XML 26 R31.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v2.4.1.9

Investment in Real Estate - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, except Share data in Thousands, unless otherwise specified | 3 Months Ended |  |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Mar. 31, 2015 | Mar. 10, 2014 | Feb. 09, 2015 Property | Dec. 31, 2014 integer site
Real Estate Properties [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Escrow share distribution |  | 51,290els_EscrowShareDistribution |  |
Purchase Price Allocation Adjustments |  |  |  |
Real Estate Properties [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Asset acquisition price adjustments period | 1 year |  |  |
Bogue Pines & Whispering Pines |  |  |  |
Real Estate Properties [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Number Of Properties Acquired |  |  | 2els_NumberOfPropertiesAcquired / us-gaap_RealEstateAndAccumulatedDepreciationDescriptionOfPropertyAxis = els_BoguePinesWhisperingPinesMember |
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price |  |  | $ 12.3els_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePrice / us-gaap_RealEstateAndAccumulatedDepreciationDescriptionOfPropertyAxis = els_BoguePinesWhisperingPinesMember |
R V Resort |  |  |  |
Real Estate Properties [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Number Of Properties Acquired |  |  |  | 7els_NumberOfPropertiesAcquired / us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateDescriptionTypeOfPropertyAxis = els_RVResortMember
Number Of Acquired Sites |  |  |  | 3,868els_NumberOfAcquiredSites / us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateDescriptionTypeOfPropertyAxis = els_RVResortMember
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price |  |  |  | 85.7els_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePrice / us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateDescriptionTypeOfPropertyAxis = els_RVResortMember
R V Resort | Whispering Pines - North Carolina |  |  |  |
Real Estate Properties [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Number Of Acquired Sites |  |  | 278els_NumberOfAcquiredSites / us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateDescriptionTypeOfPropertyAxis = els_RVResortMember / us-gaap_RealEstateAndAccumulatedDepreciationDescriptionOfPropertyAxis = els_WhisperingPinesNorthCarolinaMember |
Manufactured homes | Bogue Pines |  |  |  |
Real Estate Properties [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Number Of Acquired Sites |  |  | 150els_NumberOfAcquiredSites / us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateDescriptionTypeOfPropertyAxis = els_ManufacturedHomeMember / us-gaap_RealEstateAndAccumulatedDepreciationDescriptionOfPropertyAxis = els_BoguePinesMember |
Manufactured homes | Colony Cove |  |  |  |
Real Estate Properties [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price |  | 35.9els_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePrice / us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateDescriptionTypeOfPropertyAxis = els_ManufacturedHomeMember / us-gaap_RealEstateAndAccumulatedDepreciationDescriptionOfPropertyAxis = els_ColonyCoveMember |  |
New Credit Facilities | R V Resort |  |  |  |
Real Estate Properties [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Mortgage debt assumed |  |  |  | 32.3us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedNoncurrentLiabilitiesLongTermDebt / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = els_NewCreditFacilitiesMember / us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateDescriptionTypeOfPropertyAxis = els_RVResortMember
Unamortized discount (premium) |  |  |  | $ 2.3us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscountPremiumNet / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = els_NewCreditFacilitiesMember / us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateDescriptionTypeOfPropertyAxis = els_RVResortMember

X
- Definition The amount of acquisition cost of a business combination allocated to purchase price. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | els_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePrice
Namespace Prefix: | els_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The distribution of shares designated as collateral for an escrow deposit furnished by shares for future ground lease payments. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | els_EscrowShareDistribution
Namespace Prefix: | els_
Data Type: | xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Purchase price adjustments may be made within one year following any acquisition and applied retroactively to the date of acquisition. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | els_FinalAdjustmentPeriodMaximumRange
Namespace Prefix: | els_
Data Type: | xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Number of Acquired Sites + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | els_NumberOfAcquiredSites
Namespace Prefix: | els_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Number Of Properties Acquired + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | els_NumberOfPropertiesAcquired
Namespace Prefix: | els_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount of long-term debt due after one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer, assumed at the acquisition date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=39739317&loc=d3e4845-128472 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedNoncurrentLiabilitiesLongTermDebt
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The amount of debt discount (net of debt premium) that was originally recognized at the issuance of the instrument that has yet to be amortized. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 835 -SubTopic 30 -Section 45 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28551-108399 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 835 -SubTopic 30 -Section 45 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28555-108399 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 835 -SubTopic 30 -Section 45 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28567-108399 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 835 -SubTopic 30 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1A -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28541-108399 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 835 -SubTopic 30 -Section 55 -Paragraph 8 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34725769&loc=d3e28878-108400 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscountPremiumNet
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

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

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_ChangeInAccountingEstimateByTypeAxis=us-gaap_AcquisitionRelatedCostsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=els_NewCreditFacilitiesMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateDescriptionTypeOfPropertyAxis=els_ManufacturedHomeMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateDescriptionTypeOfPropertyAxis=els_RVResortMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_RealEstateAndAccumulatedDepreciationDescriptionOfPropertyAxis=els_BoguePinesWhisperingPinesMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |