usc 12 § 5499
Open data publication (BANKS AND BANKING (12 U.S.C.))
Operative Text
All public data assets published by the Bureau shall be— made available as an open Government data asset (as defined in ); freely available for download; rendered in a human-readable format; and accessible via application programming interface where appropriate.
Under 12 U.S.C. § 5499, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is required to publish its public data assets in open, standardized formats that meet specific accessibility criteria. This means the data must be freely downloadable, presented in a way that humans can read directly, and — where appropriate — accessible through application programming interfaces (APIs) that allow software to retrieve it automatically. The rule establishes a baseline of openness and interoperability for any data the Bureau makes public.
Plain English — not legal advice.
While 12 U.S.C. § 5499 is primarily directed at the Bureau rather than property owners, landlords and property managers who work with CFPB-published data — such as mortgage or consumer finance datasets — can generally expect that data to be available in open, machine-readable formats at no cost. Compliant operators who build reporting or compliance workflows around Bureau data typically account for the possibility that data formats and API structures may evolve as the Bureau updates its open-data practices. Staying current with the Bureau's data portal and published technical documentation is a common practice among those who rely on this data operationally.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under 12 U.S.C. § 5499, tenants and consumers have a right to access any public data assets the CFPB publishes — freely and without charge — in formats designed to be human-readable. This can be relevant when researching lender behavior, mortgage trends, or consumer complaint data that the Bureau makes available. Tenant-rights organizations and housing counselors often use this publicly available Bureau data as a resource, and individuals can access it directly through the CFPB's official data portal.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.