Note 10. Debt Obligations (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended								9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended				9 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended			12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended			1 Months Ended
Note 10. Debt Obligations (Details) (USD $)	Aug. 31, 2013	Aug. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2007	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Aug. 31, 2012 If Extension Option Rights Exercised, Due during the First Extension Option Term [Member]	Aug. 31, 2012 If Extension Option Rights Exercised, Due during the Second Extension Option Term [Member]	Aug. 31, 2012 If Extension Option Rights Exercised, Due during the Third Extension Option Term [Member]	Aug. 31, 2013 Upon Achievement of Debt Service Coverage of 1.40 [Member] Amegy Bank [Member] Construction Loans [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Scenario, Forecast [Member] Convertible Senior Notes [Member]	Aug. 31, 2012 Nestle Holdings, Inc., Breinigsville, PA; Fort Wayne, IN; and Lathrop, CA [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Nestle Holdings, Inc., Breinigsville, PA; Fort Wayne, IN; and Lathrop, CA [Member]	Jul. 31, 2011 Bank of Oklahoma [Member] London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Bank of Oklahoma [Member] London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Bank of Oklahoma [Member] Tulsa, Oklahoma Development Project Loan Agreement [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Bank of Oklahoma [Member]	Aug. 31, 2013 Amegy Bank [Member] London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] Construction Loans [Member]	Aug. 31, 2013 Amegy Bank [Member] Construction Loans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2007 KBC Bank, N.V. [Member] Secured Term Loan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2005 London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] Trust Preferred Securities [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] Wells Fargo Credit Agreements [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] KeyBank N.A. Credit Agreement [Member]	Oct. 31, 2007 Convertible Senior Notes [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Convertible Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Convertible Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2005 Trust Preferred Securities [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Wells Fargo Credit Agreements [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Wells Fargo Credit Agreements [Member]	May 31, 2013 Wells Fargo Credit Agreements [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Wells Fargo Credit Agreements [Member]	Oct. 31, 2012 KeyBank N.A. Credit Agreement [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Minimum [Member] Wells Fargo Credit Agreements [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Maximum [Member] Wells Fargo Credit Agreements [Member]
Note 10. Debt Obligations (Details) [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity (in Dollars)																																			$ 150,000,000		$ 100,000,000	$ 100,000,000	$ 10,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Increase (Decrease), Net (in Dollars)																																			50,000,000
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate (in Basis Points)																	2.25%					3.00%			2.95%			2.60%	2.75%	3.00%
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity, Percentage																																								60.00%	65.00%
Debt Instrument, Covenant Terms, Capitalization Rate																																				8.00%
Debt Instrument, Covenant Terms, Initial Maximum Leverage Ratio																																				77.00%
Debt Instrument, Covenant Terms, Declined Maximum Leverage Ratio																																				70.00%
Debt Instrument, Covenant Terms, Initial Minimum Fixed Charge Coverage																																				100.00%
Debt Instrument, Covenant Terms, Increased Minimum Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio																																				105.00%
Debt Instrument, Covenant Terms, Initial Minimum Debt Yield																																				9.00%
Debt Instrument, Covenant Terms, Increased Minimum Debt Yield																																				9.75%
Debt Instrument, Covenant Terms, Initial Minimum Interest Coverage Ratio																																				140.00%
Debt Instrument, Covenant Terms, Increased Minimum Interest Coverage Ratio																																				150.00%
Debt Instrument, Covenant Terms, Initial Minimum Tangible Net Worth Ratio																																				85.00%
Debt Instrument, Covenant Terms, Percentage of Net Proceeds of Future Equity Issuances																																				80.00%
Debt Instrument, Covenant Terms, Maximum Dividends Rate																																				95.00%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage																			6.32%								5.81%							7.68%
Debt Instrument, Periodic Payment, Principal (in Dollars)														7,500,000	7,500,000	5,000,000
Debt Issuance Cost (in Dollars)		1,626,000																	710,000
Other Expenses (in Dollars)								930,000					962,000							916,000
Real Estate Investment Property, at Cost (in Dollars)				1,599,217,000			1,627,788,000					1,599,217,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage Rate Range, Minimum																					4.00%
Construction Loan (in Dollars)				31,000,000								31,000,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate During Period				3.90%				4.90%				3.90%	4.20%											4.10%
Debt Instrument, Term																							5 years			3 years
Estimated Advances During Construction Period (in Dollars)	17,000,000																									17,000,000
Additonal Estimated Advances During Construction Period (in Dollars)																										6,800,000
Number of Additional Year To Be Extended For Loan Term																										1
Interest Rate Terms, Debt Service Coverage Ratio																										1.40%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage																											6.00%							7.70%
Debt Conversion, Original Debt, Amount (in Dollars)			75,000,000
Debt Conversion, Original Debt, Interest Rate of Debt																															7.50%
Convertible Debt, Fair Value Disclosures (in Dollars)							19,202,000																									19,210,000
Percentage of Principal Amount of Notes to be Repurchased																															100.00%
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Carrying Amount of Equity Component (in Dollars)																																6,189	6,189,000
Debt Instrument, Convertible Notes, Number Of Equity Instruments																																88.3704
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Conversion Price (in Dollars per share)																																$ 11.32
Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Cash Paid (in Dollars per share)				$ 0.0775	$ 0.0775	$ 0.0775	$ 0.075	$ 0.070	$ 0.065	$ 0.065	$ 0.065							$ 0.20
Debt Instrument, Face Amount (in Dollars)				$ 994,326,000			$ 1,010,754,000					$ 994,326,000																						$ 30,000,000
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate																	2.25%					3.00%			2.95%			2.60%	2.75%	3.00%

CapLease, Inc. 10-Q