Equity-Based Compensation of the Operating Partnership Option Activity (Details) (Tanger Properties Limited Partnership, USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011 Units years	Dec. 31, 2010 Units
Tanger Properties Limited Partnership
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Equity Based Compensation Arrangement by Equity-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period, Total Intrinsic Value	$ 132,000
Equity Based Compensation Arrangement by Equity Based Payment Award Options Outstanding Number	74,425	30,050
Equity Based Compensation Arrangement by Equity-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price	79.81	39.66
Equity Based Compensation Arrangement by Equity Based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Net of Forfeitures	47,875
Equity Based Compensation Arrangement by Equity-Based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price	104.24
Equity Based Compensation Arrangement by Equity Based Payment Award, Options, Exercised in Period	1,875
Equity Based Compensation Arrangement by Equity-Based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price	38.83
Equity Based Compensation Arrangement by Equity-based Payment Award, Options, Forfeitures in Period	1,625
Equity Based Compensation Arrangement by Equity Based Payment Award Type, Oprtions, Forfeitures and Expirations in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price	104.24
Equity Based Compensation Arrangement by Equity-based Payment Award, Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	6.43
Equity Based Compensation Arrangement by Equity-Based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	1,993,000
Equity Based Compensation Arrangement by Equity-based Payment, Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Outstanding, Number	64,226,000
Equity Based Compensation Arrangement by Equity-based Payment Award, Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Weighted Average Exercise Price	75.94
Equity Based Compensation Arrangement by Equity-based Payment Award, Options, Vested and Expected to Vest, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	1,969,000
Equity Based Compensation Arrangement by Equity-based Payment Award, Options, Exercisable, Number	28,175,000
Equity Based Compensation Arrangement by Equity-based Payment Award, Options, Exercisable, Weighted Average Exercise Price	39.7
Equity Based Compensation Arrangement by Equity-based Payment Award, Options, Exercisable, Weighted Average REmaining Contractual Term	2.63
Equity Based Compensation Arrangement by Equity-based Payment Award, Options, Exercisable, Intrinsic Value	$ 1,884,000
Equity Based Compensation Arrangement by Equity-Based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	6.84