Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Revenues:
Rental and other property	$ 341,974	$ 327,078	$ 1,011,908	$ 958,818
Management and other fees from affiliates	2,395	2,093	6,927	6,145
Total revenues	344,369	329,171	1,018,835	964,963
Expenses:
Property operating, excluding real estate taxes	66,606	63,781	193,632	185,390
Real estate taxes	37,531	35,580	108,283	104,540
Depreciation and amortization	117,451	110,467	350,893	329,847
General and administrative	9,788	9,647	30,726	28,527
Acquisition and investment related costs	324	284	1,154	1,379
Total expenses	231,700	219,759	684,688	649,683
Earnings from operations	112,669	109,412	334,147	315,280
Interest expense	(55,938)	(56,693)	(167,333)	(164,727)
Total return swap income	2,538	3,143	7,653	9,080
Interest and other income	5,790	4,943	17,916	19,560
Equity income from co-investments	19,727	9,568	40,934	38,932
Loss on early retirement of debt	0	(211)	0	(211)
Gain on sale of real estate and land	249	0	26,423	20,258
Deferred tax expense on gain on sale of real estate and land	0	0	0	(4,279)
Gain on remeasurement of co-investment	0	0	88,641	0
Net income	85,035	70,162	348,381	233,893
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(5,312)	(4,601)	(18,935)	(14,483)
Net income attributable to controlling interest	79,723	65,561	329,446	219,410
Dividends to preferred stockholders	0	0	0	(1,314)
Excess of redemption value of preferred stock over the carrying value	0	0	0	(2,541)
Net income available to common stockholders	79,723	65,561	329,446	215,555
Comprehensive income	88,870	73,173	356,102	235,874
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(5,438)	(4,700)	(19,190)	(14,548)
Comprehensive income attributable to controlling interest	$ 83,432	$ 68,473	$ 336,912	$ 221,326
Basic:
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.21	$ 1.00	$ 5.01	$ 3.29
Weighted average number of shares/common units outstanding during the period (in shares)	65,994,896	65,507,669	65,759,450	65,455,004
Diluted:
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.21	$ 1.00	$ 5.00	$ 3.29
Weighted average number of shares/common units outstanding during the period (in shares)	66,078,283	65,617,551	65,836,965	65,578,661
Dividends/Distributions per common share/unit (in dollars per share)	$ 1.75	$ 1.60	$ 5.25	$ 4.8
Essex Portfolio, L.P. [Member]
Revenues:
Rental and other property	$ 341,974	$ 327,078	$ 1,011,908	$ 958,818
Management and other fees from affiliates	2,395	2,093	6,927	6,145
Total revenues	344,369	329,171	1,018,835	964,963
Expenses:
Property operating, excluding real estate taxes	66,606	63,781	193,632	185,390
Real estate taxes	37,531	35,580	108,283	104,540
Depreciation and amortization	117,451	110,467	350,893	329,847
General and administrative	9,788	9,647	30,726	28,527
Acquisition and investment related costs	324	284	1,154	1,379
Total expenses	231,700	219,759	684,688	649,683
Earnings from operations	112,669	109,412	334,147	315,280
Interest expense	(55,938)	(56,693)	(167,333)	(164,727)
Total return swap income	2,538	3,143	7,653	9,080
Interest and other income	5,790	4,943	17,916	19,560
Equity income from co-investments	19,727	9,568	40,934	38,932
Loss on early retirement of debt	0	(211)	0	(211)
Gain on sale of real estate and land	249	0	26,423	20,258
Deferred tax expense on gain on sale of real estate and land	0	0	0	(4,279)
Gain on remeasurement of co-investment	0	0	88,641	0
Net income	85,035	70,162	348,381	233,893
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(2,591)	(2,378)	(7,646)	(7,026)
Net income attributable to controlling interest	82,444	67,784	340,735	226,867
Dividends to preferred stockholders	0	0	0	(1,314)
Excess of redemption value of preferred stock over the carrying value	0	0	0	(2,541)
Net income available to common stockholders	82,444	67,784	340,735	223,012
Comprehensive income	88,870	73,173	356,102	235,874
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(2,591)	(2,378)	(7,646)	(7,026)
Comprehensive income attributable to controlling interest	$ 86,279	$ 70,795	$ 348,456	$ 228,848
Basic:
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.21	$ 1.00	$ 5.01	$ 3.30
Weighted average number of shares/common units outstanding during the period (in shares)	68,246,008	67,728,621	68,011,123	67,679,240
Diluted:
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.21	$ 1.00	$ 5.00	$ 3.29
Weighted average number of shares/common units outstanding during the period (in shares)	68,329,395	67,838,503	68,088,638	67,802,897
Dividends/Distributions per common share/unit (in dollars per share)	$ 1.75	$ 1.60	$ 5.25	$ 4.8