Equity, Capital and Other Interests (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2014

Common shares and units rollforward

The following tables present the changes in the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Shares and “Units” (which includes OP Units and Long-Term Incentive Plan (“LTIP”) Units) for the nine months ended September 30, 2014:

	2014
Common Shares
Common Shares outstanding at January 1,	360,479,260
Common Shares Issued:
Conversion of OP Units	68,296
Exercise of share options	1,476,512
Employee Share Purchase Plan (ESPP)	56,945
Restricted share grants, net	170,460
Common Shares Other:
Conversion of restricted shares to LTIP Units	(12,146	)
Repurchased and retired	(31,240	)
Common Shares outstanding at September 30,	362,208,087
Units
Units outstanding at January 1,	14,180,376
LTIP Units, net	200,840
Conversion of restricted shares to LTIP Units	12,146
Conversion of OP Units to Common Shares	(68,296	)
Units outstanding at September 30,	14,325,066
Total Common Shares and Units outstanding at September 30,	376,533,153
Units Ownership Interest in Operating Partnership	3.8	%

Schedule Of Preferred Stock [Table Text Block]

The following table presents the Company’s issued and outstanding Preferred Shares as of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013:

				Amounts in thousands
	Redemption Date (1)	Annual Dividend per Share (2)		September 30, 2014		December 31, 2013
Preferred Shares of beneficial interest, $0.01 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized:
8.29% Series K Cumulative Redeemable Preferred; liquidation value $50 per share; 1,000,000 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013	12/10/26		$4.145	$	50,000	$	50,000
				$	50,000	$	50,000

(1) On or after the redemption date, redeemable preferred shares may be redeemed for cash at the option of the Company, in whole or

in part, at a redemption price equal to the liquidation price per share, plus accrued and unpaid distributions, if any.

(2) Dividends on Preferred Shares are payable quarterly.

Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest [Table Text Block]

The following table presents the changes in the redemption value of the Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests – Operating Partnership for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 (amounts in thousands):

	2014
Balance at January 1,	$	363,144
Change in market value	69,579
Change in carrying value	(2,574		)
Balance at September 30,	$	430,149

Limited Partner [Member]

Common shares and units rollforward

The following tables present the changes in the Operating Partnership’s issued and outstanding Units and in the limited partners’ Units for the nine months ended September 30, 2014:

	2014
General and Limited Partner Units
General and Limited Partner Units outstanding at January 1,	374,659,636
Issued to General Partner:
Exercise of EQR share options	1,476,512
EQR’s Employee Share Purchase Plan (ESPP)	56,945
EQR's restricted share grants, net	170,460
Issued to Limited Partners:
LTIP Units, net	200,840
OP Units Other:
Repurchased and retired	(31,240	)
General and Limited Partner Units outstanding at September 30,	376,533,153
Limited Partner Units
Limited Partner Units outstanding at January 1,	14,180,376
Limited Partner LTIP Units, net	200,840
Conversion of EQR restricted shares to LTIP Units	12,146
Conversion of Limited Partner OP Units to EQR Common Shares	(68,296	)
Limited Partner Units outstanding at September 30,	14,325,066
Limited Partner Units Ownership Interest in Operating Partnership	3.8	%

Schedule Of Preferred Stock [Table Text Block]

The following table presents the Operating Partnership’s issued and outstanding “Preference Units” as of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013:

				Amounts in thousands
	Redemption Date (1)	Annual Dividend per Unit (2)		September 30, 2014		December 31, 2013
Preference Units:
8.29% Series K Cumulative Redeemable Preference Units;   liquidation value $50 per unit; 1,000,000 units issued and   outstanding at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013	12/10/26		$4.145	$	50,000	$	50,000
				$	50,000	$	50,000

(1) On or after the redemption date, redeemable preference units may be redeemed for cash at the option of the Operating Partnership, in whole or in part, at a redemption price equal to the liquidation price per unit, plus accrued and unpaid distributions, if any, in conjunction with the concurrent redemption of the corresponding Company Preferred Shares.

(2) Dividends on Preference Units are payable quarterly.

Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest [Table Text Block]

The following table presents the changes in the redemption value of the Redeemable Limited Partners for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 (amounts in thousands):

	2014
Balance at January 1,	$	363,144
Change in market value	69,579
Change in carrying value	(2,574		)
Balance at September 30,	$	430,149