Distribution Reinvestment and Share Purchase Plan (Details)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Common Shares registered with Distribution Reinvestment and Share Purchase Plan (2011 DRIP)	4,850,000
Number of shares available for issuance	4,786,788eqr_NumberOfSharesAvailableForIssuance
Distribution Reinvestment Plan 2014 [Member]
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Dividend Reinvestment Plan	4,790,000
Number of shares available for issuance	4,790,000

Number of shares issued during the period from a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP). A dividend reinvestment plan allows the shareholders to reinvest dividends paid to them by the entity on new issues of stock by the entity.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 505

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21463-112644

Name:	us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesDividendReinvestmentPlan
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration