Net Income Per Common Share and Net Income Per Common Unit (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
Basic:
Net income available to common stockholders	$ 92,842	$ 118,390	$ 223,150	$ 351,680
Weighted average common shares/units (in shares)	65,059,678	65,048,486	65,198,532	65,013,477
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.43	$ 1.82	$ 3.42	$ 5.41
Effect of Dilutive Securities:
Stock options (in shares)	8,112	99,295	27,235	61,697
Diluted:
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders	$ 92,842	$ 118,390	$ 223,150	$ 351,680
Weighted average common shares/units (in shares)	65,067,790	65,147,781	65,225,767	65,075,174
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.43	$ 1.82	$ 3.42	$ 5.40
Essex Portfolio, L.P.
Basic:
Net income available to common stockholders	$ 96,089	$ 122,558	$ 230,950	$ 364,083
Weighted average common shares/units (in shares)	67,333,077	67,336,164	67,476,168	67,307,259
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.43	$ 1.82	$ 3.42	$ 5.41
Effect of Dilutive Securities:
Stock options (in shares)	8,112	99,295	27,235	61,697
Diluted:
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders	$ 96,089	$ 122,558	$ 230,950	$ 364,083
Weighted average common shares/units (in shares)	67,341,189	67,435,459	67,503,403	67,368,956
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.43	$ 1.82	$ 3.42	$ 5.40
Convertible units
Diluted:
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount (in shares)	2,273,399	2,287,678	2,277,636	2,291,725
Income allocated to convertible OP Units	$ 3,200	$ 4,200	$ 7,800	$ 12,400
Stock options
Diluted:
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount (in shares)	271,018	0	230,326	116,380
Stock options | Essex Portfolio, L.P.
Diluted:
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount (in shares)	271,018	0	230,326	116,380