Cleaves linear and branched multiubiquitin polymers with a marked preference for branched polymers. Involved in unanchored ‘Lys-48’-linked polyubiquitin disassembly. Binds linear and ‘Lys-63’-linked polyubiquitin with a lower affinity. Knock-down of USP5 causes the accumulation of p53/TP53 and an increase in p53/TP53 transcriptional activity because the unanchored polyubiquitin that accumulates is able to compete with ubiquitinated p53/TP53 but not with MDM2 for proteasomal recognition.