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Adjustment to additional paid in capital resulting from the recognition of convertible debt instruments as two separate components - a debt component and an equity component. This bifurcation may result in a basis difference associated with the liability component that represents a temporary difference for purposes of applying accounting for income taxes. The initial recognition of deferred taxes for the tax effect of that temporary difference is as an adjustment to additional paid in capital.

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Amount after tax of income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to the parent.

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Amount after tax of other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to parent entity.

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Total change in each class of partners' capital accounts during the year due to option exercise. All partners include general, limited and preferred partners.

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Total change in each class of partners' capital accounts during the year due to redemptions and adjustments to redemption value. All partners include general, limited and preferred partners.

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Value of units that were previously issued and have been repurchased during the year.

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Total change in each class of partners' capital accounts during the year due to unit-based compensation. All partners include general, limited and preferred partners.

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Units that were previously issued and have been repurchased during the year.

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Amount of partners' capital (deficit), including portions attributable to both the parent and noncontrolling interests. Excludes temporary equity and is sometimes called permanent equity.

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Consolidated Statements of Capital - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended				12 Months Ended
Consolidated Statements of Capital - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Assumption of exchangeable senior notes					$ (20,098)		$ 6,970
Purchase of outside interests in RJ joint ventures					(241)
Distributions to equity holders:
Noncontrolling interests					(11,069)	$ (11,100)	(11,360)
Net income (loss)	$ 34,734	$ 21,525	$ 30,533	$ 11,796	112,438	76,492	10,446
Total other comprehensive income (loss)					8,711	(20)	197
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P.
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Total capital, beginning balance		5,875,824		4,937,620	5,875,824	4,937,620	3,935,233
Share-based compensation					3,433	4,212	3,636
Common units issued under share-based compensation plans, net of units withheld for employee taxes					11,947	800	3,034
Issuance of Class A units						683,861	633,063
Issuance of perpetual preferred units, net of offering costs of $9,355					110,978	260,645	482,812
Redemptions of Class A units						(169)	(399)
Repurchases of Class A units					(34,969)		(96,098)
Assumption of exchangeable senior notes					(20,098)		6,970
Purchase of outside interests in RJ joint ventures					(241)
Distributions to equity holders:
Preferred units					(52,586)	(60,718)	(40,237)
Series D convertible units							(856)
Noncontrolling interests					0	0	(230)
Common units					(69,953)	(64,340)	(58,445)
Net income (loss)	34,734	21,525	30,533	11,796	112,438	76,492	10,446
Total other comprehensive income (loss)					8,711	(20)	197
Total capital, ending balance	5,973,742		5,875,824		5,973,742	5,875,824	4,937,620
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| Series C Convertible Units
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Redemptions of Class A units					28,258
Conversions							0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| Series E Convertible Units
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Conversions							58,494
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| Series D Convertible Units
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Conversions							0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| Series A and Series B Preferred Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Redemptions of Class A units						37,441
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| Series A
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Redemptions of Class A units					0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| Total partners' capital
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Total capital, beginning balance		5,877,173		4,939,110	5,877,173	4,939,110	3,935,931
Share-based compensation					3,433	4,212	3,636
Common units issued under share-based compensation plans, net of units withheld for employee taxes					11,947	800	3,034
Issuance of Class A units						683,861	633,063
Issuance of perpetual preferred units, net of offering costs of $9,355					110,978	260,645	482,812
Redemptions of Class A units						(169)	(399)
Repurchases of Class A units					(34,969)		(96,098)
Assumption of exchangeable senior notes					(20,098)		6,970
Purchase of outside interests in RJ joint ventures					(1,849)
Distributions to equity holders:
Preferred units					(52,586)	(60,718)	(40,237)
Series D convertible units							(856)
Common units					(69,953)	(64,340)	(58,445)
Net income (loss)					112,697	76,351	11,008
Total other comprehensive income (loss)					8,711	(20)	197
Total capital, ending balance	5,973,742		5,877,173		5,973,742	5,877,173	4,939,110
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| Total partners' capital \| Series C Convertible Units
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Redemptions of Class A units					28,258
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| Total partners' capital \| Series E Convertible Units
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Conversions							58,494
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| Total partners' capital \| Series A and Series B Preferred Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Redemptions of Class A units						37,441
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| Total partners' capital \| Series A
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Redemptions of Class A units					0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Total capital, beginning balance		75		95	75	95	(102)
Distributions to equity holders:
Total other comprehensive income (loss)					8,711	(20)	197
Total capital, ending balance	8,786		75		8,786	75	95
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| Noncontrolling interest
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Total capital, beginning balance		(1,349)		(1,490)	(1,349)	(1,490)	(698)
Purchase of outside interests in RJ joint ventures					1,608
Distributions to equity holders:
Noncontrolling interests					0	0	(230)
Net income (loss)					(259)	141	(562)
Total capital, ending balance	0		(1,349)		0	(1,349)	(1,490)
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| General Partner \| Common Units
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Total capital, beginning balance		$ 4,248,236		$ 3,357,992	$ 4,248,236	$ 3,357,992	$ 2,907,410
Beginning balance (in shares)		286,749,712		243,375,557	286,749,712	243,375,557	207,870,585
Share-based compensation					$ 3,433	$ 4,212	$ 3,636
Common units issued under share-based compensation plans, net of units withheld for employee taxes					$ 11,947	$ 800	$ 3,034
Common units issued under share-based compensation plans, net of units withheld for employee taxes (in shares)					821,918	101,174	213,878
Issuance of Class A units						$ 683,861	$ 614,249
Issuance of Class A units (in shares)						30,676,080	41,466,118
Redemptions of Class A units						$ 2,713	$ 504
Redemptions of Class A units (in shares)						198,625	40,632
Repurchases of Class A units					$ (34,969)		$ (96,098)
Repurchases of Class A units (in shares)					(1,804,163)		(6,215,656)
Assumption of exchangeable senior notes					$ (20,098)		$ 6,970
Purchase of outside interests in RJ joint ventures					(1,849)
Distributions to equity holders:
Common units					(58,884)	$ (53,240)	(48,171)
Net income (loss)					55,687	20,281	(33,542)
Total capital, ending balance	$ 4,390,137		$ 4,248,236		$ 4,390,137	$ 4,248,236	$ 3,357,992
Ending balance (in shares)	296,649,621		286,749,712		296,649,621	286,749,712	243,375,557
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| General Partner \| Common Units \| Series C Convertible Units
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Redemptions of Class A units					$ 186,119
Redemptions of Class A units (in shares)					10,848,827
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| General Partner \| Common Units \| Series A and Series B Preferred Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Redemptions of Class A units						$ 231,617
Redemptions of Class A units (in shares)						12,398,276
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| General Partner \| Common Units \| Series A
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Redemptions of Class A units					$ 515
Redemptions of Class A units (in shares)					33,327
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| General Partner \| Preferred Shares/Units
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Total capital, beginning balance		$ 901,318		$ 834,849	$ 901,318	$ 834,849	$ 352,037
Issuance of perpetual preferred units, net of offering costs of $9,355					110,978	260,645	482,812
Distributions to equity holders:
Preferred units					(52,586)	(60,718)	(40,237)
Net income (loss)					52,586	60,718	40,237
Total capital, ending balance	$ 854,435		$ 901,318		854,435	901,318	834,849
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| General Partner \| Preferred Shares/Units \| Series C Convertible Units
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Redemptions of Class A units					(157,861)
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| General Partner \| Preferred Shares/Units \| Series A and Series B Preferred Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Redemptions of Class A units						(194,176)
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| Limited Partners \| Common Units
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Total capital, beginning balance		$ 727,544		$ 746,174	$ 727,544	$ 746,174	$ 217,820
Beginning balance (in shares)		55,350,153		55,555,960	55,350,153	55,555,960	14,440,670
Issuance of Class A units							$ 18,814
Issuance of Class A units (in shares)							1,343,843
Redemptions of Class A units						$ (2,882)	$ (903)
Redemptions of Class A units (in shares)						(205,807)	(64,527)
Distributions to equity holders:
Common units					$ (11,069)	$ (11,100)	$ (10,274)
Net income (loss)					4,424	(4,648)	(6,417)
Total capital, ending balance	$ 720,384		$ 727,544		$ 720,384	$ 727,544	$ 746,174
Ending balance (in shares)	55,316,826		55,350,153		55,316,826	55,350,153	55,555,960
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| Limited Partners \| Common Units \| Series C Convertible Units
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Conversions							$ 396,606
Conversions (in shares)							31,085,974
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| Limited Partners \| Common Units \| Series D Convertible Units
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Conversions							$ 130,528
Conversions (in shares)							8,750,000
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| Limited Partners \| Common Units \| Series A
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Redemptions of Class A units					$ (515)
Redemptions of Class A units (in shares)					(33,327)
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| Limited Partners \| Preferred Shares/Units
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Total capital, beginning balance		$ 0		$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 458,766
Distributions to equity holders:
Series D convertible units							(856)
Net income (loss)						0	10,730
Total capital, ending balance			$ 0			$ 0	0
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| Limited Partners \| Preferred Shares/Units \| Series C Convertible Units
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Conversions							(396,606)
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| Limited Partners \| Preferred Shares/Units \| Series E Convertible Units
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Conversions							58,494
American Homes 4 Rent, L.P. \| Limited Partners \| Preferred Shares/Units \| Series D Convertible Units
Increase (Decrease) in Capital [Roll Forward]
Conversions							$ (130,528)