Trump Administration Ends Lease for Consumer Protection Bureau's DC Headquarters

Records show the OCC terminated the CFPB's lease and transferred the property to the GSA.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 12:00am

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A photorealistic painting of a solitary government office building in downtown Washington, D.C. with large windows and a minimalist facade, bathed in warm, directional sunlight that casts deep shadows, conceptually representing the quiet, uncertain future of the CFPB.The termination of the CFPB's lease and transfer of its headquarters signals the Trump administration's continued efforts to undermine the consumer protection agency.Washington Today

The U.S. Treasury's Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has terminated the 14-year lease for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) Washington, D.C. headquarters and agreed to transfer the property to the federal government's General Services Administration (GSA) at no cost. The move comes as the Trump administration seeks to significantly downsize the CFPB, an agency created after the 2008 financial crisis to police consumer financial products.

Why it matters

The termination of the CFPB's lease and transfer of its headquarters raises further questions about the Trump administration's plans for the consumer protection agency, which the president has called to be abolished. The CFPB has faced steady staffing cuts over the past year as the administration aims to reduce its workforce to about a third of its previous size.

The details

According to records obtained by Reuters, the OCC terminated the CFPB's 20-year lease in February and agreed to transfer the property to the GSA, which manages government real estate. The original lease required the CFPB to pay about $11.4 million in rent to the OCC for 2012, with the amount increasing annually by 2%. It's unclear if the CFPB will pay rent to the GSA going forward. The OCC cited 'costs and risks' associated with managing the property as the reason for the termination.

  • The CFPB first notified the OCC that it wanted to end the lease shortly after Trump took office in 2017.
  • The CFPB notified the OCC again in December 2025 of its intent to terminate the lease.
  • The OCC terminated the CFPB's lease in February 2026 and agreed to transfer the property to the GSA.

The players

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)

The U.S. Treasury's bank regulation agency that inherited the CFPB's headquarters building in 2010 following a post-financial-crisis overhaul of the U.S. regulatory framework.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

An agency created by Congress after the 2008 financial crisis to police consumer financial products, which the Trump administration has sought to abolish.

General Services Administration (GSA)

The federal government's real estate management agency that will now take over the CFPB's former headquarters building.

Donald Trump

The former U.S. president who has called for the CFPB to be abolished.

Russell Vought

The CFPB's acting director, who is also the director of the Office of Management and Budget.

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What they’re saying

“There were 'costs and risks' associated with managing the property, and that being the CFPB's landlord 'does not advance the OCC's mission.'”

— Jonathan Gould, Comptroller of the Currency

What’s next

The GSA's Public Buildings Service will now take over management of the former CFPB headquarters, which occupies a desirable downtown location in Washington, D.C. opposite the White House complex.

The takeaway

The termination of the CFPB's lease and transfer of its headquarters to the GSA is the latest move by the Trump administration to downsize and undermine the consumer protection agency, which was created to safeguard Americans from predatory financial practices in the wake of the 2008 crisis.