Who fixes the window?
A leaseholder emails: their window frame is rotting, and they want to know if the block will pay. The property manager thinks windows are the leaseholder's responsibility at that block, but is not certain, and the block has two lease types because the top floor was added later. Finding the answer means opening a scanned PDF of forty pages and searching for the repairing covenants and the definition of the demise.
That happens several times a day, for windows, balconies, pipes, pets, flooring, subletting and service charge items.
Why lease questions take so long
Leases are long, old, often scanned rather than searchable, and structured in ways that spread the answer across definitions, schedules and covenants. Blocks can have several lease variants, plus deeds of variation that change the original.
So property managers rely on memory and summaries written years ago. Those are usually right, which is why the occasional wrong answer is such a surprise.
The cost of guessing
A wrong answer about repairing responsibility can mean the block paying for something it should not, or a leaseholder being refused something they are entitled to. Either leads to disputes and complaints. Even when the answer is right, the time spent finding it adds up across a team.
It also makes onboarding slow. A new property manager has no memory of the leases, so every question goes to a senior colleague.
The lease search tool we build
We build a search tool over your lease library. It finds and quotes wording. It does not give legal advice or interpret the lease on your behalf, and anything contentious still goes to your advisers.
- Lease library: leases, deeds of variation and estate regulations for each block are collected, scanned documents are converted to searchable text, and each document is linked to the flats it applies to.
- Structure: the text is split into clauses and schedules, keeping numbering and page references so every quote can be checked against the original.
- Question search: a property manager types a question in plain English, such as 'who repairs window frames at this block'. A language model finds the relevant definitions and clauses and shows them together.
- Quoted answers: results always show the exact wording with page and clause references and a link to the page. Any summary is labelled as a summary, and the quoted text comes first.
- Variant awareness: if flats in the block have different leases, the tool shows which lease applies to which flat and highlights differences.
- Library gaps: flats with no lease on file or unreadable scans are listed so your team can obtain copies.
| Common question | What the tool shows |
|---|---|
| Who repairs windows? | Demise definition and repairing covenants, quoted |
| Are pets allowed? | Relevant regulations or covenants, quoted |
| Can the flat be sublet? | Alienation clauses, quoted |
| Can this cost go through the service charge? | Service charge schedule wording, quoted |
How property managers use it
The property manager asks the question, reads the clauses on screen and answers the leaseholder with the wording in front of them, quoting it where useful. New staff can find answers without interrupting senior colleagues. Genuinely contentious questions still go to advisers, but with the relevant clauses already gathered.
Signs you need this
- Leases are scanned PDFs that cannot be searched.
- Answers to lease questions depend on senior staff's memory.
- Blocks have several lease variants or deeds of variation.
- Repairing responsibility disputes come up regularly.
- Some flats have no lease on file at all.