Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details 1) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance, December 31, 2016	$ 1,944,966
Contributions	2,235
Preferred stock dividends	(2,148)
Common dividends and distributions	(60,367)
Redemptions of common OP Units	(3,015)
Amortization of stock-based compensation cost	3,033
Effect of changes in ownership for consolidated entities	(19)
Cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle	(62,467)
Change in accumulated other comprehensive loss	(1,125)
Other	78
Net income	15,206
Balance, March 31, 2017	1,836,377
Aimco Equity [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance, December 31, 2016	1,793,903
Preferred stock dividends	(2,148)
Common dividends and distributions	(56,526)
Amortization of stock-based compensation cost	2,880
Effect of changes in ownership for consolidated entities	(3,035)
Cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle	(59,586)
Change in accumulated other comprehensive loss	(1,128)
Other	78
Net income	13,698
Balance, March 31, 2017	1,688,136
Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Real Estate Partnerships [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance, December 31, 2016	151,121
Contributions	2,235
Common dividends and distributions	(1,123)
Cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle	0
Change in accumulated other comprehensive loss	58
Net income	951
Balance, March 31, 2017	153,242
Common Noncontrolling Interests in Aimco Operating Partnership [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance, December 31, 2016	(58)
Common dividends and distributions	(2,718)
Redemptions of common OP Units	(3,015)
Amortization of stock-based compensation cost	153
Effect of changes in ownership for consolidated entities	3,016
Cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle	(2,881)
Change in accumulated other comprehensive loss	(55)
Net income	557
Balance, March 31, 2017	$ (5,001)

Dividends and distributions common stock and common units cash.

No definition available.

Name:	aiv_DividendsAndDistributionsCommonStockAndCommonUnitsCash
Namespace Prefix:	aiv_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Adjustment to additional paid-in capital resulting from acquisition of noncontrolling interests in consolidated entities.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	aiv_EffectOfChangesInOwnershipForConsolidatedEntities
Namespace Prefix:	aiv_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Net income loss including portion attributable to noncontrolling interests included in permanent equity excluding portion attributable to noncontrolling interests included in temporary equity.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	aiv_NetIncomeLossIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterestsIncludedInPermanentEquityExcludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterestsIncludedInTemporaryEquity
Namespace Prefix:	aiv_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Other comprehensive income loss.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	aiv_OtherComprehensiveIncomeLoss
Namespace Prefix:	aiv_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Operating partnership units redeemed in exchange for cash or shares of Aimco Common Stock.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	aiv_RedemptionOfOperatingPartnershipUnitsInExchangeForCashOrSharesOfCommonStock
Namespace Prefix:	aiv_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This element represents the amount of recognized equity-based compensation during the period, that is, the amount recognized as expense in the income statement (or as asset if compensation is capitalized). Alternate captions include the words "stock-based compensation".

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 35
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66904339&loc=d3e4534-113899

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5047-113901

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65896087&loc=d3e11149-113907

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65896087&loc=d3e11178-113907

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AdjustmentsToAdditionalPaidInCapitalSharebasedCompensationRequisiteServicePeriodRecognitionValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount after tax of increase (decrease) to equity or (increase) decrease to net assets, resulting from the cumulative effect adjustment of a new accounting principle applied in the period of adoption.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfNewAccountingPrincipleInPeriodOfAdoption
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of paid and unpaid preferred stock dividends declared with the form of settlement in cash.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 405
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6957935&loc=d3e64057-112817

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187085-122770

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DividendsPreferredStockCash
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInStockholdersEquityRollForward
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase in noncontrolling interest from subsidiary issuance of equity interests to noncontrolling interest holders.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187085-122770

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 810
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64809438&loc=SL4573702-111684

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 810
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 23
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68079674&loc=SL4569655-111683

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NoncontrollingInterestIncreaseFromSubsidiaryEquityIssuance
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of stockholders' equity (deficit), net of receivables from officers, directors, owners, and affiliates of the entity, attributable to both the parent and noncontrolling interests. Amount excludes temporary equity. Alternate caption for the concept is permanent equity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 810
-SubTopic 10
-Section 55
-Paragraph 4I
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65897068&loc=SL4590271-111686

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 810
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 16
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68079674&loc=SL4568740-111683

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 810
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 15
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68079674&loc=SL4568447-111683

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents movements included in the statement of changes in stockholders' equity which are not separately disclosed or provided for elsewhere in the taxonomy.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_StockholdersEquityOther
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=us-gaap_ParentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=aiv_NoncontrollingInterestsInConsolidatedRealEstatePartnershipsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=aiv_CommonNoncontrollingInterestsInAimcoOperatingPartnershipMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: