Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Assets:
Accounts receivable allowance	$ 791	$ 928
Mortgages and notes receivable allowance	0	287
Accrued straight-line rents receivable allowance	703	257
Deferred leasing costs, accumulated amortization	136,292	115,172
Prepaid expenses and other assets, accumulated amortization	$ 20,008	$ 17,830
Equity/Capital:
Series A Preferred Stock, dividend rate percentage (in hundredths)	8.625%	8.625%
Series A Preferred Stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Series A Preferred Stock, authorized shares (in shares)	50,000,000	50,000,000
Series A Preferred Stock, liquidation preference (in dollars per share)	$ 1,000	$ 1,000
Series A Preferred Stock, shares issued (in shares)	28,920	29,050
Series A Preferred Stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	28,920	29,050
Common Stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common Stock, authorized shares (in shares)	200,000,000	200,000,000
Common Stock, shares issued (in shares)	100,204,106	96,091,932
Common Stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	100,204,106	96,091,932
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]
Assets:
Accounts receivable allowance	$ 791	$ 928
Mortgages and notes receivable allowance	0	287
Accrued straight-line rents receivable allowance	703	257
Deferred leasing costs, accumulated amortization	136,292	115,172
Prepaid expenses and other assets, accumulated amortization	$ 20,008	$ 17,830
Redeemable Operating Partnership Units: [Abstract]
Redeemable Common Units outstanding (in shares)	2,839,704	2,899,752
Series A Preferred Units, liquidation preference (in dollars per share)	$ 1,000	$ 1,000
Series A Preferred Units, issued (in shares)	28,920	29,050
Series A Preferred Units, outstanding (in shares)	28,920	29,050
Common Units: [Abstract]
General partners' capital account, units outstanding (in shares)	1,026,350	985,829
Limited partners' capital account, units outstanding (in shares)	98,768,947	94,697,294