Investments in Partially Owned Entities (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) property	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) property	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Feb. 27, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($)
Partially Owned Property Balance Sheet Schedule
Partially Owned Properties	394
Number of Units in Real Estate Property	109,652
ASSETS
Investment in real estate	$ 25,182,352,000	$ 27,675,383,000
Accumulated depreciation	(4,905,406,000)	(5,432,805,000)
Investment in real estate, net	20,276,946,000	22,242,578,000
Cash and cash equivalents	42,276,000	40,080,000	$ 53,534,000		$ 612,590,000
Investments in unconsolidated entities	68,101,000	105,434,000
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents	55,893,000	72,303,000
Deferred financing costs, net	54,004,000	58,380,000
Other assets	422,027,000	383,754,000
Total assets	23,157,328,000	22,950,614,000
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Secured Debt	4,704,870,000	5,086,515,000
Accounts Payable And Accrued Liabilities Current And Noncurrent Other Than Interest And Dividend Payable	187,124,000	153,590,000
Accrued interest payable	85,221,000	89,540,000
Other liabilities	366,387,000	389,915,000
Security Deposit Liability	77,582,000	75,633,000
Total liabilities	11,894,190,000	11,742,105,000
Noncontrolling Interests Partially Owned Properties	4,608,000	124,909,000
Total equity/capital	10,696,355,000	10,707,776,000
Total liabilities and equity/capital	23,157,328,000	22,950,614,000
Partially Owned Property Income Statement Schedule
Operating revenue	2,744,965,000	2,614,748,000	2,387,702,000
Depreciation	765,895,000	758,861,000	978,973,000
General and administrative/other	65,082,000	50,948,000	62,179,000
Operating income	1,008,820,000	921,375,000	512,322,000
Interest and other income	7,372,000	4,462,000	5,283,000
Other expenses	(2,942,000)	(9,073,000)	(29,630,000)
Interest:
Expense incurred, net	(444,069,000)	(457,191,000)	(586,854,000)
Amortization of deferred financing costs	(10,801,000)	(11,088,000)	(22,197,000)
Income (loss) before income and other taxes, income (loss) from investments in unconsolidated entities, net gain (loss) on sales of real estate properties and land parcels and discontinued operations	558,380,000	448,485,000	(121,076,000)
Income and other tax (expense) benefit	(917,000)	(1,394,000)	(1,169,000)
Income (loss) from investments in unconsolidated entities	15,025,000	(7,952,000)	(58,156,000)
Net income	$ 908,018,000	$ 658,683,000	1,905,353,000
Investments In Partially Owned Entities (Textuals) [Abstract]
Disposed Properties | property	8	11
Disposed Units	1,857	3,480
Partially Owned Consolidated Units	3,771
Investments in unconsolidated entities	$ 68,101,000	$ 105,434,000
Partially Owned Unconsolidated Units	1,281
Secured Debt	$ 4,704,870,000	5,086,515,000
Distributions from unconsolidated entities – return of capital	51,144,000	103,793,000	25,471,000
Joint Venture Partner [Member]
ASSETS
Investment in real estate, net	116,700,000
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents	1,700,000
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Noncontrolling Interests Partially Owned Properties	$ 117,300,000
Consolidated Properties [Member]
Partially Owned Property Balance Sheet Schedule
Partially Owned Properties	19
Number of Units in Real Estate Property	3,771
ASSETS
Investment in real estate	$ 689,574,000
Accumulated depreciation	(216,697,000)
Investment in real estate, net	472,877,000
Cash and cash equivalents	23,445,000
Investments in unconsolidated entities	49,408,000
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents	346,000
Deferred financing costs, net	1,792,000
Other assets	26,567,000
Total assets	574,435,000
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Secured Debt	343,429,000
Accounts Payable And Accrued Liabilities Current And Noncurrent Other Than Interest And Dividend Payable	1,698,000
Accrued interest payable	1,223,000
Other liabilities	786,000
Security Deposit Liability	2,036,000
Total liabilities	349,172,000
Noncontrolling Interests Partially Owned Properties	4,608,000
Parent Equity Interest	220,655,000
Total equity/capital	225,263,000
Total liabilities and equity/capital	574,435,000
Partially Owned Property Income Statement Schedule
Operating revenue	94,349,000
Operating expenses	26,081,000
Net operating income	68,268,000
Depreciation	22,216,000
General and administrative/other	330,000
Operating income	45,722,000
Interest and other income	12,000
Other expenses	(50,000)
Interest:
Expense incurred, net	(15,459,000)
Amortization of deferred financing costs	(349,000)
Income (loss) before income and other taxes, income (loss) from investments in unconsolidated entities, net gain (loss) on sales of real estate properties and land parcels and discontinued operations	29,876,000
Income and other tax (expense) benefit	(35,000)
Income (loss) from investments in unconsolidated entities	(1,501,000)
Net income	28,340,000
Investments In Partially Owned Entities (Textuals) [Abstract]
Investments in unconsolidated entities	49,408,000
Secured Debt	$ 343,429,000
Unconsolidated Properties [Member]
Partially Owned Property Balance Sheet Schedule
Partially Owned Properties	3
Number of Units in Real Estate Property	1,281
ASSETS
Investment in real estate	$ 290,891,000
Accumulated depreciation	(30,662,000)
Investment in real estate, net	260,229,000
Cash and cash equivalents	7,044,000
Investments in unconsolidated entities	0
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents	289,000
Deferred financing costs, net	6,000
Other assets	448,000
Total assets	268,016,000
