XML 102 R81.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.6.0.2

(Common Units) (Narrative) (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions |  |  | 12 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Feb. 04, 2016 USD ($) shares | Feb. 06, 2015 USD ($) shares | Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) yr $ / shares shares | Dec. 31, 2015 shares | Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) | May 02, 2016 shares
Consolidation, Less than Wholly Owned Subsidiary, Parent Ownership Interest, Effects of Changes, Net [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Conversion of LTIP Units to OP Units (in units) |  |  |  |  |  | 625,043
2012 OPP and 2013 MYLTIP [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Consolidation, Less than Wholly Owned Subsidiary, Parent Ownership Interest, Effects of Changes, Net [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Conversion of LTIP Units to OP Units (in units) |  |  |  |  |  | 32,349
OP Units [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Consolidation, Less than Wholly Owned Subsidiary, Parent Ownership Interest, Effects of Changes, Net [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
OP Units for redemption (in shares) |  |  | 190,857 | 424,236 |  |
Redemption of OP units issued on conversion of LTIP Units (in shares) |  |  | 103,847 | 65,192 |  |
MYLTIP Units distribution as percentage of OP Unit distribution prior to measurement date |  |  | 10.00% |  |  |
Restriction on redemption of OP Unit to Common Stock (in years) | yr |  |  | 1 |  |  |
Redemption of OP Unit equivalence to Common Stock (in shares) |  |  | 1 |  |  |
Common units of operating partnership if converted value | $ |  |  | $ 2,300.0 |  |  |
Closing price of common stock (in dollars per share) | $ / shares |  |  | $ 125.78 |  |  |
OPP Units 2011 [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Consolidation, Less than Wholly Owned Subsidiary, Parent Ownership Interest, Effects of Changes, Net [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Accelerated Compensation Expenses Related To 2011 OPP Units | $ |  |  |  |  | $ 1.2 |
MYLTIP 2013 |  |  |  |  |  |
Consolidation, Less than Wholly Owned Subsidiary, Parent Ownership Interest, Effects of Changes, Net [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Final awards percentage of target | 109.50% |  |  |  |  |
Value of MYLTIP Awards | $ | $ 13.5 |  |  |  |  |
MYLTIP Units forfeited | 205,762 |  |  |  |  |
OPP Units 2012 [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Consolidation, Less than Wholly Owned Subsidiary, Parent Ownership Interest, Effects of Changes, Net [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Outperformance awards earned | $ |  | $ 32.1 |  |  |  |
Potential maximum amount of Outperformance Awards earned (percent) |  | 80.00% |  |  |  |
Potential Awards Earned | $ |  | $ 40.0 |  |  |  |
2012 OPP Units forfeited |  | 174,549 |  |  |  |
Boston Properties Limited Partnership | MYLTIP 2016 [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Consolidation, Less than Wholly Owned Subsidiary, Parent Ownership Interest, Effects of Changes, Net [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
2016 MYLTIP |  |  | 473,360 |  |  |
Boston Properties Limited Partnership | MYLTIP 2014 |  |  |  |  |  |
Consolidation, Less than Wholly Owned Subsidiary, Parent Ownership Interest, Effects of Changes, Net [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
2014 MYLTIPs |  |  | 474,415 |  |  |
Boston Properties Limited Partnership | MYLTIP 2015 [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Consolidation, Less than Wholly Owned Subsidiary, Parent Ownership Interest, Effects of Changes, Net [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
2015 MYLTIPS |  |  | 367,218 |  |  |

X
- Definition Accelerated Compensation Expenses Related To 2011 Opp Units + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | bxp_AcceleratedCompensationExpensesRelatedTotwothousandelevenOppUnits
Namespace Prefix: | bxp_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Common Stock Marketable Quoted Value Per Share + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | bxp_ClosingPriceOfCommonStockPerShare
Namespace Prefix: | bxp_
Data Type: | num:perShareItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Common Units Of Operating Partnership If Converted Value + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | bxp_CommonUnitsOfOperatingPartnershipIfConvertedValue
Namespace Prefix: | bxp_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Conversion of LTIP Units to OP Units (in units) + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | bxp_ConversionofLTIPUnitstoOPUnitsinunits
Namespace Prefix: | bxp_
Data Type: | xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Final awards percentage of target + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | bxp_Finalawardspercentageoftarget
Namespace Prefix: | bxp_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition MYLTIP Units Forfeited + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | bxp_MYLTIPUnitsForfeited
Namespace Prefix: | bxp_
Data Type: | xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition One OP Unit is equivalent to one common stock (share). + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | bxp_OpUnitEquivalenceToCommonStock
Namespace Prefix: | bxp_
Data Type: | xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition OP Units redeemed for stock from LTIP Units + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | bxp_OpUnitsRedeemedForStockFromLtipUnits
Namespace Prefix: | bxp_
Data Type: | xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Prior to the measurement date on February 5, 2011, 2008 OPP Units will be entitled to receive per unit distributions equal to one-tenth (10%) of the regular quarterly distributions payable on an OP Unit, but will not be entitled to receive any special distributions. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | bxp_OutperformanceAwardsLongTermIncentivePlanUnitsDistributionAsPercentageOfOpUnitDistributionPriorToMeasurementDate
Namespace Prefix: | bxp_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Outperformance awards earned + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | bxp_Outperformanceawardsearned
Namespace Prefix: | bxp_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Potential Awards Earned + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | bxp_PotentialAwardsEarned
Namespace Prefix: | bxp_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Potential maximum amount of Outperformance Awards earned (percent) + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | bxp_PotentialmaximumamountofOutperformanceAwardsearnedpercent
Namespace Prefix: | bxp_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Redemption Of OP Units Issued On Conversion Of LTIP Units + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | bxp_RedemptionOfOpUnitsIssuedOnConversionOfLtipUnits
Namespace Prefix: | bxp_
Data Type: | xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Restriction on redemption of OP unit to Common Stock + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | bxp_RestrictionOnRedemption
Namespace Prefix: | bxp_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition 2012 OPP Unit forfeited + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | bxp_TwoThousandTwelveOPPUnitsForfeited
Namespace Prefix: | bxp_
Data Type: | xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition 2015 MYLTIPS + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | bxp_TwothousandfifteenMYLTIPS
Namespace Prefix: | bxp_
Data Type: | xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition 2014 MYLTIP + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | bxp_TwothousandfourteenMYLTIP
Namespace Prefix: | bxp_
Data Type: | xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition 2016 MYLTIP + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | bxp_TwothousandsixteenMYLTIP
Namespace Prefix: | bxp_
Data Type: | xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Value of MYLTIP Awards + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | bxp_ValueOfMyltipAwards
Namespace Prefix: | bxp_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
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_ConsolidationLessThanWhollyOwnedSubsidiaryParentOwnershipInterestEffectsOfChangesNetLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=bxp_TwothousandtwelveOPPandtwothousandthirteenMYLTIPMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=bxp_OpUnitsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=bxp_OppUnitsTwoThousandAndElevenMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | bxp_StockOptionAndIncentivePlanAndStockRepurchasePlanAxis=bxp_MYLTIPtwothousandthirteenMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | bxp_StockOptionAndIncentivePlanAndStockRepurchasePlanAxis=bxp_OppUnitsTwoThousandAndTwelveMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | dei_LegalEntityAxis=us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=bxp_MYLTIPTwothousandsixteenMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=bxp_MYLTIPTwothousandfourteenMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=bxp_MYLTIPtwothousandfifteenMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |