Partners' Equity of the Operating Partnership (Details) (Tanger Properties Limited Partnership [Member])	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Tanger Properties Limited Partnership [Member]
Schedule of Partners' Equity of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
General partner	250,000	250,000
Limited partners	24,540,705	24,455,812
Total common units	24,790,705	24,705,812