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Secured Debt	174,846,000
Accounts Payable And Accrued Liabilities Current And Noncurrent Other Than Interest And Dividend Payable	733,000
Accrued interest payable	691,000
Other liabilities	347,000
Security Deposit Liability	645,000
Total liabilities	177,262,000
Noncontrolling Interests Partially Owned Properties	90,878,000
Parent Equity Interest	(124,000)
Total equity/capital	90,754,000
Total liabilities and equity/capital	268,016,000
Partially Owned Property Income Statement Schedule
Operating revenue	32,285,000
Operating expenses	12,061,000
Net operating income	20,224,000
Depreciation	12,350,000
General and administrative/other	255,000
Operating income	7,619,000
Interest and other income	(1,000)
Other expenses	0
Interest:
Expense incurred, net	(9,390,000)
Amortization of deferred financing costs	(2,000)
Income (loss) before income and other taxes, income (loss) from investments in unconsolidated entities, net gain (loss) on sales of real estate properties and land parcels and discontinued operations	(1,774,000)
Income and other tax (expense) benefit	(18,000)
Income (loss) from investments in unconsolidated entities	0
Net income	(1,792,000)
Investments In Partially Owned Entities (Textuals) [Abstract]
Investments in unconsolidated entities	0
Secured Debt	174,846,000
Legacy JV [Domain]
Interest:
Liquidation Value Preferred Interests	42,200,000
Investments In Partially Owned Entities (Textuals) [Abstract]
Distribution Made to Limited Liability Company (LLC) Member, Cash Distributions Paid	27,900,000
Liquidation Value Preferred Interests	42,200,000
Residual JV [Domain]
ASSETS
Investments in unconsolidated entities	$ (300,000)			$ 147,600,000
Interest:
Joint Venture Partner Ownership Percentage	40.00%
Investments In Partially Owned Entities (Textuals) [Abstract]
Investments in unconsolidated entities	$ (300,000)			$ 147,600,000
Joint Venture Partner Ownership Percentage	40.00%
Distributions from unconsolidated entities – return of capital	$ 51,000,000	83,500,000	$ 18,900,000
Residual JV [Domain] | Settled Litigation [Member]
Investments In Partially Owned Entities (Textuals) [Abstract]
Distributions from unconsolidated entities – return of capital	16,800,000
Residual JV [Domain] | Property, Plant and Equipment [Member]
Investments In Partially Owned Entities (Textuals) [Abstract]
Distributions from unconsolidated entities – return of capital	30,700,000	$ 3,900,000
Joint Venture Partner [Member]
Investments In Partially Owned Entities (Textuals) [Abstract]
Disposed Properties		1
Gain Loss On Sale Of Land Parcels		$ 1,100,000
Unconsolidated Properties [Member]
Investments In Partially Owned Entities (Textuals) [Abstract]
Disposed Properties		1
Equity Method Investment, Realized Gain (Loss) on Disposal		$ 4,900,000
Disposed Units		388
Wisconsin Place [Domain]
ASSETS
Investments in unconsolidated entities	$ 49,400,000
Interest:
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired	75.00%
Investments In Partially Owned Entities (Textuals) [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired	75.00%
Partially Owned Consolidated Units	432
Basis of joint venture	$ 175,800,000
Investments in unconsolidated entities	49,400,000
Waterton Tenside [Domain]
ASSETS
Investments in unconsolidated entities	3,900,000
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Secured Debt	29,400,000
Investments In Partially Owned Entities (Textuals) [Abstract]
Investments in unconsolidated entities	$ 3,900,000
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	20.00%
Partially Owned Unconsolidated Units			336
Secured Debt	$ 29,400,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	3.66%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Dec. 01, 2018
Domain [Member]
ASSETS
Investments in unconsolidated entities	$ 10,000,000
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Secured Debt	96,800,000
Investments In Partially Owned Entities (Textuals) [Abstract]
Investments in unconsolidated entities	$ 10,000,000
Partially Owned Unconsolidated Units	444
Secured Debt	$ 96,800,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	5.75%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Jan. 01, 2022
Nexus Sawgrass [Member]
ASSETS
Investments in unconsolidated entities	$ 5,100,000
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Secured Debt	48,600,000
Investments In Partially Owned Entities (Textuals) [Abstract]
Investments in unconsolidated entities	$ 5,100,000
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	20.00%
Partially Owned Unconsolidated Units	501
Secured Debt	$ 48,600,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	5.60%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Jan. 01, 2021
Germany [Domain]
Investments In Partially Owned Entities (Textuals) [Abstract]
Distributions from unconsolidated entities – return of capital	$ 3,500,000	$ 79,600,000	$ 18,900,000
Archstone Transaction [Member]
ASSETS
Other assets			195,260,000
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Secured Debt			2,000,000,000
Other liabilities			108,997,000
Interest:
Income (loss) from investments in unconsolidated entities	(2,700,000)	$ (4,300,000)	(54,000,000)
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired				60.00%
Investments In Partially Owned Entities (Textuals) [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired				60.00%
Secured Debt			$ 2,000,000,000
Company's Portion [Member] | Legacy JV [Domain]
Investments In Partially Owned Entities (Textuals) [Abstract]
Distribution Made to Limited Liability Company (LLC) Member, Cash Distributions Paid	$ 16,700,000