Fair Value of Financial Instruments - Level 3 Liabilities (Details) - Level 3 - Recurring basis - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2025	Sep. 30, 2024	Sep. 30, 2025	Sep. 30, 2024
Agreements with non-mark-to-market collateral provisions
Fair Value, Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	$ 76,880	$ 377,252	$ 284,843	$ 469,424
Issuances	0	0	0	112,740
Payment of principal	(37,163)	(154,989)	(245,126)	(359,901)
Changes in unrealized losses	0	0	0	0
Balance at end of period	39,717	222,263	39,717	222,263
Agreements with mark-to-market collateral provisions
Fair Value, Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	197,424	290,228	19,782	178,864
Issuances	0	12,323	191,050	126,924
Payment of principal	(131,809)	(108,427)	(145,217)	(111,664)
Changes in unrealized losses	0	0	0	0
Balance at end of period	$ 65,615	$ 194,124	$ 65,615	$ 194,124

Fair Value, Measurement With Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation, Recurring Basis, Liability, Principal PayDowns

No definition available.

Name:	mfa_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisLiabilityPrincipalPayDowns
Namespace Prefix:	mfa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of unrealized gain (loss) recognized in income from liability measured at fair value on recurring basis using unobservable input (level 3) and still held.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (b)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147482106/820-10-50-3

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (d)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147482106/820-10-50-2

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueLiabilitiesMeasuredOnRecurringBasisChangeInUnrealizedGainLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueLiabilitiesMeasuredOnRecurringBasisUnobservableInputReconciliationCalculationRollForward
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of issuances of financial instrument classified as a liability measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2G
-Subparagraph (a)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147482106/820-10-50-2G

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (b)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147482106/820-10-50-3

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147482106/820-10-50-2

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisLiabilityIssues
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair value of financial instrument classified as a liability measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (b)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147482106/820-10-50-3

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147482106/820-10-50-2

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationsRecurringBasisLiabilityValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis=us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByLiabilityClassAxis=mfa_AgreementsWithNonMarkToMarketCollateralProvisionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByLiabilityClassAxis=mfa_AgreementsWithMarkToMarketCollateralProvisionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: