Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Revenues:
Rental and other property	$ 319,562,000	$ 294,101,000	$ 631,740,000	$ 574,330,000
Management and other fees from affiliates	2,028,000	2,061,000	4,052,000	4,705,000
Total revenues	321,590,000	296,162,000	635,792,000	579,035,000
Expenses:
Property operating, excluding real estate taxes	61,538,000	57,400,000	121,609,000	113,019,000
Real estate taxes	34,541,000	32,677,000	68,960,000	64,229,000
Depreciation and amortization	109,673,000	113,731,000	219,380,000	220,638,000
General and administrative	9,698,000	9,549,000	18,880,000	20,094,000
Merger and integration expenses	0	1,410,000	0	3,798,000
Acquisition and investment related costs	267,000	429,000	1,095,000	976,000
Total expenses	215,717,000	215,196,000	429,924,000	422,754,000
Earnings from operations	105,873,000	80,966,000	205,868,000	156,281,000
Interest expense	(55,568,000)	(50,802,000)	(108,034,000)	(98,348,000)
Total return swap income	2,814,000	0	5,937,000	0
Interest and other income	9,409,000	3,254,000	14,617,000	7,453,000
Equity income in co-investments	14,296,000	4,472,000	29,364,000	8,783,000
Gain on sale of real estate and land	0	0	20,258,000	7,112,000
Deferred tax expense on gain on sale of real estate and land	0	0	(4,279,000)	0
Gain on remeasurement of co-investment	0	12,652,000	0	34,014,000
Net income	76,824,000	50,542,000	163,731,000	115,295,000
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(4,811,000)	(3,674,000)	(9,882,000)	(7,750,000)
Net income attributable to controlling interest	72,013,000	46,868,000	153,849,000	107,545,000
Dividends to preferred stockholders	0	(1,313,000)	(1,314,000)	(2,627,000)
Excess of redemption value of preferred stock over the carrying value	0	0	(2,541,000)	0
Net income available to common stockholders	72,013,000	45,555,000	149,994,000	104,918,000
Comprehensive income	78,005,000	51,287,000	162,701,000	116,639,000
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(4,850,000)	(3,703,000)	(9,848,000)	(7,794,000)
Comprehensive income attributable to controlling interest	$ 73,155,000	$ 47,584,000	$ 152,853,000	$ 108,845,000
Basic:
Net income available to common stockholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.10	$ 0.70	$ 2.29	$ 1.63
Weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period (in shares)	65,451,110	64,810,184	65,428,382	64,499,545
Diluted:
Net income available to common stockholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.10	$ 0.70	$ 2.29	$ 1.62
Weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period (in shares)	65,575,378	64,972,852	65,558,811	64,677,521
Dividends per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 1.60	$ 1.44	$ 3.2	$ 2.88
Essex Portfolio, L.P. [Member]
Revenues:
Rental and other property	$ 319,562,000	$ 294,101,000	$ 631,740,000	$ 574,330,000
Management and other fees from affiliates	2,028,000	2,061,000	4,052,000	4,705,000
Total revenues	321,590,000	296,162,000	635,792,000	579,035,000
Expenses:
Property operating, excluding real estate taxes	61,538,000	57,400,000	121,609,000	113,019,000
Real estate taxes	34,541,000	32,677,000	68,960,000	64,229,000
Depreciation and amortization	109,673,000	113,731,000	219,380,000	220,638,000
General and administrative	9,698,000	9,549,000	18,880,000	20,094,000
Merger and integration expenses	0	1,410,000	0	3,798,000
Acquisition and investment related costs	267,000	429,000	1,095,000	976,000
Total expenses	215,717,000	215,196,000	429,924,000	422,754,000
Earnings from operations	105,873,000	80,966,000	205,868,000	156,281,000
Interest expense	(55,568,000)	(50,802,000)	(108,034,000)	(98,348,000)
Total return swap income	2,814,000	0	5,937,000	0
Interest and other income	9,409,000	3,254,000	14,617,000	7,453,000
Equity income in co-investments	14,296,000	4,472,000	29,364,000	8,783,000
Gain on sale of real estate and land	0	0	20,258,000	7,112,000
Deferred tax expense on gain on sale of real estate and land	0	0	(4,279,000)	0
Gain on remeasurement of co-investment	0	12,652,000	0	34,014,000
Net income	76,824,000	50,542,000	163,731,000	115,295,000
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(2,361,000)	(2,141,000)	(4,648,000)	(4,154,000)
Net income attributable to controlling interest	74,463,000	48,401,000	159,083,000	111,141,000
Dividends to preferred stockholders	0	(1,313,000)	(1,314,000)	(2,627,000)
Excess of redemption value of preferred stock over the carrying value	0	0	(2,541,000)	0
Net income available to common stockholders	74,463,000	47,088,000	155,228,000	108,514,000
Comprehensive income	78,005,000	51,287,000	162,701,000	116,639,000
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(2,361,000)	(2,141,000)	(4,648,000)	(4,154,000)
Comprehensive income attributable to controlling interest	$ 75,644,000	$ 49,146,000	$ 158,053,000	$ 112,485,000
Basic:
Net income available to common stockholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.10	$ 0.70	$ 2.29	$ 1.63
Weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period (in shares)	67,675,038	66,992,209	67,654,279	66,682,708
Diluted:
Net income available to common stockholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.10	$ 0.70	$ 2.29	$ 1.62
Weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period (in shares)	67,799,306	67,154,877	67,784,708	66,860,684
Dividends per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 1.6	$ 1.44	$ 3.2	$ 2.88