Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017
Revenues:
Rental and other property	$ 344,947	$ 333,168
Management and other fees from affiliates	2,308	2,236
Revenues	347,255	335,404
Expenses:
Property operating, excluding real estate taxes	57,250	56,136
Real estate taxes	37,713	35,868
Corporate-level property management expenses	7,770	7,509
Depreciation and amortization	119,105	115,503
General and administrative	14,813	10,601
Expensed acquisition and investment related costs	57	556
Total expenses	236,708	226,173
Earnings from operations	110,547	109,231
Interest expense	(54,861)	(54,583)
Total return swap income	2,270	2,584
Interest and other income	5,909	6,764
Equity income from co-investments	32,774	10,899
Gain on sale of real estate and land	0	26,174
Gain on remeasurement of co-investment	0	86,482
Net income	96,639	187,551
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(5,721)	(8,587)
Net income available to common stockholders	90,918	178,964
Comprehensive income	102,815	189,764
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(5,926)	(8,661)
Comprehensive income attributable to controlling interest	$ 96,889	$ 181,103
Basic:
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.38	$ 2.73
Weighted average number of shares/common units outstanding during the period (in shares)	66,044,022	65,549,484
Diluted:
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.38	$ 2.72
Weighted average number of shares/common units outstanding during the period (in shares)	66,082,517	65,859,490
Dividends/Distributions per common share/unit (in dollars per share)	$ 1.86	$ 1.75
Essex Portfolio, L.P. [Member]
Revenues:
Rental and other property	$ 344,947	$ 333,168
Management and other fees from affiliates	2,308	2,236
Revenues	347,255	335,404
Expenses:
Property operating, excluding real estate taxes	57,250	56,136
Real estate taxes	37,713	35,868
Corporate-level property management expenses	7,770	7,509
Depreciation and amortization	119,105	115,503
General and administrative	14,813	10,601
Expensed acquisition and investment related costs	57	556
Total expenses	236,708	226,173
Earnings from operations	110,547	109,231
Interest expense	(54,861)	(54,583)
Total return swap income	2,270	2,584
Interest and other income	5,909	6,764
Equity income from co-investments	32,774	10,899
Gain on sale of real estate and land	0	26,174
Gain on remeasurement of co-investment	0	86,482
Net income	96,639	187,551
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(2,589)	(2,441)
Net income available to common stockholders	94,050	185,110
Comprehensive income	102,815	189,764
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(2,589)	(2,441)
Comprehensive income attributable to controlling interest	$ 100,226	$ 187,323
Basic:
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.38	$ 2.73
Weighted average number of shares/common units outstanding during the period (in shares)	68,317,435	67,801,718
Diluted:
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.38	$ 2.72
Weighted average number of shares/common units outstanding during the period (in shares)	68,355,930	68,111,724
Dividends/Distributions per common share/unit (in dollars per share)	$ 1.86	$ 1.75