Earnings per Share/Unit (Details Textual) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
Schedule of Earnings Per Share and Dividends Per Share [Line Items]
Dilutive potential common shares/units (in shares)	0.2	0.1
Antidilutive securities excluded from the denominator for calculating dilutive earnings per share and per unit (in shares)	0.0	0.2
Participating securities outstanding (in shares)	0.2	0.3
Preferred noncontrolling interests in Aimco Operating Partnership	$ 101,195,000		$ 101,291,000
Number of shares potentially redeemable for (in shares)	2.0
Dividends	$ 2.02
Dividends paid (in dollars per share)		$ 0.38
Special dividend	$ 67,476,000	$ 62,615,000
Distributions paid (in dollars per share)	$ 2.02000000	$ 0.38000000
AIMCO Properties, LP [Member]
Schedule of Earnings Per Share and Dividends Per Share [Line Items]
Dilutive potential common shares/units (in shares)	0.3	0.1
Antidilutive securities excluded from the denominator for calculating dilutive earnings per share and per unit (in shares)	0.4	0.2
Participating securities outstanding (in shares)		0.3
Preferred noncontrolling interests in Aimco Operating Partnership	$ 101,195,000		$ 101,291,000
Special distribution	70,720,000	$ 62,615,000
AIMCO Properties, LP [Member] \| General Partner and Special Limited Partner [Member]
Schedule of Earnings Per Share and Dividends Per Share [Line Items]
Special distribution	67,476,000	$ 59,777,000
Special Cash Distribution [Member] \| AIMCO Properties, LP [Member] \| General Partner and Special Limited Partner [Member]
Schedule of Earnings Per Share and Dividends Per Share [Line Items]
Special distribution	72,700,000
Special distribution, cash paid in lieu of fractional shares	$ 400,000
Units issued in special dividend (in shares)	4.8
Special Dividend Paid [Member]
Schedule of Earnings Per Share and Dividends Per Share [Line Items]
Special dividend	$ 67,100,000
Special dividend, cash paid in lieu of fractional shares	$ 400,000
Common shares issued in special dividend (in shares)	4.5

Dividends, Common Stock, Cash Paid In Lieu Of Fractional Shares

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Nonvested Restricted Shares of Common Stock with Non-forfeitable Dividend Rights which are included in EPS and EPU calculations using the two-class method

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Number of Shares of Common Stock Required to Redeem Preferred OP Units Tendered for Redemption, if Parent Chooses to Redeem in Shares Rather than Cash

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Partners' Capital Account, Distributions, Cash Paid In Lieu Of Fractional Shares

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[Line Items] for Schedule of Earnings Per Share and Dividends Per Share [Table]

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Securities (including those issuable pursuant to contingent stock agreements) that could potentially dilute basic earnings per share (EPS) or earnings per unit (EPU) in the future that were not included in the computation of diluted EPS or EPU because to do so would increase EPS or EPU amounts or decrease loss per share or unit amounts for the period presented.

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Aggregate dividends paid during the period for each share of common stock outstanding.

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Number of shares of common stock issued as dividends during the period. Excludes stock splits.

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Per unit of ownership amount of cash distributions paid to unit-holder of a limited partnership (LP).

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Amount of paid and unpaid cash, stock, and paid-in-kind (PIK) dividends declared, for example, but not limited to, common and preferred stock.

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

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Total distributions to each class of partners (i.e., general, limited and preferred partners).

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The sum of dilutive potential common shares or units used in the calculation of the diluted per-share or per-unit computation.

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