Name:	amh_AssetBackedSecuritizationCertificates
Namespace Prefix:	amh_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Operating Partnership, Stock Exchange Ratio

No definition available.

Name:	amh_OperatingPartnershipStockExchangeRatio
Namespace Prefix:	amh_
Data Type:	xbrli:pureItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Percentage investment held by the managing member or general partner of the limited liability company (LLC) or limited partnership (LP).

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 272
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6373374&loc=d3e70478-108055

Name:	us-gaap_LimitedLiabilityCompanyLLCOrLimitedPartnershipLPManagingMemberOrGeneralPartnerOwnershipInterest
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Percentage investment held by members or limited partners of limited liability company (LLC) or limited partnership (LP).

Name:	us-gaap_LimitedLiabilityCompanyLLCOrLimitedPartnershipLPMembersOrLimitedPartnersOwnershipInterest
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

The number of real estate properties owned as of the balance sheet date.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfRealEstateProperties
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

The number of states the entity operates in as of the balance sheet date.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfStatesInWhichEntityOperates
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

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.

No definition available.

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

Name:	srt_OwnershipAxis=amh_AmericanHomes4RentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	srt_OwnershipAxis=amh_LimitedPartnersMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	srt_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateDescriptionTypeOfPropertyAxis=amh_SingleFamilyHomesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: