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, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022
Basic:
Net income available to common stockholders	$ 87,282	$ 92,842	$ 340,434	$ 223,150
Weighted average common shares/units (in shares)	64,184,180	65,059,678	64,274,085	65,198,532
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.36	$ 1.43	$ 5.30	$ 3.42
Diluted:
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders	$ 87,282	$ 92,842	$ 340,434	$ 223,150
Income from continuing operations available to common stockholders (in shares)	64,186,020	65,067,790	64,275,279	65,225,767
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.36	$ 1.43	$ 5.30	$ 3.42
Essex Portfolio, L.P.
Basic:
Net income available to common stockholders	$ 90,354	$ 96,089	$ 352,416	$ 230,950
Weighted average common shares/units (in shares)	66,443,416	67,333,077	66,535,917	67,476,168
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.36	$ 1.43	$ 5.30	$ 3.42
Diluted:
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders	$ 90,354	$ 96,089	$ 352,416	$ 230,950
Income from continuing operations available to common stockholders (in shares)	66,445,256	67,341,189	66,537,111	67,503,403
Net income available to common stockholders/unitholders (in dollars per share)	$ 1.36	$ 1.43	$ 5.30	$ 3.42
Stock options
Basic:
Income effect of dilutive securities	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Effect of dilutive securities (in shares)	1,840	8,112	1,194	27,235
Diluted:
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount (in shares)	461,873		501,187	230,326
Stock options | Essex Portfolio, L.P.
Basic:
Income effect of dilutive securities	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Effect of dilutive securities (in shares)	1,840	8,112	1,115	27,235
Diluted:
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount (in shares)	461,873	271,018	501,187	230,326
Convertible units
Diluted:
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount (in shares)	2,259,236	2,273,399	2,261,832	2,277,636
Income allocated to convertible OP Units	$ 3,100	$ 3,200	$ 12,000	$ 7,800