SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Components of AOCI) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Roll Forward]
OCI before reclassifications	$ 877	$ 4,353
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	(443)	(18,756)
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	434	(14,403)
Realized gain on available-for-sale securities, reclassified		16,560
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests/Common Units, Unrealized Gains (Losses), Hedging Agreements
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance, shareholders' equity	433	401
OCI before reclassifications	3	32
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	(436)	0
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	(433)	32
Ending balance, shareholders' equity	0	433
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests/Common Units, Unrealized Gains (Losses), Available-for-Sale Securities
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance, shareholders' equity	0	384
OCI before reclassifications	0	10
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	0	(394)
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	0	(384)
Ending balance, shareholders' equity	0	0
The Company/Partner's Capital, Unrealized Gains (Losses), Hedging Agreements
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance, shareholders' equity	1,935	303
OCI before reclassifications	814	3,828
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	(2,749)	(2,196)
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	(1,935)	1,632
Ending balance, shareholders' equity	0	1,935
Interest on cash flow hedges reclassified to interest expense	(443)	(2,196)
The Company/Partner's Capital, Unrealized Gains (Losses), Available-for-Sale Securities
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance, shareholders' equity	0	13,108
OCI before reclassifications	0	160
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	0	(13,268)
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	0	(13,108)
Ending balance, shareholders' equity	0	0
Noncontrolling Interests, Unrealized Gains (Losses), Hedging Agreements
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance, shareholders' equity	(2,802)	(3,053)
OCI before reclassifications	60	251
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	2,742	0
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	2,802	251
Ending balance, shareholders' equity	0	(2,802)
Noncontrolling Interests, Unrealized Gains (Losses), Available-for-Sale Securities
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance, shareholders' equity	0	2,826
OCI before reclassifications	0	72
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	0	(2,898)
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	0	(2,826)
Ending balance, shareholders' equity	0	0
AOCI Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance, shareholders' equity	(434)	13,969
Ending balance, shareholders' equity	0	(434)
CBL And Associates Limited Partnership
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Roll Forward]
OCI before reclassifications	877	4,353
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	(443)	(18,756)
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	434	(14,403)
Realized gain on available-for-sale securities, reclassified		16,560
CBL And Associates Limited Partnership \| Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests/Common Units, Unrealized Gains (Losses), Hedging Agreements
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance, shareholders' equity	434	401
OCI before reclassifications	3	33
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	(437)	0
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	(434)	33
Ending balance, shareholders' equity	0	434
CBL And Associates Limited Partnership \| Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests/Common Units, Unrealized Gains (Losses), Available-for-Sale Securities
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance, shareholders' equity	0	384
OCI before reclassifications	0	10
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	0	(394)
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	0	(384)
Ending balance, shareholders' equity	0	0
CBL And Associates Limited Partnership \| The Company/Partner's Capital, Unrealized Gains (Losses), Hedging Agreements
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance, shareholders' equity	(868)	(2,750)
OCI before reclassifications	874	4,078
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	(6)	(2,196)
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	868	1,882
Ending balance, shareholders' equity	0	(868)
Interest on cash flow hedges reclassified to interest expense	(443)	(2,196)
CBL And Associates Limited Partnership \| The Company/Partner's Capital, Unrealized Gains (Losses), Available-for-Sale Securities
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance, shareholders' equity	0	15,934
OCI before reclassifications	0	232
Amounts reclassified from AOCI	0	(16,166)
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	0	(15,934)
Ending balance, shareholders' equity	0	0
CBL And Associates Limited Partnership \| AOCI Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance, shareholders' equity	(434)	13,969
Ending balance, shareholders' equity	$ 0	$ (434)

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Roll Forward]

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Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling and Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest

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- Definition

Amount after tax and reclassification adjustments, of appreciation (loss) in value of unsold available-for-sale securities. Excludes amounts related to other than temporary impairment (OTTI) loss.

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Amount after tax, before reclassification adjustments of other comprehensive income (loss).

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Amount after tax of reclassification adjustment from accumulated other comprehensive income of accumulated gain (loss) realized from derivative instruments designated and qualifying as the effective portion of cash flow hedges and an entity's share of an equity investee's deferred hedging gain (loss).

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Amount after tax of reclassification adjustments of other comprehensive income (loss).

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Amount of stockholders' equity (deficit), net of receivables from officers, directors, owners, and affiliates of the entity, attributable to both the parent and noncontrolling interests. Amount excludes temporary equity. Alternate caption for the concept is permanent equity.

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