Disclosure About Fair Value of Financial Instruments - Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	$ 1,623	$ 5,599
Interest rate swaps (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	659	1,146
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	2,074	1,849
Impaired real estate assets		10,252
Total Assets	4,356	18,846
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, net, at fair value	2,170,931	2,056,248
Interest rate swaps (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)		3,581
Non-qualified deferred compensation obligation (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	2,074	1,849
Total Liabilities	2,173,005	2,061,678
Level 1 [Member]
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	0	0
Interest rate swaps (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	0	0
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	2,074	1,849
Impaired real estate assets		0
Total Assets	2,074	1,849
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, net, at fair value	0	0
Interest rate swaps (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)		0
Non-qualified deferred compensation obligation (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	2,074	1,849
Total Liabilities	2,074	1,849
Level 2 [Member]
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	1,623	5,599
Interest rate swaps (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	659	1,146
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	0	0
Impaired real estate assets		0
Total Assets	2,282	6,745
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, net, at fair value	2,170,931	2,056,248
Interest rate swaps (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)		3,581
Non-qualified deferred compensation obligation (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	0	0
Total Liabilities	2,170,931	2,059,829
Level 3 [Member]
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	0	0
Interest rate swaps (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	0	0
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	0	0
Impaired real estate assets		10,252
Total Assets	0	10,252
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, net, at fair value	0	0
Interest rate swaps (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)		0
Non-qualified deferred compensation obligation (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	0	0
Total Liabilities	0	0
Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member]
Assets:
Noncontrolling Interests in the Operating Partnership	127,976	105,960
Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member] | Level 1 [Member]
Assets:
Noncontrolling Interests in the Operating Partnership	127,976	105,960
Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member] | Level 2 [Member]
Assets:
Noncontrolling Interests in the Operating Partnership	0	0
Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member] | Level 3 [Member]
Assets:
Noncontrolling Interests in the Operating Partnership	$ 0	$ 0