Condensed Consolidated Statements of Equity/Capital - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Preferred Stock	Common Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Dividends in Excess of Cumulative Earnings	Total Shareholders' Equity/Partners' Capital	Noncontrolling Interests	Redeemable 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 Total Shareholders' Equity/Partners' Capital	CBL & Associates Limited Partnership Noncontrolling Interests	CBL & Associates Limited Partnership Redeemable Common Units
Beginning balance of redeemable noncontrolling partnership interests at Dec. 31, 2017								$ 8,835								$ 8,835
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests
Net income (loss)								(94)								(94)
Distributions declared - common units	$ (34,531)				$ (34,531)	$ (34,531)			$ (40,617)			$ (402)	$ (40,215)	$ (40,617)		(1,143)
Adjustment for noncontrolling interests	(1,399)			$ (11,737)		(11,737)	$ 10,338	1,399
Adjustment to record redeemable interests at redemption value	2,531			2,203		2,203	328	(2,530)	2,531			26	2,505	2,531		(2,530)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(7,804)						(7,804)	(1,143)	(1,718)						$ (1,718)
Allocation of partners' capital									(1,401)			(48)	(1,353)	(1,401)		1,399
Ending balance of redeemable noncontrolling partnership interests at Mar. 31, 2018								6,467								6,467
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2017	1,236,478	$ 25	$ 1,711	1,974,537	(836,269)	1,140,004	96,474
Beginning balance of units (shares) at Dec. 31, 2017										25,050,000	199,297,000
Beginning balance partners capital at Dec. 31, 2017									1,236,768	$ 565,212		6,735	655,120	1,227,067	9,701
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)	(567)				903	903	(1,470)		(567)	11,223		(122)	(11,769)	(668)	101
Dividends declared - common stock	(34,531)				(34,531)	(34,531)			(40,617)			(402)	(40,215)	(40,617)		(1,143)
Dividends declared - preferred stock	(11,223)				(11,223)	(11,223)			(11,223)	$ (11,223)				(11,223)
Issuances of shares of common stock and restricted common stock	741		7	734		741
Conversion of Operating Partnership common units into shares of common stock			9	3,050		3,059	(3,059)
Cancellation of restricted common stock	(233)			(233)		(233)			(233)				(233)	(233)
Performance stock units	$ 419			419		419			419			4	415	419
Issuances of common units (shares)	700,534										701,000
Issuances of common units									741				741	741
Amortization of deferred compensation	$ 1,196			1,196		1,196			1,196			12	1,184	1,196
Cancellation of restricted common stock/units (shares)	(47,867)										(48,000)
Allocation of partners' capital									(1,401)			(48)	(1,353)	(1,401)		1,399
Adjustment for noncontrolling interests	$ (1,399)			(11,737)		(11,737)	10,338	1,399
Adjustment to record redeemable noncontrolling interests at redemption value	2,531			2,203		2,203	328	(2,530)	2,531			26	2,505	2,531		(2,530)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(7,804)						(7,804)	(1,143)	(1,718)						(1,718)
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2018	1,255,988	25	1,727	1,970,169	(810,740)	1,161,181	94,807
Ending balance of units (shares) at Mar. 31, 2018										25,050,000	199,950,000
Ending balance partners capital at Mar. 31, 2018									1,256,276	$ 565,212		6,927	676,053	1,248,192	8,084
Beginning balance of redeemable noncontrolling partnership interests at Dec. 31, 2018	3,575							3,575	3,575							3,575
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests
Net income (loss)								(453)								(453)
Distributions declared - common units	(13,010)				(13,010)	(13,010)			(16,048)			(151)	(15,897)	(16,048)		(1,143)
Adjustment for noncontrolling interests	(1,038)			(2,356)		(2,356)	1,318	1,038
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(4,450)						(4,450)	(1,143)	(1,412)						(1,412)
Allocation of partners' capital									(1,038)			(34)	(1,004)	(1,038)		1,038
Ending balance of redeemable noncontrolling partnership interests at Mar. 31, 2019	3,017							3,017	3,017							3,017
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2018	1,032,165	25	1,727	1,968,280	(1,005,895)	964,137	68,028
Beginning balance of units (shares) at Dec. 31, 2018										25,050,000	199,415,000
Beginning balance partners capital at Dec. 31, 2018									1,032,458	$ 565,212		4,628	450,507	1,020,347	12,111
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)	(46,356)				(38,976)	(38,976)	(7,380)		(46,356)	11,223		(590)	(56,914)	(46,281)	(75)
Dividends declared - common stock	(13,010)				(13,010)	(13,010)			(16,048)			(151)	(15,897)	(16,048)		(1,143)
Dividends declared - preferred stock	(11,223)				(11,223)	(11,223)			(11,223)	$ (11,223)				(11,223)
Issuances of shares of common stock and restricted common stock	717		9	708		717
Cancellation of restricted common stock	(134)		(1)	(133)		(134)			(133)				(133)	(133)
Performance stock units	$ 313			313		313			312			3	309	312
Issuances of common units (shares)	863,174										863,000
Issuances of common units									717				717	717
Amortization of deferred compensation	$ 1,033			1,033		1,033			1,033			11	1,022	1,033
Cancellation of restricted common stock/units (shares)	(57,656)										(58,000)
Allocation of partners' capital									(1,038)			(34)	(1,004)	(1,038)		$ 1,038
Adjustment for noncontrolling interests	$ (1,038)			(2,356)		(2,356)	1,318	1,038
Contributions from noncontrolling interests	455						455		455						455
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(4,450)						(4,450)	$ (1,143)	(1,412)						(1,412)
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2019	$ 958,472	$ 25	$ 1,735	$ 1,967,845	$ (1,069,104)	$ 900,501	$ 57,971
Ending balance of units (shares) at Mar. 31, 2019										25,050,000	200,220,000
Ending balance partners capital at Mar. 31, 2019									$ 958,765	$ 565,212		$ 3,867	$ 378,607	$ 947,686	$ 11,079