Condensed Consolidated Statements of Equity/Capital - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests	Preferred Stock	Common Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	Dividends in Excess of Cumulative Earnings	Total Shareholders' Equity	Noncontrolling Interests	CBL & Associates Limited Partnership	CBL & Associates Limited Partnership Preferred Units	CBL & Associates Limited Partnership Common Units	CBL & Associates Limited Partnership General Partner	CBL & Associates Limited Partnership Limited Partners	CBL & Associates Limited Partnership Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	CBL & Associates Limited Partnership Total Shareholders' Equity	CBL & Associates Limited Partnership Noncontrolling Interests	CBL & Associates Limited Partnership Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests	CBL & Associates Limited Partnership Redeemable Common Units	CBL & Associates Limited Partnership Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests
Beginning Balance, redeemable noncontrolling partnership interests at Dec. 31, 2015		$ 25,330																$ 5,586	$ 19,744	$ 25,330
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests
Net income (loss)		(3,225)																(3,489)	264	(3,225)
Other comprehensive income	$ 431	3				$ 371		$ 371	$ 60	$ 431					$ 431	$ 431			3	3
Dividends declared - common stock/units	(45,261)						$ (45,261)	(45,261)		(53,428)			$ (533)	$ (52,895)		(53,428)			(1,143)	(1,143)
Adjustment for noncontrolling interests	(287)	288			$ (1,490)	(2,306)		(3,796)	3,509
Allocation of partners' capital										(90)			(31)	(496)	437	(90)			288	288
Adjustment to record redeemable interests at redemption value	(592)	592			(592)			(592)		(592)			(6)	(586)		(592)		592		592
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(9,528)	(2,134)							(9,528)	(1,361)							$ (1,361)	(991)		(991)
Ending Balance, redeemable noncontrolling partnership interests at Mar. 31, 2016		20,854																1,698	19,156	20,854
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	1,399,599		$ 25	$ 1,705	1,970,333	1,935	(689,028)	1,284,970	114,629
Beginning balance, units at Dec. 31, 2015											25,050,000	199,748,000
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2015										1,400,038	$ 565,212		8,435	822,383	(868)	1,395,162	4,876
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests
Net income (loss)	45,117						40,074	40,074	5,043	45,117	11,223		344	33,188		44,755	362
Other comprehensive income	431	3				371		371	60	431					431	431			3	3
Dividends/Distributions declared - common stock/units	(45,261)						(45,261)	(45,261)		(53,428)			(533)	(52,895)		(53,428)			(1,143)	(1,143)
Dividends/Distributions declared - preferred stock/units	$ (11,223)						(11,223)	(11,223)		(11,223)	$ (11,223)					(11,223)
Issuances of common units (in units)	323,353											323,000
Issuances of common units										342				342		342
Issuance of common stock and restricted common stock	$ 342			3	339			342
Cancellation of restricted common stock/units, units	(23,066)											(23,000)
Cancellation of restricted common stock/units	$ (214)				(214)			(214)		(214)				(214)		(214)
Performance stock units	258				258			258		258			3	255		258
Amortization of deferred compensation	1,254				1,254			1,254		1,254			12	1,242		1,254
Adjustment for noncontrolling interests	(287)	288			(1,490)	(2,306)		(3,796)	3,509
Allocation of partners' capital										(90)			(31)	(496)	437	(90)			288	288
Adjustment to record redeemable noncontrolling interests at redemption value	(592)	592			(592)			(592)		(592)			(6)	(586)		(592)		592		592
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(9,528)	(2,134)							(9,528)	(1,361)							(1,361)	$ (991)		$ (991)
Ending Balance at Mar. 31, 2016	1,379,896		25	1,708	1,969,888	$ 0	(705,438)	1,266,183	113,713
Ending balance, units at Mar. 31, 2016											25,050,000	200,048,000
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2016										1,380,532	$ 565,212		8,224	803,219	$ 0	1,376,655	3,877
Beginning Balance, redeemable noncontrolling partnership interests at Dec. 31, 2016	17,996	17,996								17,996									17,996
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests
Net income (loss)		204																	204
Dividends declared - common stock/units	(45,338)						(45,338)	(45,338)		(53,249)			(533)	(52,716)		(53,249)			(1,143)
Adjustment for noncontrolling interests	(730)	730			(1,572)			(1,572)	842
Allocation of partners' capital										(764)			(31)	(733)		(764)			730
Adjustment to record redeemable interests at redemption value	2,315	(2,315)			2,001			2,001	314	2,315			24	2,291		2,315			(2,315)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(9,440)	(1,143)							(9,440)	(1,529)							(1,529)
Ending Balance, redeemable noncontrolling partnership interests at Mar. 31, 2017	15,472	15,472								15,472									15,472
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2016	1,340,852		25	1,708	1,969,059		(742,078)	1,228,714	112,138
Beginning balance, units at Dec. 31, 2016											25,050,000	199,085,000
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2016										1,341,179	$ 565,212		7,781	756,083		1,329,076	12,103
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests
Net income (loss)	38,314						34,115	34,115	4,199	38,314	11,223		271	26,107		37,601	713
Dividends/Distributions declared - common stock/units	(45,338)						(45,338)	(45,338)		(53,249)			(533)	(52,716)		(53,249)			(1,143)
Dividends/Distributions declared - preferred stock/units	$ (11,223)						(11,223)	(11,223)		(11,223)	$ (11,223)					(11,223)
Issuances of common units (in units)	330,938											331,000
Issuances of common units										374				374		374
Issuance of common stock and restricted common stock	$ 374			3	371			374
Cancellation of restricted common stock/units, units	(29,683)											(30,000)
Cancellation of restricted common stock/units	$ (294)				(294)			(294)		(294)				(294)		(294)
Performance stock units	344				344			344		344			3	341		344
Amortization of deferred compensation	1,246				1,246			1,246		1,246			13	1,233		1,246
Adjustment for noncontrolling interests	(730)	730			(1,572)			(1,572)	842
Allocation of partners' capital										(764)			(31)	(733)		(764)			730
Adjustment to record redeemable noncontrolling interests at redemption value	2,315	(2,315)			2,001			2,001	314	2,315			24	2,291		2,315			$ (2,315)
Deconsolidation of investment	(2,231)								(2,231)	(2,231)							(2,231)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests	263								263	263							263
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(9,440)	$ (1,143)							(9,440)	(1,529)							(1,529)
Ending Balance at Mar. 31, 2017	$ 1,314,452		$ 25	$ 1,711	$ 1,971,155		$ (764,524)	$ 1,208,367	$ 106,085
Ending balance, units at Mar. 31, 2017											25,050,000	199,386,000
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2017										$ 1,314,745	$ 565,212		$ 7,528	$ 732,686		$ 1,305,426	$ 9,319