Real Estate Activities - Summary of Revenues and Expenses of Income from Discontinued Operations (Detail) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)
Revenues
Rental	$ 3,557
Other property revenues	356
Total revenues	3,913
Expenses
Property operating and maintenance	1,679
Depreciation	527
Interest	289
Total expenses	2,495
Income from discontinued property operations	$ 1,418

Disposal group, including discontinued operation, costs and expenses.

No definition available.

Name:	pps_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationCostsAndExpenses
Namespace Prefix:	pps_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Disposal group including discontinued operation expenses.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	pps_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationExpensesAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	pps_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Disposal group, including discontinued operation, lease revenue.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	pps_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationLeaseRevenue
Namespace Prefix:	pps_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Disposal group including discontinued operation other real estate revenue.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	pps_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationOtherRealEstateRevenue
Namespace Prefix:	pps_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount after tax of income (loss) from operations classified as a discontinued operation. Excludes gain (loss) on disposal and provision for gain (loss) until disposal.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5C
-Subparagraph (b)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51717284&loc=SL51721675-107760

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51716988&loc=SL51721523-107759

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51716988&loc=d3e957-107759

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DiscontinuedOperationIncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationDuringPhaseOutPeriodNetOfTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of depreciation and amortization expense attributable to disposal group, including, but not limited to, discontinued operation.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5B
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51717284&loc=SL51721673-107760

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationDepreciationAndAmortization
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of interest expense attributable to disposal group, including, but not limited to, discontinued operation.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section S99
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872618&loc=d3e7436-122677

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5B
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51717284&loc=SL51721673-107760

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51716988&loc=d3e1063-107759

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51716988&loc=d3e1060-107759

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationInterestExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of operating expense attributable to disposal group, including, but not limited to, discontinued operation.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationOperatingExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of revenue attributable to disposal group, including, but not limited to, discontinued operation.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationRevenue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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