Equity, Capital and Other Interests (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

The following tables present the changes in the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Shares and “Units” (which includes OP Units and restricted units (formerly known as Long-Term Incentive Plan ("LTIP") Units)) for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013:



	2015		2014		2013
Common Shares
Common Shares outstanding at January 1,	362,855,454		360,479,260		325,054,654
Common Shares Issued:
Conversion of OP Units	208,307		94,671		67,939
Issuance of Common Shares	—		—		34,468,085
Exercise of share options	1,456,363		2,086,380		586,017
Employee Share Purchase Plan (ESPP)	68,462		68,807		73,468
Restricted share grants, net	168,142		169,722		229,097
Common Shares Other:
Conversion of restricted shares to restricted units	(1,284	)	(12,146	)	—
Repurchased and retired	—		(31,240	)	—
Common Shares outstanding at December 31,	364,755,444		362,855,454		360,479,260
Units
Units outstanding at January 1,	14,298,691		14,180,376		13,968,758
Restricted unit grants, net	335,496		200,840		279,557
Conversion of restricted shares to restricted units	1,284		12,146		—
Conversion of OP Units to Common Shares	(208,307	)	(94,671	)	(67,939	)
Units outstanding at December 31,	14,427,164		14,298,691		14,180,376
Total Common Shares and Units outstanding at December 31,	379,182,608		377,154,145		374,659,636
Units Ownership Interest in Operating Partnership	3.8	%	3.8	%	3.8	%

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 years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively (amounts in thousands):



	2015		2014			2013
Balance at January 1,	$	500,733	$	363,144		$	398,372
Change in market value	64,378		139,818			(79,667		)
Change in carrying value	1,672		(2,229		)	44,439
Balance at December 31,	$	566,783	$	500,733		$	363,144

Schedule Of Preferred Stock [Table Text Block]

The following table presents the Company’s issued and outstanding Preferred Shares as of December 31, 2015 and 2014:



				Amounts in thousands
	Redemption Date (1)	Annual Dividend per Share (2)		December 31, 2015		December 31, 2014
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; 745,600 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015 and 1,000,000 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2014 (3) (4)	12/10/26		$4.145	$	37,280	$	50,000
				$	37,280	$	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.


(3)	Effective January 26, 2015, the Company repurchased and retired 196,400 Series K Preferred Shares with a par value of $9.82 million for total cash consideration of approximately $12.7 million. As a result of this partial redemption, the Company incurred a cash charge of approximately $2.8 million which was recorded as a premium on the redemption of Preferred Shares.


(4)	Effective November 12, 2015, the Company repurchased and retired 58,000 Series K Preferred Shares with a par value of $2.9 million for total cash consideration of approximately $3.6 million. As a result of this partial redemption, the Company incurred a cash charge of approximately $0.7 million which was recorded as a premium on the redemption of Preferred Shares.

ERPOP [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 years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013:



	2015		2014		2013
General and Limited Partner Units
General and Limited Partner Units outstanding at January 1,	377,154,145		374,659,636		339,023,412
Issued to General Partner:
Issuance of OP Units	—		—		34,468,085
Exercise of EQR share options	1,456,363		2,086,380		586,017
EQR's Employee Share Purchase Plan (ESPP)	68,462		68,807		73,468
EQR's restricted share grants, net	168,142		169,722		229,097
Issued to Limited Partners:
Restricted unit grants, net	335,496		200,840		279,557
OP Units Other:
Repurchased and retired	—		(31,240	)	—
General and Limited Partner Units outstanding at December 31,	379,182,608		377,154,145		374,659,636
Limited Partner Units
Limited Partner Units outstanding at January 1,	14,298,691		14,180,376		13,968,758
Limited Partner restricted unit grants, net	335,496		200,840		279,557
Conversion of EQR restricted shares to restricted units	1,284		12,146		—
Conversion of Limited Partner OP Units to EQR Common Shares	(208,307	)	(94,671	)	(67,939	)
Limited Partner Units outstanding at December 31,	14,427,164		14,298,691		14,180,376
Limited Partner Units Ownership Interest in Operating Partnership	3.8	%	3.8	%	3.8	%

Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest [Table Text Block]

The following table presents the changes in the redemption value of the Redeemable Limited Partners for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively (amounts in thousands):



	2015		2014			2013
Balance at January 1,	$	500,733	$	363,144		$	398,372
Change in market value	64,378		139,818			(79,667		)
Change in carrying value	1,672		(2,229		)	44,439
Balance at December 31,	$	566,783	$	500,733		$	363,144

Schedule Of Preferred Stock [Table Text Block]

The following table presents the Operating Partnership's issued and outstanding “Preference Units” as of December 31, 2015 and 2014:



				Amounts in thousands
	Redemption Date (1)	Annual Dividend per Unit (2)		December 31, 2015		December 31, 2014
Preference Units:
8.29% Series K Cumulative Redeemable Preference Units; liquidation value $50 per unit; 745,600 units issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015 and 1,000,000 units issued and outstanding at December 31, 2014 (3) (4)	12/10/26		$4.145	$	37,280	$	50,000
				$	37,280	$	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.

(3)

Effective January 26, 2015, the Operating Partnership repurchased and retired 196,400 Series K Preference Units with a par value of $9.82 million for total cash consideration of approximately $12.7 million, in conjunction with the concurrent redemption of the corresponding Company Preferred Shares. As a result of this partial redemption, the Operating Partnership incurred a cash charge of approximately $2.8 million which was recorded as a premium on the redemption of Preference Units.

(4)

Effective November 12, 2015, the Operating Partnership repurchased and retired 58,000 Series K Preference Units with a par value of $2.9 million for total cash consideration of approximately $3.6 million, in conjunction with the concurrent redemption of the corresponding Company Preferred Shares. As a result of this partial redemption, the Operating Partnership incurred a cash charge of approximately $0.7 million which was recorded as a premium on the redemption of Preference Units.