Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable allowance	$ 19	$ 44
Deferred leasing costs, accumulated amortization	148,019	149,275
Prepaid expenses and other assets, accumulated depreciation	$ 19,944	$ 18,074
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)	28,859	28,877
Series A Preferred Stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	28,859	28,877
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)	103,748,337	103,557,065
Common Stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	103,748,337	103,557,065
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable allowance	$ 19	$ 44
Deferred leasing costs, accumulated amortization	148,019	149,275
Prepaid expenses and other assets, accumulated depreciation	$ 19,944	$ 18,074
Redeemable Operating Partnership Units: [Abstract]
Redeemable Common Units outstanding (in shares)	2,725,703	2,738,703
Series A Preferred Units, liquidation preference (in dollars per share)	$ 1,000	$ 1,000
Series A Preferred Units, issued (in shares)	28,859	28,877
Series A Preferred Units, outstanding (in shares)	28,859	28,877
Common Units: [Abstract]
General partners' capital account, units outstanding (in shares)	1,060,652	1,058,870
Limited partners' capital account, units outstanding (in shares)	102,278,876	102,089,386