Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure and Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]	Note A – Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited financial statements of National Property Investors 5 (the "Partnership" or "Registrant") have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 8-03 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. In the opinion of NPI Equity Investments, Inc. ("NPI Equity" or the "Managing General Partner"), all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring items) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2011 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2011. The balance sheet at December 31, 2010 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information and disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. For further information, refer to the financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Partnership's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010. The Managing General Partner is a subsidiary of Apartment Investment and Management Company ("Aimco"), a publicly traded real estate investment trust. At June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, the Partnership had outstanding 82,428 limited partnership units. The Partnership’s management evaluated subsequent events through the time this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q was filed. On May 26, 2011, the Partnership entered into a sale contract with a third party to sell Willow Park on Lake Adelaide Apartments for a sales price of $8,950,000. The sale is projected to close during the third quarter of 2011. The Partnership has determined that certain held for sale criteria have not been met at June 30, 2011 and therefore continues to report the assets and liabilities of Willow Park on Lake Adelaide Apartments as held for investment and its operations as continuing operations.

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2011

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure and Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

Note A – Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited financial statements of National Property Investors 5 (the "Partnership" or "Registrant") have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 8-03 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. In the opinion of NPI Equity Investments, Inc. ("NPI Equity" or the "Managing General Partner"), all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring items) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2011 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2011. The balance sheet at December 31, 2010 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information and disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. For further information, refer to the financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Partnership's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010. The Managing General Partner is a subsidiary of Apartment Investment and Management Company ("Aimco"), a publicly traded real estate investment trust.

At June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, the Partnership had outstanding 82,428 limited partnership units.

The Partnership’s management evaluated subsequent events through the time this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q was filed.

On May 26, 2011, the Partnership entered into a sale contract with a third party to sell Willow Park on Lake Adelaide Apartments for a sales price of $8,950,000. The sale is projected to close during the third quarter of 2011. The Partnership has determined that certain held for sale criteria have not been met at June 30, 2011 and therefore continues to report the assets and liabilities of Willow Park on Lake Adelaide Apartments as held for investment and its operations as continuing operations.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure, and significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. May be provided in more than one note to the financial statements, as long as users are provided with an understanding of (1) the significant judgments and assumptions made by an enterprise in determining whether it must consolidate a VIE and/or disclose information about its involvement with a VIE, (2) the nature of restrictions on a consolidated VIE's assets reported by an enterprise in its statement of financial position, including the carrying amounts of such assets, (3) the nature of, and changes in, the risks associated with an enterprise's involvement with the VIE, and (4) how an enterprise's involvement with the VIE affects the enterprise's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. Describes procedure if disclosures are provided in more than one note to the financial statements.

+ References+ Details

NATIONAL PROPERTY INVESTORS 5 10-Q/A