XML 84 R49.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.19.3.a.u2

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Revenue - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended				12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Jan. 01, 2018
Capitalized Contract Cost [Line Items]
Revenue from sales of products, percentage					2.00%
Storage rental revenue					$ 2,681,087
Revenues	$ 1,061,489	$ 1,060,991	$ 1,060,823	$ 1,042,458		$ 4,225,761	$ 3,845,578
Intake Costs asset
Capitalized Contract Cost [Line Items]
Capitalized contract cost, amortization period					3 years
Commissions asset
Capitalized Contract Cost [Line Items]
Capitalized contract cost, amortization period					3 years
Contract term					1 year
Storage rental
Capitalized Contract Cost [Line Items]
Revenues						2,622,455	2,377,557
ASU 2014-09
Capitalized Contract Cost [Line Items]
Decrease to stockholders' equity							30,233	$ 30,200
Global Data Center Business
Capitalized Contract Cost [Line Items]
Storage rental revenue					$ 246,925
Revenues						228,983	37,694
Global Data Center Business | Storage rental
Capitalized Contract Cost [Line Items]
Revenues						218,675	$ 35,839
Global Data Center Business | Power and connectivity
Capitalized Contract Cost [Line Items]
Storage rental revenue					$ 43,300
Revenues						$ 38,800

X

- Definition

Contract, Term

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	irm_ContractTerm
Namespace Prefix:	irm_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Percentage Of Revenue From Sales Of Products

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	irm_PercentageOfRevenueFromSalesOfProducts
Namespace Prefix:	irm_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Amortization period of cost capitalized in obtaining or fulfilling contract with customer, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 340
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68051541&loc=SL49131251-203054

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalizedContractCostAmortizationPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

X

- 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

X

- Definition

Amount of operating lease income from lease payments and variable lease payments paid and payable to lessor. Includes, but is not limited to, variable lease payments not included in measurement of lease receivable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=119202524&loc=SL77919372-209981

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888421&loc=SL77919311-209978

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 270
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118952077&loc=SL77927221-108306

+ Details

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

X

- Definition

Amount, excluding tax collected from customer, of revenue from satisfaction of performance obligation by transferring promised good or service to customer. Tax collected from customer is tax assessed by governmental authority that is both imposed on and concurrent with specific revenue-producing transaction, including, but not limited to, sales, use, value added and excise.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118956577&loc=SL49130543-203045

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118956577&loc=SL49130545-203045

+ Details

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

X

- Details

Name:	srt_ProductOrServiceAxis=irm_IntakeCostsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	srt_ProductOrServiceAxis=irm_CommissionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	srt_ProductOrServiceAxis=irm_StorageRentalMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AdjustmentsForNewAccountingPronouncementsAxis=us-gaap_AccountingStandardsUpdate201409Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=irm_GlobalDataCenterBusinessMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	srt_ProductOrServiceAxis=irm_StorageRentalPowerAndConnectivityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: