Property Inspections

Each year the Association staff conducts a community-wide inspection of homes in Newington Forest. The Covenants Inspector uses a list, similar to the one below, to conduct a house-to-house, street-by-street inspection of the community. Inspections begin in the spring and continue through the fall. Property owners who receive an inspection notice are encouraged to email [email protected] with a plan of action or notice the maintenance cited is resolved. Doing this will help to avoid further action by the Association, which may include additional notices and loss of community privileges.

Improper use of the common area	Noted when there are miscellaneous items placed on the common ground. As you should be aware, Owners shall not extend their yards into the wooded common areas of the Association, store items on the common areas, or place structures on the common areas.
The concrete stoop	Noted when there are signs of erosion, its excessively dirty, or cracked. Please back-fill underneath the front entry stoop to control erosion, support the structure, and deter wildlife from making a nest in the area, keep the stoop clean, and in good repair.
The deck	Noted when a deck is in need of maintenance, excessively dirty, or excessively faded stain. Please repair or replace any rotten, broken, or missing boards, clean, or restain to preserve deck material.
The doors (including storm doors and garage doors)	Noted when paint on the door, door trim, or kick plate is in need of maintenance. Please repair, repaint, or replace to properly maintain the structures. Removal of storm door includes removing all hardware.
The driveway	Noted when a driveway is in need of maintenance. Please fill cracks larger than ½ inch and remove vegetation, clean, patch, resurface, or replace the driveway to maintain the structure properly.
The fence	Noted when a fence or gate has broken/missing/excessively deteriorated boards (including the top boards and posts), is leaning, or is excessively dirty. Please repair or replace broken slat(s) or posts on the fence. If your fence adjoins a neighboring property fence, please work with your neighbor to properly maintain this section of fence.
Gutters, roof, and soffit (the over hang of the home)	Noted when gutters have excessive debris, the roof has missing shingles (including decorative roofs such as bay windows), or the soffit material is damaged. Please clean out debris as necessary, secure or replace shingles, and repair or replaces soffit material to avoid water damage to the home.
The Shed	Noted when a shed is in need of maintenance or excessively dirty. Please repair or replace deteriorated material to properly maintain the structure (or remove the shed) and clean.
Siding and Shutters	Noted when siding or shutters are excessively dirty or damaged. Please clean all siding and shutters that have algae growth, excessive dirt, or mold to properly maintain the home and present a uniform appearance.
Landscape yard maintenance and trash containers	Noted when grass is taller than 6 inches, there are bare spots (no ground cover), defined landscape beds are not maintained, dead plants or trees, or if trash containers are stored in public view. Please mow the grass to maintain a healthy landscape and avoid attracting unwanted wildlife habitation. Grass found to be over 12 inches tall will be reported to Fairfax County Department of Code Compliance for enforcement. As stated in the NFCA Declaration of Covenants, Covenant Conditions and Restrictions and Reservation of Easements; Section 6.11: Land not occupied by structures should be kept planted with grass, trees or shrubs, or other landscape ground cover such as mulch or landscaping rocks. Please cover areas of bare dirt to prevent erosion. Please store trash, recycle, and yard waste containers out of public view and on your own property (not on the common areas).
Windows	Noted when windows, screen, windows trim, or the decorative grids need maintenance. Windows on a particular side of the home must all match in decorative grid style (with the exception of bay windows), screens, and trim. Please replace missing screens or remove all screens to present a uniform appearance for windows on the home. Please repair or replace the trim to maintain the structure, avoid possible water damage inside your home, and present a uniform appearance. Please repair or replace decorative grids for a consistent style on all windows on a particular side of the home.
Foundation	Noted when the foundation paint is peeling, excessively dirty, or cracked. Please clean, repaint, and/or repair the foundation to present a uniform appearance.