			85,000
Total option value			1,926,000
Market value of stock options exercised			$ 2,761,000