Equity Transactions Narrative (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands								1 Months Ended												2 Months Ended	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 17, 2021 USD ($)	Nov. 16, 2021 $ / shares shares	Oct. 05, 2021 USD ($)	Jun. 04, 2021 USD ($)	Apr. 05, 2021 $ / shares shares	Mar. 02, 2021 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Nov. 04, 2020 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Jul. 31, 2021 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2021 $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Oct. 31, 2020 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Sep. 30, 2020 $ / shares shares	May 31, 2020 USD ($) shares	Feb. 28, 2020	Jan. 31, 2020	Aug. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2021 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2022 USD ($) $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($) $ / shares Rate shares	Mar. 31, 2021 $ / shares shares	Jun. 30, 2020 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2021 shares	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Oct. 01, 2020 salesAgreement	Dec. 31, 2018 $ / shares
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity, Equity Interests Issued | $																	$ 2,400
Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues | $						$ 1,100,000
Aggregate Value of Shares to be Issued in Accordance to Sales Agreement | $	$ 1,250,000			$ 500,000
Commission, Maximum Percentage of Gross Sales Price Per Share According to Sales Agreement	2.00%			2.00%
Proceeds from issuance of common stock | $			$ 1,230,000			$ 537,600								$ 633,100						$ 539,700
Dividends per common share: | $ / shares																										$ 3.28	$ 3.12	$ 2.96
Cash, proceeds from dispositions held in escrow, or contingent liability | $																											$ 3,001,343
Temporary Equity, Dividends, Percentage														3.00%
Sale of Stock, Number of Shares Issued in Transaction					200,000,000	8,050,000							9,200,000	4,968,000
Sale of Stock, Price Per Share | $ / shares						$ 140.00		$ 139.50														$ 139.50				139.50
Common Stock, Par Value | $ / shares					$ 0.01			$ 0.01			$ 0.01											$ 0.01				$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share | $ / shares					$ 0.01
Common Stock, Shares Outstanding								115,976,000			107,626,000											115,976,000				115,976,000	107,626,000
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)								115,976,000			107,626,000											115,976,000				115,976,000	107,626,000
Sale of Stock, Number of Shares Issued in Transaction, Direct						4,000,000
Sale of Stock, Number of Shares Issued in Transaction, Forward Equity Sales						4,050,000
Number Of Forward Sales Agreements | salesAgreement																													2
Public Offering
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Sale of Stock, Number of Shares Issued in Transaction		4,025,000
Sale of Stock, Price Per Share | $ / shares		$ 185.00
June 2021 Sales Agreement
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Proceeds from issuance of common stock | $								$ 356,500
Sale of Stock, Number of Shares Issued in Transaction								1,820,109
Over-Allotment Option
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Proceeds from issuance of common stock | $																										$ 163,800	$ 163,800	$ 163,800
Sale of Stock, Number of Shares Issued in Transaction																										0	0	0
December 2021 Sales Agreement
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Sale of Stock, Number of Shares Issued in Transaction								0
Series D Preferred OP Units
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Temporary Equity, Shares Issued																							488,958
Temporary Equity, Issuance Price | $ / shares																							$ 100.00
Temporary Equity, Dividends For Term One, Percentage																							3.75%
Temporary Equity, Dividends, Percentage																							4.00%
Temporary Equity, Shares Outstanding								488,958														488,958				488,958
Series D Preferred OP Units | Minimum [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Convertible Preferred Stock, Shares Issued Per Share Upon Conversion																		100.00
Series D Preferred OP Units | Maximum [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Convertible Preferred Stock, Shares Issued Per Share Upon Conversion															160.00			125.00
Common Stock [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Common Stock | $																					$ 98,367
Common OP Units [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Temporary Equity, Shares Issued								17,707			130,475	55,403		82,420								17,707				17,707	130,475
Series E Preferred OP Units [Domain]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Temporary Equity, Shares Issued								90,000														90,000				90,000
Temporary Equity, Issuance Price | $ / shares																						$ 100.00
Temporary Equity, Dividends For Term One, Percentage																						5.25%
Temporary Equity, Dividends, Percentage | Rate																						5.50%
Temporary Equity, Shares Outstanding								90,000														90,000				90,000
Series E Preferred OP Units [Domain] | Minimum [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Convertible Preferred Stock, Shares Issued Per Share Upon Conversion																100.00
Series E Preferred OP Units [Domain] | Maximum [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Convertible Preferred Stock, Shares Issued Per Share Upon Conversion																145.00
Series F Preferred OP Units
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Temporary Equity, Shares Issued														90,000
Temporary Equity, Issuance Price | $ / shares													$ 100.00
Temporary Equity, Shares Outstanding								90,000														90,000				90,000
Series F Preferred OP Units | Minimum [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Convertible Preferred Stock, Shares Issued Per Share Upon Conversion															100.00
Series G Preferred OP Units
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Temporary Equity, Shares Issued								240,710														240,710			260,710	240,710
Stock Redeemed or Called During Period, Shares							20,000
Stock Redeemed or Called During Period, Value | $							$ 2,000
Temporary Equity, Dividends For Term One, Percentage													320.00%
Series G Preferred OP Units | Minimum [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Convertible Preferred Stock, Shares Issued Per Share Upon Conversion																100.00
Series G Preferred OP Units | Maximum [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Convertible Preferred Stock, Shares Issued Per Share Upon Conversion													155.00
Series I Preferred OP Units
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Temporary Equity, Shares Issued								922,000														922,000				922,000
Temporary Equity, Issuance Price | $ / shares											$ 100.00
Temporary Equity, Dividends For Term One, Percentage											3.00%
Series I Preferred OP Units | Minimum [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Convertible Preferred Stock, Shares Issued Per Share Upon Conversion											100.00
Series I Preferred OP Units | Maximum [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Convertible Preferred Stock, Shares Issued Per Share Upon Conversion											164.00
Series H Preferred OP Units
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Temporary Equity, Shares Issued								581,407				581,407										581,407				581,407
Temporary Equity, Issuance Price | $ / shares												$ 100.00
Temporary Equity, Dividends For Term One, Percentage												3.00%
Series H Preferred OP Units | Minimum [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Convertible Preferred Stock, Shares Issued Per Share Upon Conversion												100.00
Series H Preferred OP Units | Maximum [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Convertible Preferred Stock, Shares Issued Per Share Upon Conversion												164.00
Series J Preferred Op Units
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Temporary Equity, Issuance Price | $ / shares										$ 100.00
Temporary Equity, Dividends For Term One, Percentage										2.85%
Series J Preferred Op Units | Minimum [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Convertible Preferred Stock, Shares Issued Per Share Upon Conversion										100.00
Series J Preferred Op Units | Maximum [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Convertible Preferred Stock, Shares Issued Per Share Upon Conversion										165.00
Shelf Registration
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common Stock, Shares Outstanding								115,976,408														115,976,408				115,976,408
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)								115,976,408														115,976,408				115,976,408
Preferred Stock, Shares Issued								0														0				0
Preferred Stock, Shares Outstanding								0														0				0
Common Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues | $																										$ 83	$ 143	$ 58
Share Price | $ / shares								$ 151.89			$ 151.89											$ 151.89				$ 151.89	$ 151.89	$ 147.19		$ 165.97
Sale of Stock, Number of Shares Issued in Transaction					180,000,000
Series A-1 Preferred OP Units [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Conversion of Common OP Units to common stock (in shares)																										19,710	14,500
Series A-1 Preferred OP Units [Member] | Common OP Units [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Conversion of Common OP Units to common stock (in shares)																										48,067	35,359
Conversion of Stock, Shares Issued																										2.4390
Conversion of Common OP Units [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Conversion of Common OP Units to common stock (in shares)																										86,364	81,845
Conversion of Common OP Units [Member] | Common OP Units [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Conversion of Common OP Units to common stock (in shares)																										86,364
Conversion of Stock, Shares Issued																										1.0000
Preferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Sale of Stock, Number of Shares Issued in Transaction					20,000,000
Forecast [Member] | Common Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Dividends per common share: | $ / shares																					$ 0.83
NG Sun Whitewater [Domain]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity, Equity Interest | $								$ 4,300			$ 5,100											$ 4,300				$ 4,300	$ 5,100
SHM South Fork [Member] | Safe Harbor [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Real Estate Investments, Joint Ventures | $								4,100			$ 4,300	$ 4,300										4,100				4,100	4,300
Sun Menifee [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Limited Partnership Interests | $												$ 100
Noncontrolling Interest in Limited Partnerships | $								100														100				100
Sun Solar JV
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity, Equity Interests Issued | $									$ 5,800
Payments to Acquire Limited Partnership Interests | $									$ 1,800													1,600
Sun Moreno
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Limited Partnership Interests | $								100
Variable Interest Entity, Equity Interest | $								100														100				100
Sun Solar CA II
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Limited Partnership Interests | $								12,300
Variable Interest Entity, Equity Interest | $								500														500				500
Sun NG RV Resorts [Member] | NG Sun LLC [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity, Equity Interests Issued, Floating Rate																									5.00%
Common Stock [Member] | Sun NG RV Resorts [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity, Equity Interests Issued | $																			$ 3,000
Common Stock [Member] | Sun NG RV Resorts [Member] | NG Sun LLC [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity, Equity Interests Issued | $																								$ 6,500
Common Stock [Member] | Sun NG RV Resorts [Member] | Sun NG RV Resorts [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Variable Interest Entity, Equity Interests Issued | $																								$ 15,400		24,700	$ 23,300
Variable Interest Entity, Contingent Consideration, Earnout Provision | $								$ 38,300														$ 38,300				$ 38,300