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Organization and Basis of Presentation - Narrative (Details) $ in Thousands | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($) community building investment partnership apartment project shares | Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($) community building investment partnership apartment project shares | Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) community investment partnership shares | Jan. 01, 2019 USD ($)
Real Estate Properties [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership interest in partnership |  |  | 96.60% |  | 96.60% |
Apartment communities owned (in communities) | community | 249 |  | 249 |  |  |
Apartment units owned (in Shares) | apartment | 60,620 |  | 60,620 |  |  |
Ownership interest, number of commercial buildings (in commercial buildings) | building | 1 |  | 1 |  |  |
Ownership interest, number of active development projects (in projects) | project | 7 |  | 7 |  |  |
Equity securities | $ 4,900 |  | $ 4,900 |  | $ 6,700 |
Sales and maturities of marketable securities | 7,000 | $ 3,500 | 57,200 | $ 22,500 |  |
Marketable securities, realized gain (loss) | $ 200 | 100 | 700 | 700 |  |
Gain (loss) on sale of equity securities |  |  | $ 4,280 | 426 |  |
Downreit limited partnerships consolidated by company (in partnerships) | partnership | 17 |  | 17 |  | 16 |
Communities within Downreit partnerships (in communities) | community | 9 |  | 9 |  | 8 |
Number of previously consolidated co-investments considered VIE (in investments) | investment | 7 |  | 7 |  | 8 |
Assets related to variable interest entities net of intercompany eliminations | $ 1,000,000 |  | $ 1,000,000 |  | $ 849,800 |
Liabilities related to variable interest entities net of intercompany eliminations | 372,000 |  | 372,000 |  | 261,700 |
Noncontrolling interest in variable interest entity | 129,900 |  | 129,900 |  | 64,500 |
Fixed rate debt carrying amount | 5,200,000 |  | 5,200,000 |  | 5,000,000 |
Fixed rate debt fair value | 5,500,000 |  | 5,500,000 |  | 5,000,000 |
Variable rate debt, carrying amount | 839,200 |  | 839,200 |  | 619,600 |
Variable rate debt fair value | 833,600 |  | 833,600 |  | 615,200 |
Investments in mortgage back securities, fair value | 144,700 |  | 144,700 |  | 129,500 |
Capitalized internal costs related to development and redevelopment projects | 4,300 | 4,700 | 13,100 | 14,200 |  |
Redeemable noncontrolling interest | 39,077 |  | 39,077 |  | 35,475 |
Mortgage backed securities [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Real Estate Properties [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Investments in mortgage backed securities, carrying value | 143,889 |  | 143,889 |  | $ 127,187 |
Interest And Other Income [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Real Estate Properties [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Gain (loss) on sale of equity securities | $ (200) | $ 1,200 | $ 4,300 | 400 |  |
ASU 2017-12 [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Real Estate Properties [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, cumulative effect adjustment, accumulated net hedge ineffectiveness |  |  |  |  |  | $ 200
Essex Portfolio, L.P. [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Real Estate Properties [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Operating Partnership units outstanding (in Shares) | shares | 2,298,237 |  | 2,298,237 |  | 2,305,389 |
Redemption value of operating partnership units outstanding | $ 750,700 |  | $ 750,700 |  | $ 565,300 |
Gain (loss) on sale of equity securities |  |  | 4,280 | $ 426 |  |
Redeemable noncontrolling interest | $ 39,077 |  | $ 39,077 |  | $ 35,475 |

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