Consolidated Statements Of Equity And Accumulated Earnings (USD $) In Thousands	Post Apartment Homes, L.P. [Member] Preferred Shares [Member]	Post Apartment Homes, L.P. [Member] Common Units, General Partner [Member]	Post Apartment Homes, L.P. [Member] Common Units, Limited Partner [Member]	Post Apartment Homes, L.P. [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Post Apartment Homes, L.P. [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Post Apartment Homes, L.P. [Member] Total Operating Partnership Equity [Member]	Post Apartment Homes, L.P. [Member] Noncontrolling Interests - Consolidated Real Estate Entities [Member]	Post Apartment Homes, L.P. [Member]	Preferred Shares [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-In Capital [Member]	Accumulated Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]	Total Company Equity [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests - Consolidated Real Estate Entities [Member]	Total
Equity & Accum. Earnings at Dec. 31, 2008	$ 95,000	$ 10,540	$ 883,909		$ (1,819)	$ 987,630	$ 8,220	$ 995,850	$ 29	$ 442	$ 886,643	$ 105,300	$ (1,819)	$ (2,965)	$ 987,630	$ 8,220	$ 995,850
Equity and Accum. Earnings, shares at Dec. 31, 2008	2,900								2,900
Equity and Accum. Earnings, shares at Dec. 31, 2008				44,440						44,222
Comprehensive income (loss)	7,637	(109)	(10,751)		1,819	(1,404)	(8,218)	(9,622)				(3,223)	1,819		(1,404)	(8,218)	(9,622)
Sales of common stock, net		681	67,417			68,098		68,098		40	68,058				68,098		68,098
Sales of common stock, net, shares				4,025						4,025
Employee stock purchase, stock option and other plan issuances		2	217			219		219		2	532			(315)	219		219
Employee stock purchase, stock option and other plan issuances, shares				156						156
Conversion of redeemable common units for shares			772			772		772			732			40	772		772
Conversion of redeemable common units for shares, shares										42
Adjustment for ownership interest of redeemable common units			129			129		129			129				129		129
Stock-based compensation		45	4,454			4,499		4,499			4,499				4,499		4,499
Dividends to preferred shareholders	(7,637)					(7,637)		(7,637)				(7,637)			(7,637)		(7,637)
Dividends to common shareholders		(373)	(36,746)			(37,119)		(37,119)				(37,119)			(37,119)		(37,119)
Consolidation of equity method investment							1,560	1,560								1,560	1,560
Distributions to noncontrolling interests - consolidated real estate entities							(628)	(628)								(628)	(628)
Adjustment to redemption value of redeemable common units			(68)			(68)		(68)				(68)			(68)		(68)
Equity & Accum. Earnings at Dec. 31, 2009	95,000	10,786	909,333			1,015,119	934	1,016,053		484	960,593	57,253		(3,240)	1,015,119	934	1,016,053
Equity and Accum. Earnings, shares at Dec. 31, 2009	2,900
Equity and Accum. Earnings, shares at Dec. 31, 2009				48,621						48,445
Dividends to preferred shareholders								(1,890)									(1,890)
Equity & Accum. Earnings at Mar. 31, 2010
Equity & Accum. Earnings at Dec. 31, 2009	95,000	10,786	909,333			1,015,119	934	1,016,053	29	484	960,593	57,253		(3,240)	1,015,119	934	1,016,053
Equity and Accum. Earnings, shares at Dec. 31, 2009	2,900								2,900
Equity and Accum. Earnings, shares at Dec. 31, 2009				48,621						48,445
Comprehensive income (loss)	7,503	(145)	(14,318)			(6,960)	20	(6,940)				(6,960)			(6,960)	20	(6,940)
Sales of common stock, net		11	1,110	41		1,121		1,121			1,121				1,121		1,121
Sales of common stock, net, shares										41
Employee stock purchase, stock option and other plan issuances		59	5,849			5,908		5,908		5	6,370			(467)	5,908		5,908
Employee stock purchase, stock option and other plan issuances, shares				422						424
Conversion of redeemable common units for shares			74			74		74			63			11	74		74
Conversion of redeemable common units for shares, shares										3
Adjustment for ownership interest of redeemable common units			(7)			(7)		(7)			(7)				(7)		(7)
Redemption of preferred stock	(2,037)		16			(2,021)		(2,021)			(2,021)				(2,021)		(2,021)
Redemption of preferred stock, shares	(49)								(49)
Stock-based compensation		30	2,969			2,999		2,999			2,999				2,999		2,999
Dividends to preferred shareholders	(7,503)					(7,503)		(7,503)				(7,503)			(7,503)		(7,503)
Dividends to common shareholders		(391)	(38,600)			(38,991)		(38,991)			(778)	(38,213)			(38,991)		(38,991)
Acquisition of noncontrolling interests											385				385	(385)
Consolidation of equity method investment		4	381			385	(385)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests - consolidated real estate entities							(364)	(364)								(364)	(364)
Adjustment to redemption value of redeemable common units			(3,034)			(3,034)		(3,034)			(3,034)				(3,034)		(3,034)
Equity & Accum. Earnings at Dec. 31, 2010	92,963	10,354	863,773			967,090	205	967,295	29	489	965,691	4,577		(3,696)	967,090	205	967,295
Equity and Accum. Earnings, shares at Dec. 31, 2010	2,851								2,851
Equity and Accum. Earnings, shares at Dec. 31, 2010				49,084						48,913							48,913
Equity & Accum. Earnings at Sep. 30, 2010
Dividends to preferred shareholders								(1,871)									(1,871)
Equity & Accum. Earnings at Dec. 31, 2010								967,295									967,295
Equity and Accum. Earnings, shares at Dec. 31, 2010																	48,913
Dividends to preferred shareholders								(1,689)									(1,689)
Equity & Accum. Earnings at Mar. 31, 2011
Equity & Accum. Earnings at Dec. 31, 2010	92,963	10,354	863,773			967,090	205	967,295	29	489	965,691	4,577		(3,696)	967,090	205	967,295
Equity and Accum. Earnings, shares at Dec. 31, 2010	2,851								2,851
Equity and Accum. Earnings, shares at Dec. 31, 2010				49,084						48,913							48,913
Comprehensive income (loss)	4,455	184	20,827		(2,633)	22,833	67	22,900				25,466	(2,633)		22,833	67	22,900
Sales of common stock, net		1,357	134,294			135,651		135,651		34	135,530			87	135,651		135,651
Sales of common stock, net, shares				3,409						3,409
Employee stock purchase, stock option and other plan issuances		173	17,113			17,286		17,286		7	17,670			(391)	17,286		17,286
Employee stock purchase, stock option and other plan issuances, shares				651						652
Conversion of redeemable common units for shares			547			547		547			547				547		547
Conversion of redeemable common units for shares, shares										14
Adjustment for ownership interest of redeemable common units			(466)			(466)		(466)			(466)				(466)		(466)
Redemption of preferred stock	(49,571)		(62)			(49,633)		(49,633)	(20)		(49,613)				(49,633)		(49,633)
Redemption of preferred stock, shares	(1,983)								(1,983)
Stock-based compensation		26	2,548			2,574		2,574			2,574				2,574		2,574
Dividends to preferred shareholders	(4,455)					(4,455)		(4,455)				(4,455)			(4,455)		(4,455)
Dividends to common shareholders		(432)	(42,673)			(43,105)		(43,105)			(17,517)	(25,588)			(43,105)		(43,105)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests - consolidated real estate entities							(267)	(267)								(267)	(267)
Adjustment to redemption value of redeemable common units			(804)			(804)		(804)			(804)				(804)		(804)
Equity & Accum. Earnings at Dec. 31, 2011	43,392	11,662	995,097		(2,633)	1,047,518	5	1,047,523	9	530	1,053,612		(2,633)	(4,000)	1,047,518	5	1,047,523
Equity and Accum. Earnings, shares at Dec. 31, 2011	868								868
Equity and Accum. Earnings, shares at Dec. 31, 2011				53,144						52,988							52,988
Equity & Accum. Earnings at Sep. 30, 2011
Dividends to preferred shareholders								(922)									(922)
Equity & Accum. Earnings at Dec. 31, 2011								$ 1,047,523									$ 1,047,523
Equity and Accum. Earnings, shares at Dec. 31, 2011																	52,988