Net Income Per Common Share and Net Income Per Common Unit (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2022	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2022	Jun. 30, 2021
Basic:
Net income available to common stockholders	$ 57,054	$ 64,846	$ 130,308	$ 233,290
Weighted average common shares/units (in shares)	65,262,517	65,001,677	65,269,109	64,995,682
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 0.87	$ 1.00	$ 2.00	$ 3.59
Effect of Dilutive Securities:
Stock options (in shares)	27,086	79,069	38,463	52,334
Diluted:
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders	$ 57,054	$ 64,846	$ 130,308	$ 233,290
Weighted average common shares/units (in shares)	65,289,603	65,080,746	65,307,572	65,048,016
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 0.87	$ 1.00	$ 2.00	$ 3.59
Essex Portfolio, L.P.
Basic:
Net income available to common stockholders	$ 59,044	$ 67,134	$ 134,861	$ 241,525
Weighted average common shares/units (in shares)	67,539,662	67,295,437	67,548,899	67,289,464
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 0.87	$ 1.00	$ 2.00	$ 3.59
Effect of Dilutive Securities:
Stock options (in shares)	27,086	79,069	38,463	52,334
Diluted:
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders	$ 59,044	$ 67,134	$ 134,861	$ 241,525
Weighted average common shares/units (in shares)	67,566,748	67,374,506	67,587,362	67,341,798
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 0.87	$ 1.00	$ 2.00	$ 3.59
Convertible units
Diluted:
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount (in shares)	2,277,145	2,293,760	2,279,790	2,293,782
Income allocated to convertible OP Units	$ 2,000	$ 2,300	$ 4,600	$ 8,200
Stock options
Diluted:
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount (in shares)	230,326	136,172	124,892	0
Stock options | Essex Portfolio, L.P.
Diluted:
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount (in shares)	230,326	136,172	124,892	0