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Long-Term Cash Incentive Plan - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2015 | Mar. 31, 2014
Deferred Compensation Arrangement with Individual, Share-based Payments [Line Items] |  |
Long term incentive plan compensation | $ 360,000els_AccruedLongTermIncentivePlanCompensation | $ 475,000els_AccruedLongTermIncentivePlanCompensation
Long Term Incentive Plan 2013 |  |
Deferred Compensation Arrangement with Individual, Share-based Payments [Line Items] |  |
Estimated payments for employee long term incentive plan | 5,100,000els_EstimatedPaymentsForEmployeeLongTermIncentivePlan / els_IncentiveCompensationPlansEmployeesAxis = els_LongTermIncentivePlanTwentyThirteenMember |
Deferred compensation cash-based arrangements, liability, current and noncurrent | $ 4,200,000us-gaap_DeferredCompensationCashbasedArrangementsLiabilityCurrentAndNoncurrent / els_IncentiveCompensationPlansEmployeesAxis = els_LongTermIncentivePlanTwentyThirteenMember |

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- Definition Accrued long term incentive plan compensation. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | els_AccruedLongTermIncentivePlanCompensation
Namespace Prefix: | els_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

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- Definition Estimated payout of the LTIP plan. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | els_EstimatedPaymentsForEmployeeLongTermIncentivePlan
Namespace Prefix: | els_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

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- Details
Name: | us-gaap_DeferredCompensationArrangementWithIndividualShareBasedPaymentsLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

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- Definition Aggregate carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the liabilities for deferred compensation arrangements. Represents currently earned compensation under cash arrangements (such as a profit-sharing plan, rabbi trust, and employee contract--excluding equity-based arrangements) that is not actually paid until a later date. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_DeferredCompensationCashbasedArrangementsLiabilityCurrentAndNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

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- Details
Name: | els_IncentiveCompensationPlansEmployeesAxis=els_LongTermIncentivePlanTwentyThirteenMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |