Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies	Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies Description of Business Highwoods Properties, Inc. (the “Company”) is a fully integrated real estate investment trust (“REIT”) that provides leasing, management, development, construction and other customer-related services for its properties and for third parties. The Company conducts its activities through Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership (the “Operating Partnership”). At March 31, 2015, we owned or had an interest in 31.3 million rentable square feet of in-service properties, 1.2 million rentable square feet of properties under development and approximately 500 acres of development land. The Company is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. At March 31, 2015, the Company owned all of the Preferred Units and 93.6 million, or 97.0%, of the Common Units in the Operating Partnership. Limited partners own the remaining 2.9 million Common Units. During the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company redeemed 26,820 Common Units for a like number of shares of Common Stock. Common Stock Offerings During the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company issued 914,126 shares of Common Stock under its equity sales agreements at an average gross sales price of $45.34 per share and received net proceeds, after sales commissions, of $40.8 million. As a result of this activity and the redemptions discussed above, the percentage of Common Units owned by the Company increased from 96.9% at December 31, 2014 to 97.0% at March 31, 2015. Basis of Presentation Our Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The Company's Consolidated Financial Statements include the Operating Partnership, wholly owned subsidiaries and those entities in which the Company has the controlling interest. The Operating Partnership's Consolidated Financial Statements include wholly owned subsidiaries and those entities in which the Operating Partnership has the controlling interest. All intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated. At March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we had involvement with, but are not the primary beneficiary in, an entity that we concluded to be a variable interest entity (see Note 3). The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and accompanying unaudited consolidated financial information, in the opinion of management, contain all adjustments (including normal recurring accruals) necessary for a fair presentation of our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. We have condensed or omitted certain notes and other information from the interim Consolidated Financial Statements presented in this Quarterly Report as permitted by SEC rules and regulations. These Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with our 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Use of Estimates The preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. 1. Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies – Continued Recently Issued Accounting Standards The Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") recently issued an accounting standards update that requires the use of a new five-step model to recognize revenue from customer contracts. The five-step model requires that we identify the contract with the customer, identify the performance obligations in the contract, determine the transaction price, allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and recognize revenue when we satisfy the performance obligations. We will also be required to disclose information regarding the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The accounting standards update is required to be adopted in 2017. Retrospective application is required either to all periods presented or with the cumulative effect of initial adoption recognized in the period of adoption. We are in the process of evaluating this accounting standards update. The FASB recently issued an accounting standards update that amends consolidation requirements. The amendments significantly change the consolidation analysis required under GAAP and will require companies to reevaluate all previous consolidation conclusions. The accounting standards update is required to be adopted in 2016. We are in the process of evaluating this accounting standards update. The FASB recently issued an accounting standards update that requires debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The accounting standards update is required to be adopted in 2016. Retrospective application is required. We are in the process of evaluating this accounting standards update.

Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies

Description of Business

Highwoods Properties, Inc. (the “Company”) is a fully integrated real estate investment trust (“REIT”) that provides leasing, management, development, construction and other customer-related services for its properties and for third parties. The Company conducts its activities through Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership (the “Operating Partnership”). At March 31, 2015, we owned or had an interest in 31.3 million rentable square feet of in-service properties, 1.2 million rentable square feet of properties under development and approximately 500 acres of development land.

The Company is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. At March 31, 2015, the Company owned all of the Preferred Units and 93.6 million, or 97.0%, of the Common Units in the Operating Partnership. Limited partners own the remaining 2.9 million Common Units. During the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company redeemed 26,820 Common Units for a like number of shares of Common Stock.

Common Stock Offerings

During the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company issued 914,126 shares of Common Stock under its equity sales agreements at an average gross sales price of $45.34 per share and received net proceeds, after sales commissions, of $40.8 million. As a result of this activity and the redemptions discussed above, the percentage of Common Units owned by the Company increased from 96.9% at December 31, 2014 to 97.0% at March 31, 2015.

Basis of Presentation

Our Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The Company's Consolidated Financial Statements include the Operating Partnership, wholly owned subsidiaries and those entities in which the Company has the controlling interest. The Operating Partnership's Consolidated Financial Statements include wholly owned subsidiaries and those entities in which the Operating Partnership has the controlling interest. All intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated. At March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we had involvement with, but are not the primary beneficiary in, an entity that we concluded to be a variable interest entity (see Note 3).

The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and accompanying unaudited consolidated financial information, in the opinion of management, contain all adjustments (including normal recurring accruals) necessary for a fair presentation of our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. We have condensed or omitted certain notes and other information from the interim Consolidated Financial Statements presented in this Quarterly Report as permitted by SEC rules and regulations. These Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with our 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

1. Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies – Continued

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

The Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") recently issued an accounting standards update that requires the use of a new five-step model to recognize revenue from customer contracts. The five-step model requires that we identify the contract with the customer, identify the performance obligations in the contract, determine the transaction price, allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and recognize revenue when we satisfy the performance obligations. We will also be required to disclose information regarding the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The accounting standards update is required to be adopted in 2017. Retrospective application is required either to all periods presented or with the cumulative effect of initial adoption recognized in the period of adoption. We are in the process of evaluating this accounting standards update.

The FASB recently issued an accounting standards update that amends consolidation requirements. The amendments significantly change the consolidation analysis required under GAAP and will require companies to reevaluate all previous consolidation conclusions. The accounting standards update is required to be adopted in 2016. We are in the process of evaluating this accounting standards update.

The FASB recently issued an accounting standards update that requires debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The accounting standards update is required to be adopted in 2016. Retrospective application is required. We are in the process of evaluating this accounting standards update.