Aimco Equity (Details Textual) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Per share par value of preferred stock issued	$ 0.01
Net proceeds from stock issued during period		$ 9,818,000	$ 19,990,000
Proceeds to Aimco from stock options exercised	993,000	48,907,000
Class Z Cumulative Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Dividend rate of preferred stock issued	7.00%
Preferred stock, liquidation preference per share	$ 25.00
Number of shares of stock issued		405,090	869,153
Net proceeds per share of stock issued		$ 24.24	$ 23.00
Shares available for issuance under at-the-market offering programs	3,500,000
Series A Community Reinvestment Act Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock dividend description	variable rate per annum equal to the Three-Month LIBOR Rate (as defined in the articles supplementary designating the Series A Community Reinvestment Act Perpetual Preferred Stock, or CRA Preferred Stock) plus 1.25%, calculated as of the beginning of each quarterly dividend period
Dividend rate of preferred stock issued	1.50%	1.61%
Preferred stock, liquidation preference per share	$ 500,000
Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Dividend rate of preferred stock issued		7.86%
Shares of preferred stock redeemed during period		24,000,000
Preferred stock redeemed during period at redemption value		600,900,000
Previously deferred issuance costs reflected as an adjustment of net income attributable to preferred security holders		20,700,000
Class V Cumulative Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Dividend rate of preferred stock issued			8.00%
Shares of preferred stock redeemed during period			900,000
Preferred stock redeemed during period at redemption value			21,600,000
Previously deferred issuance costs reflected as an adjustment of net income attributable to preferred security holders			800,000
Class A Common Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Number of public stock offerings completed during period		2
Number of shares of stock issued		22,144,200	2,914,000
Net proceeds from stock issued during period		594,400,000	71,900,000
Net proceeds per share of stock issued		$ 26.84
Number of public stock offerings completed during period to which exercise of stock options related		1
Near-term expiring stock options exercised		2,041,934
Weighted average exercise price of stock options exercised by holders of near-term expiring stock options		$ 23.01
Shares available for issuance under at-the-market offering programs	3,500,000
Options Exercised With Public Offering [Member] | Class A Common Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Proceeds to Aimco from stock options exercised		$ 47,000,000