SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - Earnings Per Share (Details) - shares	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
CBL & Associates Properties, Inc.
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)		0
Antidilutive shares/ units (shares)		0	0
Denominator – basic (shares)	172,486,000	171,070,000	170,762,000
Effect of performance stock units (shares)			74,000
Denominator – diluted (shares)	172,486,000	171,070,000	170,836,000
CBL & Associates Limited Partnership
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)		0
Antidilutive shares/ units (shares)		0	0
Denominator – basic (shares)	199,580,000	199,322,000	199,764,000
Effect of performance stock units (shares)			74,000
Denominator – diluted (shares)	199,580,000	199,322,000	199,838,000
Performance Shares \| CBL & Associates Properties, Inc.
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Contingently issuable common shares/ units (shares)	102,820
Performance Shares \| CBL & Associates Limited Partnership
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Contingently issuable common shares/ units (shares)	102,820

Potentially Dilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount

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- Definition

Securities (including those issuable pursuant to contingent stock agreements) that could potentially dilute basic earnings per share (EPS) or earnings per unit (EPU) in the future that were not included in the computation of diluted EPS or EPU because to do so would increase EPS or EPU amounts or decrease loss per share or unit amounts for the period presented.

+ References

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- Definition

Additional shares included in the calculation of diluted EPS as a result of the potentially dilutive effect of convertible preferred stock using the if-converted method.

+ References

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
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-Topic 260
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-Section 45
-Paragraph 40
-Subparagraph (c)
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- 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

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- Definition

The average number of shares or units issued and outstanding that are used in calculating diluted EPS or earnings per unit (EPU), determined based on the timing of issuance of shares or units in the period.

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 260
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
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- Definition

Shares issuable for little or no cash consideration upon the satisfaction of certain conditions (contingently issuable shares) are considered outstanding common shares and included in the computation of basic Earnings Per Share as of the date that all necessary conditions have been satisfied (in essence, when issuance of the shares is no longer contingent). Outstanding common shares that are contingently returnable (that is, subject to recall) are treated in the same manner as contingently issuable shares. Contingently issuable shares include shares that (a) will be issued in the future upon the satisfaction of specified conditions, (b) have been placed in escrow and all or part must be returned if specified conditions are not met, or (c) have been issued but the holder must return all or part if specified conditions are not met. The number of contingently issuable shares is determined by relating the portion of time within a reporting period that these shares have been outstanding to the total time in that period.

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- Definition

Number of [basic] shares or units, after adjustment for contingently issuable shares or units and other shares or units not deemed outstanding, determined by relating the portion of time within a reporting period that common shares or units have been outstanding to the total time in that period.

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