Major Operators (Details)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017 item property
Major Operators
Number of major operators	4
Operator Concentration Risk \| SNF
Major Operators
Number of properties \| property	33
Number of beds	4,242
Operator Concentration Risk \| ALF
Major Operators
Number of properties \| property	60
Number of beds/units	3,252
Operator Concentration Risk \| Prestige Healthcare \| SNF
Major Operators
Number of properties \| property	22
Number of beds	2,798
Operator Concentration Risk \| Prestige Healthcare \| ALF
Major Operators
Number of beds/units	93
Operator Concentration Risk \| Senior Lifestyle Corporation \| ALF
Major Operators
Number of properties \| property	23
Number of beds/units	1,457
Operator Concentration Risk \| Brookdale Senior Living \| ALF
Major Operators
Number of properties \| property	37
Number of beds/units	1,702
Operator Concentration Risk \| Senior Care Centers \| SNF
Major Operators
Number of properties \| property	11
Number of beds	1,444
Total Revenue \| Credit Concentration Risk
Major Operators
Concentration risk (as a percent)	47.90%
Total Revenue \| Credit Concentration Risk \| Prestige Healthcare
Major Operators
Concentration risk (as a percent)	16.90%
Total Revenue \| Credit Concentration Risk \| Senior Lifestyle Corporation
Major Operators
Concentration risk (as a percent)	11.60%
Total Revenue \| Credit Concentration Risk \| Brookdale Senior Living
Major Operators
Concentration risk (as a percent)	9.80%
Total Revenue \| Credit Concentration Risk \| Senior Care Centers
Major Operators
Concentration risk (as a percent)	9.60%
Total Assets \| Operator Concentration Risk
Major Operators
Concentration risk (as a percent)	39.50%
Total Assets \| Operator Concentration Risk \| Prestige Healthcare
Major Operators
Concentration risk (as a percent)	15.80%
Total Assets \| Operator Concentration Risk \| Senior Lifestyle Corporation
Major Operators
Concentration risk (as a percent)	11.10%
Total Assets \| Operator Concentration Risk \| Brookdale Senior Living
Major Operators
Concentration risk (as a percent)	5.00%
Total Assets \| Operator Concentration Risk \| Senior Care Centers
Major Operators
Concentration risk (as a percent)	7.60%

The number of major operators of the entity.

No definition available.

Name:	ltc_NumberOfMajorOperators
Namespace Prefix:	ltc_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

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

- Definition

For an entity that discloses a concentration risk in relation to quantitative amount, which serves as the "benchmark" (or denominator) in the equation, this concept represents the concentration percentage derived from the division.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 275
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 18
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84177426&loc=d3e6351-108592

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77997519&loc=d3e13531-108611

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 275
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84177426&loc=d3e6404-108592

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 21
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77997519&loc=d3e13537-108611

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of real estate properties owned as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfRealEstateProperties
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of units in a real estate property owned as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfUnitsInRealEstateProperty
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of units (items of property) under operating lease arrangements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertySubjectToOrAvailableForOperatingLeaseNumberOfUnits
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:decimalItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis=us-gaap_CustomerConcentrationRiskMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateDescriptionTypeOfPropertyAxis=ltc_SkilledNursingPropertiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateDescriptionTypeOfPropertyAxis=ltc_AssistedLivingPropertiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis=ltc_PrestigeHealthcareMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis=ltc_SeniorLifestyleMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis=ltc_BrookdaleMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis=ltc_SeniorCareCentersLLCMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis=ltc_RentalRevenueAndInterestIncomeFromMortgageLoansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis=us-gaap_CreditConcentrationRiskMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis=us-gaap_AssetsTotalMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: