Business Segments (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013		Sep. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2013		Mar. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Sep. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2012		Mar. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Summary information for the reportable segments
Rental and other property revenues (2)																	$ 939,231		$ 916,742		$ 875,694
Tax credit and asset management revenues																	34,822		41,769		38,661
Total revenues	250,862	[1]	243,943	[1]	241,744	[1]	237,504	[1]	247,705	[1]	242,973	[1]	236,085	[1]	231,748	[1]	974,053		958,511		914,355
Property operating expenses (2)																	375,672		374,347		376,164
Investment management expenses																	4,341		12,008		10,459
Depreciation and amortization (2)																	291,910	[2]	325,173	[2]	323,233	[2]
Provision for real estate impairment losses (2)																	0		6,235	[2]	0
General and administrative expenses																	45,708		49,602		50,906
Other expenses, net																	7,403		12,130		18,302
Total operating expenses	177,707	[1]	179,430	[1]	183,033	[1]	184,864	[1]	192,338	[1]	197,071	[1]	190,343	[1]	199,743	[1]	725,034		779,495		779,064
Net operating income (loss)	73,155	[1]	64,513	[1]	58,711	[1]	52,640	[1]	55,367	[1]	45,902	[1]	45,742	[1]	32,005	[1]	249,019		179,016		135,291
Other items included in continuing operations																	(214,423)		(197,772)		(271,528)	[3]
Income (loss) from continuing operations	26,804	[1]	6,977	[1]	2,477	[1]	(1,662)	[1]	7,839	[1]	5,369	[1]	(5,670)	[1]	(26,294)	[1]	34,596		(18,756)		(136,237)
Conventional Real Estate Operations [Member]
Summary information for the reportable segments
Rental and other property revenues (2)																	803,242	[2]	761,876	[2]	724,866	[2]
Tax credit and asset management revenues
Total revenues																	803,242		761,876		724,866
Property operating expenses (2)																	285,062	[2]	274,414	[2]	263,969	[2]
Investment management expenses
Depreciation and amortization (2)																		[2]		[2]		[2]
Provision for real estate impairment losses (2)																				[2]
General and administrative expenses
Other expenses, net
Total operating expenses																	285,062		274,414		263,969
Net operating income (loss)																	518,180		487,462		460,897
Other items included in continuing operations																						[3]
Income (loss) from continuing operations																	518,180		487,462		460,897
Affordable Real Estate Operations [Member]
Summary information for the reportable segments
Rental and other property revenues (2)																	98,713	[2]	97,135	[2]	94,007	[2]
Tax credit and asset management revenues
Total revenues																	98,713		97,135		94,007
Property operating expenses (2)																	39,717	[2]	38,932	[2]	37,096	[2]
Investment management expenses
Depreciation and amortization (2)																		[2]		[2]		[2]
Provision for real estate impairment losses (2)																				[2]
General and administrative expenses
Other expenses, net
Total operating expenses																	39,717		38,932		37,096
Net operating income (loss)																	58,996		58,203		56,911
Other items included in continuing operations																						[3]
Income (loss) from continuing operations																	58,996		58,203		56,911
Proportionate Adjustments [Member]
Summary information for the reportable segments
Rental and other property revenues (2)																	37,201	[2],[4]	57,251	[2],[4]	55,627	[2],[4]
Tax credit and asset management revenues																		[4]		[4]		[4]
Total revenues																	37,201	[2],[4]	57,251	[4]	55,627	[4]
Property operating expenses (2)																	13,406	[2],[4]	23,562	[2],[4]	22,140	[2],[4]
Investment management expenses																		[4]		[4]		[4]
Depreciation and amortization (2)																		[2],[4]		[2],[4]		[2],[4]
Provision for real estate impairment losses (2)																				[2],[4]
General and administrative expenses																		[4]		[4]		[4]
Other expenses, net																		[4]		[4]		[4]
Total operating expenses																	13,406	[4]	23,562	[4]	22,140	[4]
Net operating income (loss)																	23,795	[4]	33,689	[4]	33,487	[4]
Other items included in continuing operations																		[4]		[4]		[3],[4]
Income (loss) from continuing operations																	23,795	[4]	33,689	[4]	33,487	[4]
Corporate and Amounts Not Allocated to Segments [Member]
Summary information for the reportable segments
Rental and other property revenues (2)																	75	[2]	480	[2]	1,194	[2]
Total revenues																	34,897		42,249		39,855
Property operating expenses (2)																	37,487	[2]	37,439	[2]	52,959
Total operating expenses																	386,849		442,587		455,859
Net operating income (loss)																	(351,952)		(400,338)		(416,004)
Income (loss) from continuing operations																	$ (566,375)		$ (598,110)		$ (687,532)

[1] Certain reclassifications have been made to 2013 and 2012 quarterly amounts to conform to the full year 2013 presentation, primarily related to treatment of discontinued operations.

[2] Proportionate property net operating income, our key measurement of segment profit or loss, excludes property management revenues (which are included in rental and other property revenues), property management expenses and casualty gains and losses (which are included in property operating expenses), depreciation and amortization and provision for real estate impairment losses. Accordingly, we do not allocate these amounts to our segments.

[3] In addition to the other items included in continuing operations presented in the table for the year ending December 31, 2011, the Aimco Operating Partnership recognized $1.3 million of interest income on its notes receivable from Aimco. These notes were repaid by Aimco during the three months ended December 31, 2011.

[4] Represents adjustments for the noncontrolling interests in consolidated real estate partnerships’ share of the results of our consolidated apartment communities and the results of consolidated apartment communities that we do not manage, which are excluded from our measurement of segment performance but included in the related consolidated amounts, and our share of the results of operations of our unconsolidated real estate partnerships that we manage, which are included in our measurement of segment performance but excluded from the related consolidated amounts.