Carrying amount of equity (deficit) interests owned by noncontrolling partners in partially owned properties.

No definition available.

Name:	eqr_NoncontrollingInterestsEquityDeficitPartiallyOwnedProperties
Namespace Prefix:	eqr_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Carrying amount of equity interests owned by noncontrolling partners in partially owned properties.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	eqr_NoncontrollingInterestsPartiallyOwnedProperties
Namespace Prefix:	eqr_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the value of Noncontrolling Interest distributions had the Company's partnership agreements been liquidated through the sale of their assets upon reaching the date specified in each respective partnership agreement. The Company, as controlling partner, has an obligation to cause the property owning partnerships to distribute the proceeds of liquidation to the Noncontrolling Interests in these Partially Owned Properties.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage of rental income excluded from accounting standard adoption.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	eqr_PercentageOfRentalIncomeExcludedFromAccountingStandardAdoption
Namespace Prefix:	eqr_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of rental income subject to accounting standard adoption.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	eqr_PercentageOfRentalIncomeSubjectToAccountingStandardAdoption
Namespace Prefix:	eqr_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

A gain (loss) realized on a transfer, accounted for as a sale, of all or a portion of financial assets in which the transferor surrenders control and receives consideration other than a beneficial interest in the assets transferred. Reflects the amount of sales proceeds in excess of, or deficient from, the sum of the carrying amounts of transferred financial assets plus transaction costs.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.7,9)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-Subparagraph (a),(b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32639-109319

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

+ Details

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

- Definition

The number of real estate properties owned as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of units in a real estate property owned as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RealEstatePropertiesAxis=us-gaap_ConsolidatedPropertiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RealEstatePropertiesAxis=eqr_LimitedLifePartnershipPropertiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AdjustmentsForNewAccountingPronouncementsAxis=us-gaap_AdjustmentsForNewAccountingPrincipleEarlyAdoptionMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis=us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Details)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($) Property ApartmentUnit	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Provision for income tax		$ 213,000	$ 262,000
Percentage of rental income excluded from accounting standard adoption		94.00%
Percentage of total revenue subject to revenue recognition standard		6.00%
Properties \| Property		303
Apartment Units \| ApartmentUnit		78,399
Noncontrolling interests partially owned properties		$ 1,293,000		$ 4,708,000
Partially Owned Properties – Consolidated
Properties \| Property		17
Apartment Units \| ApartmentUnit		3,535
Limited Life Partnership Properties [Member]
Properties \| Property		4
Noncontrolling interests equity (deficit) partially owned properties		$ 8,700,000
Noncontrolling interests settlement value		66,300,000
Adjustments for New Accounting Principle, Early Adoption
Gain (loss) on equity transaction	$ 0
Federal [Member]
Provision for income tax		$ 0