Subsequent Events (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		1 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Oct. 11, 2012 Variable Rate Term Loan due 2016 [Member] participants	Oct. 11, 2012 Variable Rate Term Loan due 2018 [Member] participants	Oct. 18, 2012 Greensboro, NC Medical Office Property Acquisition [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Oct. 11, 2012 Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] Variable Rate Term Loan due 2016 [Member] participants	Oct. 11, 2012 Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] Variable Rate Term Loan due 2018 [Member] participants	Oct. 18, 2012 Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] Greensboro, NC Medical Office Property Acquisition [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Principal amount of debt		$ 200,000,000				$ 200,000,000
Term of debt instrument (in years)		5 years				5 years
Debt instrument maturity date		Feb. 24, 2016	Jan. 12, 2018			Feb. 24, 2016	Jan. 12, 2018
Debt instrument, interest rate basis		LIBOR plus basis points	LIBOR plus basis points			LIBOR plus basis points	LIBOR plus basis points
Debt instrument, interest rate basis spread (in hundredths)		2.20%	1.65%			2.20%	1.65%
Deferred financing fees			900,000				900,000
Number of changes in participants		2	2			2	2
Aggregate amount of debt related to changes in participants		35,000,000	35,000,000			35,000,000	35,000,000
Debt instrument, debt extinguishment date		Feb. 25, 2013				Feb. 25, 2013
Acquisition purchase price	161,200,000			13,300,000	161,200,000			13,300,000
Fair value of secured debt assumed from acquisition				7,900,000				7,900,000
Effective interest rate of debt assumed from acquisition				4.06%				4.06%
Maturity date of debt assumed from acquisition				Aug. 01, 2014				Aug. 01, 2014
Acquisition-related costs	$ 700,000			$ 100,000	$ 700,000			$ 100,000