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Reportable Segments- Consolidated Net Income (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operations revenues	$ 205,475els_RevenueforReportableSegment	$ 192,447els_RevenueforReportableSegment
Operations expenses	(96,478)us-gaap_OperatingCostsAndExpenses	(91,666)us-gaap_OperatingCostsAndExpenses
Income from segment operations	108,997els_OperatingIncomeLossBeforeDepreciationAndOther	100,781els_OperatingIncomeLossBeforeDepreciationAndOther
Interest income	1,798els_InterestIncome	1,906els_InterestIncome
Depreciation on real estate assets and rental homes	(28,116)els_RealEstateDepreciationExpenseAndRentalHomes	(27,642)els_RealEstateDepreciationExpenseAndRentalHomes
Amortization of in-place leases	(665)us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets	(1,315)us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets
Income from operations	82,014us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss	73,730us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
Reconciliation to Consolidated net income:
Corporate interest income	22els_CorporateInterestIncome	791els_CorporateInterestIncome
Income from other investments, net	1,119us-gaap_OtherIncome	1,601us-gaap_OtherIncome
General and administrative	(7,406)us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeExpense	(5,760)us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeExpense
Property rights initiatives	(553)els_RentControlInitiativesExpensesAndOther	(311)els_RentControlInitiativesExpensesAndOther
Early debt retirement	(16,991)us-gaap_ExtinguishmentOfDebtAmount	0us-gaap_ExtinguishmentOfDebtAmount
Interest and related amortization	(27,276)us-gaap_InterestExpenseDebt	(28,048)us-gaap_InterestExpenseDebt
Equity in income of unconsolidated joint ventures	884us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments	1,887us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
Consolidated net income	31,813us-gaap_ProfitLoss	43,890us-gaap_ProfitLoss
Total assets	3,468,794us-gaap_Assets	3,410,562us-gaap_Assets	3,446,339us-gaap_Assets
Capital improvements	16,260us-gaap_PaymentsForCapitalImprovements	10,000us-gaap_PaymentsForCapitalImprovements
Property Operations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operations revenues	194,689els_RevenueforReportableSegment / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_PropertyOperationsSegmentMember	183,217els_RevenueforReportableSegment / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_PropertyOperationsSegmentMember
Operations expenses	(87,280)us-gaap_OperatingCostsAndExpenses / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_PropertyOperationsSegmentMember	(83,821)us-gaap_OperatingCostsAndExpenses / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_PropertyOperationsSegmentMember
Income from segment operations	107,409els_OperatingIncomeLossBeforeDepreciationAndOther / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_PropertyOperationsSegmentMember	99,396els_OperatingIncomeLossBeforeDepreciationAndOther / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_PropertyOperationsSegmentMember
Interest income	709els_InterestIncome / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_PropertyOperationsSegmentMember	797els_InterestIncome / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_PropertyOperationsSegmentMember
Depreciation on real estate assets and rental homes	(25,356)els_RealEstateDepreciationExpenseAndRentalHomes / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_PropertyOperationsSegmentMember	(24,858)els_RealEstateDepreciationExpenseAndRentalHomes / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_PropertyOperationsSegmentMember
Amortization of in-place leases	(665)us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_PropertyOperationsSegmentMember	(1,315)us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_PropertyOperationsSegmentMember
Income from operations	82,097us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_PropertyOperationsSegmentMember	74,020us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_PropertyOperationsSegmentMember
Reconciliation to Consolidated net income:
Total assets	3,207,091us-gaap_Assets / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_PropertyOperationsSegmentMember	3,118,684us-gaap_Assets / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_PropertyOperationsSegmentMember
Capital improvements	8,887us-gaap_PaymentsForCapitalImprovements / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_PropertyOperationsSegmentMember	4,994us-gaap_PaymentsForCapitalImprovements / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_PropertyOperationsSegmentMember
Home Sales and Rentals Operations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operations revenues	10,786els_RevenueforReportableSegment / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_HomeSalesAndRentalsMember	9,230els_RevenueforReportableSegment / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_HomeSalesAndRentalsMember
Operations expenses	(9,198)us-gaap_OperatingCostsAndExpenses / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_HomeSalesAndRentalsMember	(7,845)us-gaap_OperatingCostsAndExpenses / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_HomeSalesAndRentalsMember
Income from segment operations	1,588els_OperatingIncomeLossBeforeDepreciationAndOther / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_HomeSalesAndRentalsMember	1,385els_OperatingIncomeLossBeforeDepreciationAndOther / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_HomeSalesAndRentalsMember
Interest income	1,089els_InterestIncome / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_HomeSalesAndRentalsMember	1,109els_InterestIncome / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_HomeSalesAndRentalsMember
Depreciation on real estate assets and rental homes	(2,760)els_RealEstateDepreciationExpenseAndRentalHomes / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_HomeSalesAndRentalsMember	(2,784)els_RealEstateDepreciationExpenseAndRentalHomes / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_HomeSalesAndRentalsMember
Amortization of in-place leases	0us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_HomeSalesAndRentalsMember	0us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_HomeSalesAndRentalsMember
Income from operations	(83)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_HomeSalesAndRentalsMember	(290)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_HomeSalesAndRentalsMember
Reconciliation to Consolidated net income:
Total assets	261,703us-gaap_Assets / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_HomeSalesAndRentalsMember	291,878us-gaap_Assets / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_HomeSalesAndRentalsMember
Capital improvements	$ 7,373us-gaap_PaymentsForCapitalImprovements / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_HomeSalesAndRentalsMember	$ 5,006us-gaap_PaymentsForCapitalImprovements / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = els_HomeSalesAndRentalsMember

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