Disclosure About Fair Value of Financial Instruments - Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	$ 24,725,000	$ 18,990,000
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	3,354,000	3,149,000	3,479,000
Tax increment financing bond (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	14,496,000	14,788,000
Impaired real estate assets and for-sale residential condominiums		12,767,000
Total Assets	42,575,000	49,694,000
Noncontrolling Interests in the Operating Partnership	124,869,000	110,655,000
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, at fair value	1,987,364,000	1,959,438,000
Interest rate swaps (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	9,369,000	2,202,000
Non-qualified deferred compensation obligation (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	3,354,000	3,149,000	4,091,000	6,898,000
Contingent consideration to acquire real estate assets (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	563,000
Financing obligations, at fair value	23,252,000	17,572,000
Total Liabilities	2,023,902,000	1,982,361,000
Level 1 [Member]
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	0	0
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	3,354,000	3,149,000
Tax increment financing bond (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	0	0
Impaired real estate assets and for-sale residential condominiums		0
Total Assets	3,354,000	3,149,000
Noncontrolling Interests in the Operating Partnership	124,869,000	110,655,000
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, at fair value	0	0
Interest rate swaps (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	0	0
Non-qualified deferred compensation obligation (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	3,354,000	3,149,000
Contingent consideration to acquire real estate assets (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	0
Financing obligations, at fair value	0	0
Total Liabilities	3,354,000	3,149,000
Level 2 [Member]
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	16,077,000	18,990,000
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	0	0
Tax increment financing bond (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	0	0
Impaired real estate assets and for-sale residential condominiums		0
Total Assets	16,077,000	18,990,000
Noncontrolling Interests in the Operating Partnership	0	0
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, at fair value	1,987,364,000	1,959,438,000
Interest rate swaps (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	9,369,000	2,202,000
Non-qualified deferred compensation obligation (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	0	0
Contingent consideration to acquire real estate assets (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	0
Financing obligations, at fair value	0	0
Total Liabilities	1,996,733,000	1,961,640,000
Level 3 [Member]
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	8,648,000	0
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	0	0
Tax increment financing bond (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	14,496,000	14,788,000
Impaired real estate assets and for-sale residential condominiums		12,767,000
Total Assets	23,144,000	27,555,000
Noncontrolling Interests in the Operating Partnership	0	0
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, at fair value	0	0
Interest rate swaps (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	0	0
Non-qualified deferred compensation obligation (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	0	0
Contingent consideration to acquire real estate assets (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	563,000
Financing obligations, at fair value	23,252,000	17,572,000
Total Liabilities	23,815,000	17,572,000
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	24,725,000	18,990,000
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	3,354,000	3,149,000	3,479,000
Tax increment financing bond (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	14,496,000	14,788,000
Impaired real estate assets and for-sale residential condominiums		12,767,000
Total Assets	42,575,000	49,694,000
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, at fair value	1,987,364,000	1,959,438,000
Interest rate swaps (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	9,369,000	2,202,000
Non-qualified deferred compensation obligation (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	3,354,000	3,149,000	4,091,000	6,898,000
Contingent consideration to acquire real estate assets (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	563,000
Financing obligations, at fair value	23,252,000	17,572,000
Total Liabilities	2,023,902,000	1,982,361,000
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Level 1 [Member]
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	0	0
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	3,354,000	3,149,000
Tax increment financing bond (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	0	0
Impaired real estate assets and for-sale residential condominiums		0
Total Assets	3,354,000	3,149,000
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, at fair value	0	0
Interest rate swaps (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	0	0
Non-qualified deferred compensation obligation (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	3,354,000	3,149,000
Contingent consideration to acquire real estate assets (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	0
Financing obligations, at fair value	0	0
Total Liabilities	3,354,000	3,149,000
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Level 2 [Member]
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	16,077,000	18,990,000
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	0	0
Tax increment financing bond (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	0	0
Impaired real estate assets and for-sale residential condominiums		0
Total Assets	16,077,000	18,990,000
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, at fair value	1,987,364,000	1,959,438,000
Interest rate swaps (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	9,369,000	2,202,000
Non-qualified deferred compensation obligation (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	0	0
Contingent consideration to acquire real estate assets (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	0
Financing obligations, at fair value	0	0
Total Liabilities	1,996,733,000	1,961,640,000
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Level 3 [Member]
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	8,648,000	0
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	0	0
Tax increment financing bond (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	14,496,000	14,788,000
Impaired real estate assets and for-sale residential condominiums		12,767,000
Total Assets	23,144,000	27,555,000
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, at fair value	0	0
Interest rate swaps (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	0	0
Non-qualified deferred compensation obligation (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	0	0
Contingent consideration to acquire real estate assets (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	563,000
Financing obligations, at fair value	23,252,000	17,572,000
Total Liabilities	$ 23,815,000	$ 17,572,000