Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		$ 151,762
Preferred stock, par value (USD per share)		$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock authorized (shares)		15,000,000	15,000,000
Common stock, par value (USD per share)		$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock authorized (shares)		350,000,000	350,000,000
Common stock issued (shares)		195,765,021	174,115,111
Common stock outstanding (shares)		195,765,021	174,115,111
Variable interest asset entities	[1]	$ 4,564,043	$ 4,622,346
Variable interest liability entities	[1]	3,951,632	3,758,321
CBL & Associates Limited Partnership
Available-for-sale securities, fair value		151,762
Variable interest asset entities	[2]	4,564,397	4,622,706
Variable interest liability entities	[2]	3,951,702	$ 3,758,392
Variable Interest Entity Primary Beneficiary
Variable interest asset entities		364,893
Variable Interest Entity Primary Beneficiary | CBL & Associates Limited Partnership
Variable interest asset entities		364,893
Variable interest liability entities		171,625
Variable Interest Entity Primary Beneficiary | Nonrecourse
Variable interest liability entities		$ 171,625
Series D Preferred Stock
Preferred stock outstanding (shares)		1,815,000	1,815,000
Dividend rate of preferred stock (as a percent)		7.375%	7.375%
Series E Preferred Stock
Preferred stock outstanding (shares)		690,000	690,000
Dividend rate of preferred stock (as a percent)		6.625%	6.625%

[1] As of September 30, 2020, includes $364,893 of assets related to consolidated variable interest entities that can be used only to settle obligations of the consolidated variable interest entities and $171,625 of liabilities of consolidated variable interest entities for which creditors do not have recourse to the general credit of the Company. See Note 7

[2] As of September 30, 2020, includes $364,893 of assets related to consolidated variable interest entities that can only be used to settle obligations of the consolidated variable interest entities and $171,625 of liabilities of consolidated variable interest entities for which creditors do not have recourse to the general credit of the Operating Partnership. See Note 7.