Fair Value Measurements (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Fair value measurements
Mortgage loans receivable	$ 223,292	$ 229,801
Senior unsecured notes, net of debt issue costs	597,873	502,291
Accrued incentives and earn-outs	$ 12,015	$ 12,229
Level 3 \| Senior Unsecured Notes maturing before 2026
Fair value measurements
Discount rate (as a percent)	4.48%	4.47%
Level 3 \| Senior Unsecured Notes maturing 2026 and after
Fair value measurements
Discount rate (as a percent)	4.68%	4.60%
Level 3 \| Accrued incentives and earn-out liabilities
Fair value measurements
Discount rate (as a percent)	5.90%	5.90%
Level 3 \| Mortgage Loans Receivable
Fair value measurements
Discount rate (as a percent)	8.70%	8.20%
Carrying Value
Fair value measurements
Bank borrowings		$ 107,100
Carrying Value \| Level 3
Fair value measurements
Mortgage loans receivable	$ 223,292	229,801
Senior unsecured notes, net of debt issue costs	597,873	502,291
Accrued incentives and earn-outs	12,015	12,229
Fair Value
Fair value measurements
Bank borrowings		107,100
Fair Value \| Level 3
Fair value measurements
Mortgage loans receivable	274,756	294,319
Senior unsecured notes, net of debt issue costs	591,621	498,915
Accrued incentives and earn-outs	$ 12,015	$ 12,229

This element represents the liabilities for earn out payments.

No definition available.

Name:	ltc_EarnOutLiabilities
Namespace Prefix:	ltc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueBalanceSheetGroupingFinancialStatementCaptionsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Interest rate used to find the present value of an amount to be paid or received in the future as an input to measure fair value. For example, but not limited to, weighted average cost of capital (WACC), cost of capital, cost of equity and cost of debt.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (bbb)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66048111&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueInputsDiscountRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair value of the amount outstanding under the credit facility.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73719730&loc=d3e13433-108611

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73719730&loc=d3e13476-108611

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityFairValueOfAmountOutstanding
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The balance represents the amount of loans that are secured by real estate mortgages, offset by the reserve to cover probable credit losses on the loan portfolio.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateCommercialAndConsumerNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Including the current and noncurrent portions, carrying value as of the balance sheet date of uncollateralized debt obligations (with maturities initially due after one year or beyond the operating cycle if longer).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(22))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnsecuredDebt
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByLiabilityClassAxis=ltc_SeniorUnsecuredNotesMaturingPriorTo2026Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByLiabilityClassAxis=ltc_SeniorUnsecuredNotesMaturingAfter2026Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByLiabilityClassAxis=ltc_ContingentEarnOutLiabilitiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByAssetClassAxis=us-gaap_MortgageReceivablesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis=us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis=us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: