Mortgage Notes Payable, Unsecured Notes and Credit Facility (Details 3) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Mortgage Notes Payable, Unsecured Notes and Credit Facility
Variable rate unsecured credit facility	$ 0	$ 0
Mortgage notes payable
Mortgage Notes Payable, Unsecured Notes and Credit Facility
Mortgage notes payable held by wholly owned subsidiaries guaranteed by the Company	234,500,000
Variable rate unsecured credit facility
Mortgage Notes Payable, Unsecured Notes and Credit Facility
Available borrowing capacity	1,300,000,000
Annual facility fee	1,950,000
Outstanding balance of letters of credit	43,049,000	49,407,000
Variable rate unsecured credit facility	0	$ 0
Net carrying value of apartment communities and improved land parcels securing debt	$ 3,253,350,000
Fixed rate mortgage notes payable
Mortgage Notes Payable, Unsecured Notes and Credit Facility
Weighted average interest rate, debt (as a percent)	4.60%	4.50%
Variable rate mortgage notes payable, unsecured term loan and Credit Facility
Mortgage Notes Payable, Unsecured Notes and Credit Facility
Weighted average interest rate, debt (as a percent)	1.80%	1.80%
LIBOR \| Term loan \| Unsecured notes
Mortgage Notes Payable, Unsecured Notes and Credit Facility
Debt instrument variable rate (as a percent)	LIBOR
Debt instrument, basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)	1.45%

Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

No definition available.

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- Definition

The reference rate for the variable rate of the debt instrument, such as LIBOR or the US Treasury rate and the maturity of the reference rate used, such as three months or six months LIBOR.

+ References

No definition available.

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- 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.

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- Definition

Weighted average interest rate of debt outstanding.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

This item represents a non-contingent liability for the fair value of an obligation to stand ready to perform over the term of a guaranty issued in the event that specified triggering events or conditions occur.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7661617&loc=d3e11049-110243

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.15)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.15)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7661617&loc=d3e11019-110243

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- Definition

The total amount of the contingent obligation under letters of credit outstanding as of the reporting date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current and noncurrent portions of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.16)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.16)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19, 20, 22
-Article 5

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- Definition

Amount of the fee for available but unused credit capacity under the credit facility.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

The carrying amount, as of the date of the latest financial statement presented, of real estate owned but transferred to serve as collateral for the payment of the related debt obligation, primarily a secured borrowing or repurchase agreement, and for which the transferee is not permitted to sell or re-pledge them to an unrelated party.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (b)(1)(i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=55761124&loc=SL6224234-111729

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