ChatGPT is a general-purpose AI chatbot trained on internet text. IgeraFincas is purpose-built for block management — it reads your actual lease, service charge schedules, and building rules, then cites the exact clause when answering leaseholder queries.
Managing agents across England and Wales are increasingly asked the same question: "Can we just use ChatGPT for leaseholder queries?" It is a fair question — ChatGPT is fast, free, and remarkably fluent. But block management is not general conversation.
It is a highly regulated discipline governed by the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022, the Building Safety Act 2022, and thousands of individual leases containing unique bespoke provisions. The answer that applies to Flat 3 in Cheltenham may be wholly wrong for Flat 3 in Manchester — even in the same block.
Where ChatGPT Falls Short for Block Management
ChatGPT has never read your lease. When a leaseholder asks "Can I install a heat pump on my balcony?", ChatGPT produces a confident, plausible answer — but that answer is not grounded in your actual demise, landlord consent provisions, or any planning constraints specific to the building.
- Hallucination — It cites fictional case law or invents lease clauses that do not exist in your documents.
- Generic advice — Answers are based on "typical" leases, not your specific lease agreement.
- No audit trail — There is no record of what was said, making compliance and dispute resolution impossible.
How IgeraFincas Works Differently
IgeraFincas uses Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). Before generating any response, it searches your uploaded documents — the lease, service charge schedule, house rules — retrieves the most relevant passages, and cites the exact clause in its answer.
ChatGPT: "Most leases allow subletting with landlord consent. You should check your lease and notify your managing agent."
IgeraFincas: "Under Clause 4.7 of your lease dated 14 March 2004, subletting requires prior written consent from the freeholder (not unreasonably withheld) and registration with the managing agent within 14 days. An administration fee of £150+VAT applies per the current service charge schedule."