Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies	Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies Description of Business Highwoods Properties, Inc. (the “Company”) is a fully integrated real estate investment trust (“REIT”) that provides leasing, management, development, construction and other customer-related services for its properties and for third parties. The Company conducts its activities through Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership (the “Operating Partnership”). At September 30, 2016, we owned or had an interest in 31.1 million rentable square feet of in-service properties, 1.1 million rentable square feet of properties under development and approximately 450 acres of development land. The Company is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. At September 30, 2016, the Company owned all of the Preferred Units and 99.8 million, or 97.2%, of the Common Units in the Operating Partnership. Limited partners owned the remaining 2.8 million Common Units. During the nine months ended September 30, 2016, the Company redeemed 60,048 Common Units for a like number of shares of Common Stock. Common Stock Offerings During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, the Company issued 1,547,457 and 3,624,528 shares, respectively, of Common Stock under its equity distribution agreements at an average gross sales price of $52.79 and $49.67 per share, respectively, and received net proceeds, after sales commissions, of $80.5 million and $177.3 million, respectively. As a result of this activity and the redemptions discussed above, the percentage of Common Units owned by the Company increased from 97.1% at December 31, 2015 to 97.2% at September 30, 2016. Basis of Presentation Our Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Our Consolidated Statements of Income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 were retrospectively revised from previously reported amounts to reclassify the operations for those properties classified as discontinued operations. The Company's Consolidated Financial Statements include the Operating Partnership, wholly owned subsidiaries and those entities in which the Company has the controlling interest. The Operating Partnership's Consolidated Financial Statements include wholly owned subsidiaries and those entities in which the Operating Partnership has the controlling interest. In addition, we consolidate those entities deemed to be variable interest entities in which we are determined to be the primary beneficiary. At September 30, 2016, we had involvement with, but are not the primary beneficiary in, an entity that we concluded to be a variable interest entity. All intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated. The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and accompanying unaudited consolidated financial information, in the opinion of management, contain all adjustments (including normal recurring accruals) necessary for a fair presentation of our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. We have condensed or omitted certain notes and other information from the interim Consolidated Financial Statements presented in this Quarterly Report as permitted by SEC rules and regulations. These Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with our 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Use of Estimates The preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. 1. Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies – Continued Recently Issued Accounting Standards The Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") recently issued an accounting standards update ("ASU") that requires the use of a new five-step model to recognize revenue from customer contracts. The five-step model requires that we identify the contract with the customer, identify the performance obligations in the contract, determine the transaction price, allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and recognize revenue when we satisfy the performance obligations. We will also be required to disclose information regarding the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The ASU is required to be adopted in 2018. Retrospective application is required either to all periods presented or with the cumulative effect of initial adoption recognized in the period of adoption. We are in the process of evaluating this ASU. The FASB recently issued an ASU that amended consolidation requirements. The amendments significantly change the consolidation analysis required under GAAP and require companies to reevaluate all previous consolidation conclusions. We adopted the ASU as of January 1, 2016 and there was no impact to consolidated entities included in our Consolidated Financial Statements. However, in reevaluating our previous consolidation conclusions upon adoption of the ASU, we determined our 12.5% equity interest in an unconsolidated affiliate to be an interest in a variable interest entity because certain of its limited partners do not have substantive kick-out or participating rights. We do not qualify as the primary beneficiary since our obligation to absorb losses and receive benefits of the variable interest entity is less than that of the other general partner and we do not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly affect the economic performance of the entity. Accordingly, the entity is not consolidated. At September 30, 2016, our maximum exposure to loss with respect to this arrangement is limited to the less than $0.1 million carrying value of our 12.5% investment in the unconsolidated affiliate. The FASB recently issued an ASU that requires debt issuance costs to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the debt liability to which they relate, consistent with debt discounts, as opposed to being presented as assets. For debt issuance costs related to revolving credit facilities, the FASB allows the presentation of debt issuance costs as an asset. We adopted the ASU as of January 1, 2016 with retrospective application to our December 31, 2015 Consolidated Balance Sheets. The effect of the adoption was to reclassify debt issuance costs from deferred financing and leasing costs, net of accumulated amortization, as follows: $7.8 million to a contra account as a deduction from the related mortgages and notes payable and $2.1 million to prepaid expenses and other assets. There was no effect on our Consolidated Statements of Income. The FASB recently issued an ASU which sets out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases for both lessees and lessors. The ASU requires lessors to account for leases using an approach that is substantially equivalent to the existing guidance and is effective for reporting periods beginning in 2019 with early adoption permitted. We are in the process of evaluating this ASU. The FASB recently issued an ASU that requires, among other things, the use of a new current expected credit loss ("CECL") model in determining our allowances for doubtful accounts with respect to accounts receivable, accrued straight-line rents receivable and mortgages and notes receivable. The CECL model requires that we estimate our lifetime expected credit loss with respect to these receivables and record allowances that, when deducted from the balance of the receivables, represent the net amounts expected to be collected. We will also be required to disclose information about how we developed the allowances, including changes in the factors (e.g., portfolio mix, credit trends, unemployment, gross domestic product, etc.) that influenced our estimate of expected credit losses and the reasons for those changes. We will apply the ASU’s provisions as a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings upon adoption in 2020. We are in the process of evaluating this ASU. The FASB recently issued an ASU that adds to and clarifies guidance on the classification of certain cash receipts and payments in the statement of cash flows. The ASU is required to be adopted in 2018 with retrospective application required. We are in the process of evaluating this ASU.

Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies

Description of Business

Highwoods Properties, Inc. (the “Company”) is a fully integrated real estate investment trust (“REIT”) that provides leasing, management, development, construction and other customer-related services for its properties and for third parties. The Company conducts its activities through Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership (the “Operating Partnership”). At September 30, 2016, we owned or had an interest in 31.1 million rentable square feet of in-service properties, 1.1 million rentable square feet of properties under development and approximately 450 acres of development land.

The Company is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. At September 30, 2016, the Company owned all of the Preferred Units and 99.8 million, or 97.2%, of the Common Units in the Operating Partnership. Limited partners owned the remaining 2.8 million Common Units. During the nine months ended September 30, 2016, the Company redeemed 60,048 Common Units for a like number of shares of Common Stock.

Common Stock Offerings

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, the Company issued 1,547,457 and 3,624,528 shares, respectively, of Common Stock under its equity distribution agreements at an average gross sales price of $52.79 and $49.67 per share, respectively, and received net proceeds, after sales commissions, of $80.5 million and $177.3 million, respectively. As a result of this activity and the redemptions discussed above, the percentage of Common Units owned by the Company increased from 97.1% at December 31, 2015 to 97.2% at September 30, 2016.

Basis of Presentation

Our Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Our Consolidated Statements of Income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 were retrospectively revised from previously reported amounts to reclassify the operations for those properties classified as discontinued operations. The Company's Consolidated Financial Statements include the Operating Partnership, wholly owned subsidiaries and those entities in which the Company has the controlling interest. The Operating Partnership's Consolidated Financial Statements include wholly owned subsidiaries and those entities in which the Operating Partnership has the controlling interest. In addition, we consolidate those entities deemed to be variable interest entities in which we are determined to be the primary beneficiary. At September 30, 2016, we had involvement with, but are not the primary beneficiary in, an entity that we concluded to be a variable interest entity. All intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated.

The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and accompanying unaudited consolidated financial information, in the opinion of management, contain all adjustments (including normal recurring accruals) necessary for a fair presentation of our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. We have condensed or omitted certain notes and other information from the interim Consolidated Financial Statements presented in this Quarterly Report as permitted by SEC rules and regulations. These Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with our 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

1. Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies – Continued

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

The Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") recently issued an accounting standards update ("ASU") that requires the use of a new five-step model to recognize revenue from customer contracts. The five-step model requires that we identify the contract with the customer, identify the performance obligations in the contract, determine the transaction price, allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and recognize revenue when we satisfy the performance obligations. We will also be required to disclose information regarding the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The ASU is required to be adopted in 2018. Retrospective application is required either to all periods presented or with the cumulative effect of initial adoption recognized in the period of adoption. We are in the process of evaluating this ASU.

The FASB recently issued an ASU that amended consolidation requirements. The amendments significantly change the consolidation analysis required under GAAP and require companies to reevaluate all previous consolidation conclusions. We adopted the ASU as of January 1, 2016 and there was no impact to consolidated entities included in our Consolidated Financial Statements. However, in reevaluating our previous consolidation conclusions upon adoption of the ASU, we determined our 12.5% equity interest in an unconsolidated affiliate to be an interest in a variable interest entity because certain of its limited partners do not have substantive kick-out or participating rights. We do not qualify as the primary beneficiary since our obligation to absorb losses and receive benefits of the variable interest entity is less than that of the other general partner and we do not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly affect the economic performance of the entity. Accordingly, the entity is not consolidated. At September 30, 2016, our maximum exposure to loss with respect to this arrangement is limited to the less than $0.1 million carrying value of our 12.5% investment in the unconsolidated affiliate.

The FASB recently issued an ASU that requires debt issuance costs to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the debt liability to which they relate, consistent with debt discounts, as opposed to being presented as assets. For debt issuance costs related to revolving credit facilities, the FASB allows the presentation of debt issuance costs as an asset. We adopted the ASU as of January 1, 2016 with retrospective application to our December 31, 2015 Consolidated Balance Sheets. The effect of the adoption was to reclassify debt issuance costs from deferred financing and leasing costs, net of accumulated amortization, as follows: $7.8 million to a contra account as a deduction from the related mortgages and notes payable and $2.1 million to prepaid expenses and other assets. There was no effect on our Consolidated Statements of Income.

The FASB recently issued an ASU which sets out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases for both lessees and lessors. The ASU requires lessors to account for leases using an approach that is substantially equivalent to the existing guidance and is effective for reporting periods beginning in 2019 with early adoption permitted. We are in the process of evaluating this ASU.

The FASB recently issued an ASU that requires, among other things, the use of a new current expected credit loss ("CECL") model in determining our allowances for doubtful accounts with respect to accounts receivable, accrued straight-line rents receivable and mortgages and notes receivable. The CECL model requires that we estimate our lifetime expected credit loss with respect to these receivables and record allowances that, when deducted from the balance of the receivables, represent the net amounts expected to be collected. We will also be required to disclose information about how we developed the allowances, including changes in the factors (e.g., portfolio mix, credit trends, unemployment, gross domestic product, etc.) that influenced our estimate of expected credit losses and the reasons for those changes. We will apply the ASU’s provisions as a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings upon adoption in 2020. We are in the process of evaluating this ASU.

The FASB recently issued an ASU that adds to and clarifies guidance on the classification of certain cash receipts and payments in the statement of cash flows. The ASU is required to be adopted in 2018 with retrospective application required. We are in the process of evaluating this ASU.