NeighborBase

For Board Members

Documents & AI Assistant

Upload your HOA's governing documents — bylaws, CC&Rs, rules, meeting minutes — and let the AI assistant answer plain-language questions with citations to the exact page.

The Document Library

Click Documents in the sidebar to open the document library. Board members upload and manage documents. Property managers can read every document — including internal ones — and use the AI assistant, but don't upload. Residents can view public documents and use the AI assistant to ask questions.

Documents are organized by category — Bylaws, CC&Rs, Rules & Regulations, Meeting Minutes, Financial, and Other. Each document shows its ingestion status, upload date, and uploader.

Uploading Documents

Click Upload Document in the top-right corner of the Documents page. Fill in the document details:

  • Name — a clear display name (e.g. "2024 Bylaws")
  • Category — choose the type that best fits the document
  • Visibility — Public (visible to all members) or Internal (board and property managers only)
  • File — PDF format only

After uploading, the document status will show Pending while it's queued for processing.

Document Versions

When you upload a new version of an existing document, choose the original document from the version dropdown in the upload form. The new file becomes the active version, and the previous version is preserved in the version history — nothing is deleted.

Tip: Use versioning when your HOA updates its bylaws or rules. Members querying the AI assistant will always get answers from the latest version.

Ingestion & Status Badges

After a document is uploaded, it goes through an automatic processing step before it can be searched by the AI. The status badge shows where it is in that process:

Pending

Uploaded and queued — processing will start shortly.

Processing

Being read and indexed — this usually takes under a minute for most PDFs.

Active

Fully indexed and ready — the AI assistant can search this document.

Failed

Processing failed — this can happen with scanned or image-only PDFs. Try re-uploading a text-based PDF.

The document list refreshes automatically while any document is pending or processing. The Ask AI button only appears once at least one document has reached Active status.

Asking the AI Assistant

Click Ask AI in the Documents header to open the AI chat. Type any plain-language question about your HOA's rules and governing documents:

  • "Can residents have chickens?"
  • "What is the fine for parking violations?"
  • "How much notice is required before a board meeting?"
  • "What are the rules for fence height?"

You can also filter the search to a specific document category using the filter chips at the top of the chat — for example, search only in Bylaws or Rules & Regulations.

Important: AI responses may be incorrect — always verify important answers directly in your HOA documents or by consulting your board.

Understanding Citations

Every AI response includes a collapsible Sources section below the answer. Each citation shows the document name and the page number where the relevant text was found. Hover over a citation to see a preview, or click the document name to open the full PDF.

If the AI can't find a relevant answer in your documents, it will say so rather than guessing.

Internal Documents

Documents marked Internal during upload are only visible to board members and property managers — residents cannot see them in the library or get answers from them when using the AI assistant.

Use the Internal flag for sensitive documents like financial records, board meeting notes, or draft policies that aren't yet ready to share with residents.

Instant Answers on Requests

Your governing documents do more than power the Ask AI chat — they also help residents right when they're filing a request. As a resident types the title and description of a new request, NeighborBase quietly checks your public documents. If there's a clear answer, a card appears with a plain-language response and a citation to the exact document and page.

The resident can tap This answered my question and skip filing altogether, or Still submit a request to send it to the board anyway. Many routine questions get answered instantly — which means less repetitive work for your board.

Note: This works only with public documents, so residents never see anything from internal board documents. It's available on paid plans that include the AI assistant.

Draft Replies with AI

When you're replying to a resident's request, click Draft with AI in the reply box. NeighborBase reads the request and the conversation so far, checks your documents, and writes a suggested reply into the box for you.

It's a starting point, not a send button — review and edit the draft, then send it like any other reply. The button is hidden when you're writing an internal note, and it's available to board members and property managers on paid plans that include the AI assistant.

Important: Always read AI drafts before sending. They can be wrong — you're responsible for what goes to residents.