Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Assets:
Accounts receivable allowance	$ 504	$ 624
Mortgages and notes receivable allowance	80	105
Accrued straight-line rents receivable allowance	324	692
Deferred leasing costs, accumulated amortization	145,814	140,081
Prepaid expenses and other assets, accumulated amortization	$ 22,341	$ 19,904
Equity/Capital:
Series A Preferred Stock, dividend rate percentage (in hundredths)	8.625%	8.625%
Series A Preferred Stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Series A Preferred Stock, authorized shares (in shares)	50,000,000	50,000,000
Series A Preferred Stock, liquidation preference (in dollars per share)	$ 1,000	$ 1,000
Series A Preferred Stock, shares issued (in shares)	28,892	28,920
Series A Preferred Stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	28,892	28,920
Common Stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common Stock, authorized shares (in shares)	200,000,000	200,000,000
Common Stock, shares issued (in shares)	103,248,940	101,665,554
Common Stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	103,248,940	101,665,554
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]
Assets:
Accounts receivable allowance	$ 504	$ 624
Mortgages and notes receivable allowance	80	105
Accrued straight-line rents receivable allowance	324	692
Deferred leasing costs, accumulated amortization	145,814	140,081
Prepaid expenses and other assets, accumulated amortization	$ 22,341	$ 19,904
Redeemable Operating Partnership Units: [Abstract]
Redeemable Common Units outstanding (in shares)	2,830,704	2,838,704
Series A Preferred Units, liquidation preference (in dollars per share)	$ 1,000	$ 1,000
Series A Preferred Units, issued (in shares)	28,892	28,920
Series A Preferred Units, outstanding (in shares)	28,892	28,920
Common Units: [Abstract]
General partners' capital account, units outstanding (in shares)	1,056,708	1,040,954
Limited partners' capital account, units outstanding (in shares)	101,783,423	100,215,791