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Organization and Basis of Presentation - Narrative (Details) | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended |  |
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Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) project community building partnership apartment shares | Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) project community building partnership apartment shares | Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) | Jan. 01, 2016 investment | Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) shares
Real Estate Properties [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership interest in partnership (as a percent) |  |  | 96.70% |  |  |
Apartment communities owned (in communities) | community | 244 |  | 244 |  |  |
Apartment units owned (in units) | apartment | 59,290 |  | 59,290 |  |  |
Ownership interest, number of commercial buildings (in commercial buildings) | building | 3 |  | 3 |  |  |
Ownership interest, number of active development projects (in projects) | project | 6 |  | 6 |  |  |
Sales and maturities of marketable securities | $ 3,500,000 | $ 0 | $ 14,700,000 | $ 2,000,000 |  |
Available-for-sale securities, gross realized gain (loss) | $ 1,000,000 | 0 | 2,900,000 | 0 |  |
Proceeds from sale of other investments |  | 5,600,000 | 0 | 5,600,000 |  |
Gain (loss) on sale of other investments |  | 600,000 | $ 0 | 600,000 |  |
Number of previously consolidated co-investments considered VIE (in variable interest entities) | investment |  |  |  |  | 9 |
Downreit limited partnerships consolidated by company (in number of partnerships) | partnership | 19 |  | 19 |  |  |
Communities within Downreit partnerships (in communities) | community | 11 |  | 11 |  |  |
Assets related to variable interest entities net of intercompany eliminations | $ 954,600,000 |  | $ 954,600,000 |  |  | $ 893,100,000
Liabilities related to variable interest entities net of intercompany eliminations | 267,300,000 |  | 267,300,000 |  |  | 231,800,000
Noncontrolling interest in variable interest entity | 52,300,000 |  | 52,300,000 |  |  | 54,600,000
Fixed rate debt carrying amount | 5,000,000,000 |  | 5,000,000,000 |  |  |
Fixed rate debt fair value | 5,300,000,000 |  | 5,300,000,000 |  |  |
Investments in mortgage back securities, fair value | 105,900,000 |  | 105,900,000 |  |  | 110,200,000
Capitalized internal costs related to development and redevelopment projects | 3,800,000 | $ 2,900,000 | 10,600,000 | $ 8,300,000 |  |
Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Real Estate Properties [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Held-to-maturity securities, carrying value | $ 90,950,000 |  | $ 90,950,000 |  |  | $ 80,387,000
Essex Portfolio, L.P. [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Real Estate Properties [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Operating Partnership units outstanding (in units) | shares | 2,219,268 |  | 2,219,268 |  |  | 2,214,545
Redemption value of operating partnership units outstanding | $ 494,200,000 |  | $ 494,200,000 |  |  | $ 530,200,000

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