Reportable Segments - Reconciliation of NOI from Rental Real Estate Specific to Continuing Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017
Segment Reporting Reconciling Item For Operating Profit Loss From Segment To Consolidated [Line Items]
Rental income	$ 632,831	$ 603,920
Property and maintenance expense	(108,202)	(102,608)
Real estate taxes and insurance expense	(91,914)	(81,728)
Operating income	196,869	204,371
Same Store, Non-same Store and Other
Segment Reporting Reconciling Item For Operating Profit Loss From Segment To Consolidated [Line Items]
Rental income	632,831	603,920
Property and maintenance expense	(108,202)	(102,608)
Real estate taxes and insurance expense	(91,914)	(81,728)
Total operating expenses	(200,116)	(184,336)
Operating income	$ 432,715	$ 419,584

The aggregate costs of keeping the property in good condition but that do not appreciably prolong the life or increase the value of the property.

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

- Definition

Generally recurring costs associated with normal operations except for the portion of these expenses which can be clearly related to production and included in cost of sales or services. Includes selling, general and administrative expense.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The net result for the period of deducting operating expenses from operating revenues.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The total amount of revenue recognized for the period from operating leases, including minimum lease revenue, contingent revenue, percentage revenue and sublease revenue.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 20
-Section 25
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77902458&loc=d3e39896-112707

+ Details

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

- Definition

The aggregate total of real estate taxes and insurance expense.

+ 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 210.5-03.6)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 720
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6419918&loc=d3e35301-107843

+ Details

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

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SegmentReportingReconcilingItemForOperatingProfitLossFromSegmentToConsolidatedLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=eqr_SameStoreNonSameStoreAndOtherMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: