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Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | 0 Months Ended | 1 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended
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Jul. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Sep. 30, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2010 integer | Apr. 15, 2014 | Aug. 30, 2013 | Apr. 30, 2013 | Jun. 30, 2009
San Rafael [Member] [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency, Damages Paid, Value | $ 1,270,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesPaidValue / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_SanRafaelMemberMember | $ 1,400,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesPaidValue / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_SanRafaelMemberMember |  |  |  |  |  |
City of Santee [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation Settlement, One-Time Rent Increase |  |  | 3.00%els_LitigationSettlementOneTimeRentIncrease / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_CityofSanteeMember |  |  |  |  |
Litigation Settlement, Annual Rent Increase, Percentage of CPI |  |  | 100.00%els_LitigationSettlementAnnualRentIncreasePercentageofCPI / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_CityofSanteeMember |  |  |  |  |
Litigation Settlement, Rent Increase Upon Turnover of Site |  |  | 10.00%els_LitigationSettlementRentIncreaseUponTurnoverofSite / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_CityofSanteeMember |  |  |  |  |
Annual Rent Increase, Percentage of CPI, Prior to Settlement |  |  | 70.00%els_AnnualRentIncreasePercentageofCPIPriortoSettlement / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_CityofSanteeMember |  |  |  |  |
Colony Park |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency Damages Sought By Plaintiff |  |  |  | 6,800,000 els_LossContingencyDamagesSoughtByPlaintiff / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_ColonyParkMember |  |  |  |
Number of plaintiff the jury rendered verdicts |  |  |  | 6 us-gaap_LossContingencyClaimsSettledNumber / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_ColonyParkMember |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency, Number of Plaintiffs |  |  |  | 72 us-gaap_LossContingencyNumberOfPlaintiffs / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_ColonyParkMember |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency, Claims Dismissed, Number |  |  |  | 66 us-gaap_LossContingencyClaimsDismissedNumber / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_ColonyParkMember |  |  |  |
Number of plaintiffs dismissed and not appealed |  |  |  | 3 els_LossContingencyClaimsDismissedAndNotAppealedNumber / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_ColonyParkMember |  |  |  |
Colony Park | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss awarded to plaintiffs |  |  |  | 44,000 els_JuryImposedCompensatoryDamages / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_ColonyParkMember / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember |  |  |  |
Compensatory Damages [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency, Damages Awarded, Value |  |  |  |  | 15,300,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesAwardedValue / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_CompensatoryDamagesMember |  |  |
Punitive Damages [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency, Damages Awarded, Value |  |  |  |  | 95,800,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesAwardedValue / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_PunitiveDamagesMember |  |  |
California Hawaiian [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency, Range of Possible Loss, Minimum |  | 0 us-gaap_LossContingencyRangeOfPossibleLossMinimum / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_CaliforniaHawaiianMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Attorney Fees | San Rafael [Member] [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency, Damages Sought, Value |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,250,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesSoughtValue / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = els_AttorneyFeesMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_SanRafaelMemberMember |
Loss Contingency, Damages Paid, Value |  |  |  |  |  | 80,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesPaidValue / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = els_AttorneyFeesMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_SanRafaelMemberMember |  |
Attorney Fees | Colony Park |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Award for costs and attorney fee claimed by the company |  |  |  | 2,000,000 els_LossContingencyDamagesSoughtCompensatory / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = els_AttorneyFeesMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_ColonyParkMember |  |  |  |
Settled Litigation [Member] | Attorney Fees | Legal Claim One [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency, Damages Sought, Value |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 2,100,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesSoughtValue / us-gaap_GainContingenciesByNatureAxis = els_LegalClaimOneMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = els_AttorneyFeesMember / us-gaap_LitigationStatusAxis = us-gaap_SettledLitigationMember
Expiration period of Ordinance from June 30, 2009 date of judgment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 10 years

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- Definition Annual rent increase up to CPI allowed under a settlement agreement. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The percentage of rent increase allowed under a settlement agreement. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The rate increase on a site upon turnover of that site allowed under a settlement agreement. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Rent Control Ordinance, Expiration Period + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Number of claims dismissed. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Amount of damages awarded to the plaintiff in the legal matter. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14326-108349 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14435-108349 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14557-108349 + Details
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- Definition Amount of damages paid to the plaintiff in the legal matter. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14326-108349 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14435-108349 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14557-108349 + Details
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- Definition The value (monetary amount) of the award the plaintiff seeks in the legal matter. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14326-108349 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14435-108349 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14557-108349 + Details
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- Details
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