Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or GAAP, have been condensed or omitted in accordance with such rules and regulations, although management believes the disclosures are adequate to prevent the information presented from being misleading. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring items) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2016, are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2016. The balance sheets of Aimco and the Aimco Operating Partnership at December 31, 2015, have been derived from their respective audited financial statements at that date, but do not include all of the information and disclosures required by GAAP for complete financial statements. For further information, refer to the financial statements and notes thereto included in Aimco’s and the Aimco Operating Partnership’s combined Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015. Except where indicated, the footnotes refer to both Aimco and the Aimco Operating Partnership.
Principles of Consolidation	Principles of Consolidation Aimco’s accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Aimco, the Aimco Operating Partnership, and their consolidated subsidiaries. The Aimco Operating Partnership’s condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Aimco Operating Partnership and its consolidated subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Interests in the Aimco Operating Partnership that are held by limited partners other than Aimco are reflected in Aimco’s accompanying balance sheets as noncontrolling interests in Aimco Operating Partnership. Interests in partnerships consolidated into the Aimco Operating Partnership that are held by third parties are reflected in our accompanying balance sheets as noncontrolling interests in consolidated real estate partnerships. The assets of real estate partnerships consolidated by the Aimco Operating Partnership must first be used to settle the liabilities of such consolidated real estate partnerships. These consolidated real estate partnerships’ creditors do not have recourse to the general credit of the Aimco Operating Partnership.
Temporary Equity and Partners' Capital	These amounts are presented within temporary equity in Aimco’s condensed consolidated balance sheets as preferred noncontrolling interests in the Aimco Operating Partnership, and within temporary capital in the Aimco Operating Partnership’s condensed consolidated balance sheets as redeemable preferred units (in thousands).
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of our condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts included in the financial statements and accompanying notes thereto. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Accounting Pronouncements Adopted in the Current Period During 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued Accounting Standards Updates 2015-03 and 2015-15, which revised the presentation of debt issuance costs on the balance sheet. Under ASUs 2015-03 and 2015-15, entities generally present debt issuance costs associated with long term debt in their balance sheet as a direct deduction from the related debt liability, and debt issuance costs related to line-of-credit arrangements may continue to be deferred and presented as assets. Amortization of the deferred costs will continue to be included in interest expense. We have adopted the guidance in ASUs 2015-03 and 2015-15 effective as of January 1, 2016. We have elected to continue to reflect deferred issuance costs associated with our revolving credit facility as an asset, which is included in other assets on our condensed consolidated balance sheets. We have retrospectively applied the guidance to debt issuance costs associated with our non-recourse property debt to all prior periods, which resulted in the reclassification of $24.0 million from other assets to non-recourse property debt on our condensed consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2015. In February 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2015-02, Consolidation (Topic 810): Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis, or ASU 2015-02, which significantly changed the consolidation analysis required under GAAP for variable interest entities, or VIEs. Under this revised guidance, limited partnerships are no longer VIEs when the limited partners hold certain rights over the general partner. Alternatively, limited partnerships not previously viewed as VIEs are now considered VIEs in the absence of such rights. We adopted the guidance in ASU 2015-02 as of March 31, 2016, as more fully described in Note 6.