Debt Instrument, Debt Default Threshold, Minimum Loan Amount

No definition available.

Name:	cbl_DebtInstrumentDebtDefaultThresholdMinimumLoanAmount
Namespace Prefix:	cbl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Secured Debt to Total Assets

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cbl_DebtInstrumentSecuredDebtToTotalAssetsRatio
Namespace Prefix:	cbl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

EBITDA to Fixed Charged (Debt Service)

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cbl_EBITDAtoFixedChargedDebtService
Namespace Prefix:	cbl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Income Available for Debt Service to Debt Service Charge

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cbl_IncomeAvailableforDebtServicetoDebtServiceCharge
Namespace Prefix:	cbl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Ratio of Total Debt to Total Assets

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cbl_RatioofTotalDebttoTotalAssets
Namespace Prefix:	cbl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Total Unencumbered Assets to Unsecured Debt

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cbl_TotalUnencumberedAssetstoUnsecuredDebt
Namespace Prefix:	cbl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Total Unsecured Debt to Total Unencumbered Assets

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cbl_TotalUnsecuredDebttoTotalUnencumberedAssets
Namespace Prefix:	cbl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Unencumbered NOI to Unsecured Interest Expense

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cbl_UnencumberedNOItoUnsecuredInterestExpense
Namespace Prefix:	cbl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of current borrowing capacity under the credit facility considering any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed (for example, borrowings may be limited by the amount of current assets), but without considering any amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of borrowing capacity currently available under the credit facility (current borrowing capacity less the amount of borrowings outstanding).

+ References

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=cbl_NonRecourseLoansOnOperatingPropertiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=cbl_RecourseTermLoansOnOperatingPropertiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=cbl_SeniorUnsecuredNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=cbl_SeniorNotesDue2026Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=cbl_UnsecuredTermLoan1Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=cbl_UnsecuredTermLoan2Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	cbl_DebtCovenantsActualVsRequiredAxis=cbl_DebtCovenantRequirementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=cbl_UnsecuredCreditFacilityandTermLoanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	cbl_DebtCovenantsActualVsRequiredAxis=cbl_DebtCovenantRatiosActualMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

MORTGAGE AND OTHER INDEBTEDNESS, NET (Covenants and Restrictions) (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017
Non Recourse Loans On Operating Properties
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, debt default threshold, minimum loan amount (greater than)	$ 50,000,000
Recourse loans on operating Properties
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, debt default threshold, minimum loan amount (greater than)	$ 150,000,000
Senior Unsecured Notes \| Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Secured debt to total assets (less than)	40.00%
Senior unsecured notes due 2026 \| Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Secured debt to total assets (less than)	40.00%
Other
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total unsecured debt rate		60.00%	62.50%
Unsecured Term Loan 2
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Remaining borrowing capacity	$ 429,678,000
Current borrowing capacity	$ 576,535,000
Required \| Unsecured Credit Facility and Term Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt to total assets	60.00%
Total unencumbered assets to unsecured debt	60.00%
Unencumbered NOI to unsecured interest expense	175.00%
EBITDA to fixed charges (debt service)	150.00%
Required \| Senior Unsecured Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt to total assets	60.00%
Total unencumbered assets to unsecured debt	150.00%
Secured debt to total assets (less than)	45.00%
Consolidated income available for debt service to annual debt service charge (percent)	150.00%
Actual \| Unsecured Credit Facility and Term Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt to total assets	50.00%
Total unencumbered assets to unsecured debt	48.00%
Unencumbered NOI to unsecured interest expense	330.00%
EBITDA to fixed charges (debt service)	240.00%
Actual \| Senior Unsecured Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt to total assets	52.00%
Total unencumbered assets to unsecured debt	208.00%
Secured debt to total assets (less than)	23.00%
Consolidated income available for debt service to annual debt service charge (percent)	310.00%