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Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) | 0 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | 0 Months Ended | 1 Months Ended | 0 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | 0 Months Ended |
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Jul. 10, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Apr. 17, 2013 | Aug. 30, 2013 | Sep. 26, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2010 integer | Dec. 14, 2011 | Apr. 15, 2014 | Jun. 30, 2009 | Jun. 10, 2009 | Dec. 04, 2014
San Rafael |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Damages paid | $ 1,270,000us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesPaidValue / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_SanRafaelMemberMember | $ 1,400,000us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesPaidValue / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_SanRafaelMemberMember |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
San Rafael | Attorney Fees |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Damages sought |  |  | 1,250,000us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesSoughtValue / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = els_AttorneyFeesMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_SanRafaelMemberMember |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Damages paid |  |  |  | 80,000us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesPaidValue / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = els_AttorneyFeesMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_SanRafaelMemberMember |  |  |  |  |  |  |
City of Santee |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
One-time rent increase |  |  |  |  | 2.50%els_LitigationSettlementOneTimeRentIncrease / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_CityofSanteeMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Annual rent increase, percentage of CPI |  |  |  |  | 100.00%els_LitigationSettlementAnnualRentIncreasePercentageofCPI / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_CityofSanteeMember |  |  |  |  |  |
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 |  |  |  |  |  | 6,800,000els_LossContingencyDamagesSoughtByPlaintiff / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_ColonyParkMember |  |  |  |  |
Number of claims settled |  |  |  |  |  | 6us-gaap_LossContingencyClaimsSettledNumber / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_ColonyParkMember |  |  |  |  |
Number of plaintiffs |  |  |  |  |  | 72us-gaap_LossContingencyNumberOfPlaintiffs / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_ColonyParkMember |  |  |  |  |
Number of dismissed claims |  |  |  |  |  | 66us-gaap_LossContingencyClaimsDismissedNumber / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_ColonyParkMember |  |  |  |  |
Number of claims dismissed and not appealed |  |  |  |  |  | 3els_LossContingencyClaimsDismissedAndNotAppealedNumber / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_ColonyParkMember |  |  |  |  |
Colony Park | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Jury imposed compensatory damages |  |  |  |  |  | 44,000els_JuryImposedCompensatoryDamages / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_ColonyParkMember / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember |  |  |  |  |
Colony Park | Attorney Fees |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Compensatory damages sought |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2,000,000els_LossContingencyDamagesSoughtCompensatory / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = els_AttorneyFeesMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_ColonyParkMember |  |  |  |
Compensatory Damages |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Damages awarded |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 15,300,000us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesAwardedValue / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_CompensatoryDamagesMember |  |  |
Damages sought but overturned |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 15,300,000els_LossContingencyDamagesSoughtbutOverturned / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_CompensatoryDamagesMember
Punitive Damages |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Damages awarded |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 95,800,000us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesAwardedValue / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_PunitiveDamagesMember |  |  |
Damages sought but overturned |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 95,800,000els_LossContingencyDamagesSoughtbutOverturned / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = els_PunitiveDamagesMember
Settled Litigation | Attorney Fees | California Rent Control Litigation |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Damages sought |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 2,100,000us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesSoughtValue / us-gaap_GainContingenciesByNatureAxis = els_LegalClaimOneMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = els_AttorneyFeesMember / us-gaap_LitigationStatusAxis = us-gaap_SettledLitigationMember |
Rent control ordinance expiration period |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 10 years |  |

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