usc 12 § 5534
Response to consumer complaints and inquiries (BANKS AND BANKING (12 U.S.C.))
Operative Text
The Bureau shall establish, in consultation with the appropriate Federal regulatory agencies, reasonable procedures to provide a timely response to consumers, in writing where appropriate, to complaints against, or inquiries concerning, a covered person, including— steps that have been taken by the regulator in response to the complaint or inquiry of the consumer; any responses received by the regulator from the covered person; and any follow-up actions or planned follow-up actions by the regulator in response to the complaint or inquiry of the consumer. A covered person subject to supervision and primary enforcement by the Bureau pursuant to shall provide a timely response, in writing where appropriate, to the Bureau, the prudential regulators, and any other agency having jurisdiction over such covered person concerning a consumer complaint or inquiry, including— steps that have been taken by the covered person to respond to the complaint or inquiry of the consumer; responses received by the covered person from the consumer; and follow-up actions or planned follow-up actions by the covered person to respond to the complaint or inquiry of the consumer. A covered person subject to supervision and primary enforcement by the Bureau pursuant to shall, in a timely manner, comply with a consumer request for information in the control or possession of such covered person concerning the consumer financial product or service that the consumer obtained from such covered person, including supporting written documentation, concerning the account of the consumer. A covered person subject to supervision and primary enforcement by the Bureau pursuant to , a prudential regulator, and any other agency having jurisdiction over a covered person subject to supervision and primary enforcement by the Bureau pursuant to may not be required by this section to make available to the consumer— any confidential commercial information, including an algorithm used to derive credit scores or other risk scores or predictors; any information collected by the covered person for the purpose of preventing fraud or money laundering, or detecting or making any report regarding other unlawful or potentially unlawful conduct; any information required to be kept confidential by any other provision of law; or any nonpublic or confidential information, including confidential supervisory information. The Bureau shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with any affected Federal regulatory agency regarding procedures by which any covered person, and the prudential regulators, and any other agency having jurisdiction over a covered person, including the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Secretary of Education, shall comply with this section.
Under 12 U.S.C. § 5534, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is required to establish procedures for responding to consumers who file complaints or make inquiries about financial service providers. When a consumer submits a complaint, the CFPB must communicate back—in writing where appropriate—about what steps regulators have taken, what responses were received from the company, and what follow-up is planned. Financial companies under CFPB supervision must similarly respond to regulators and, upon request, provide consumers with records about their own accounts, though certain categories of sensitive information—such as fraud-prevention data, confidential supervisory materials, and proprietary algorithms—are shielded from mandatory disclosure.
Plain English — not legal advice.
While 12 U.S.C. § 5534 primarily governs consumer financial products and services rather than rental housing directly, property owners or managers who offer covered financial products—such as certain rent-to-own arrangements or affiliated lending services—may qualify as 'covered persons' under CFPB supervision. Compliant operators in that category generally maintain documented procedures for responding to consumer complaints and inquiries in a timely manner, keep records of all communications with consumers and regulators, and are prepared to supply account-related documentation to consumers upon request. Operators also typically identify which categories of information are protected from disclosure under § 5534 and apply those exemptions consistently.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
If you have submitted a complaint or inquiry about a financial product or service to the CFPB, 12 U.S.C. § 5534 establishes your right to receive a timely response describing what actions regulators have taken, what the company said, and what follow-up is planned. You also have the right to request records about your own account directly from a covered financial company subject to CFPB supervision, though certain types of information—like fraud-detection data or confidential supervisory materials—may be withheld. Consumers who feel their complaint has not been addressed can follow up through the CFPB's complaint portal or consult a nonprofit tenant-rights or consumer-rights organization for guidance on available options.
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.
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