Electrics and gas
What can a surveyor say about a consumer unit under the stairs if the cover stayed on?
They can say they saw the cupboard and that the cover was not removed. A home survey does not test the circuits, and a secured cover is not taken off as part of a standard look. That sentence is not an Electrical Installation Condition Report, and it is not a RICS rating written in electrician’s codes.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
The board may sit in the under-stairs cupboard behind coats, a meter, or a shelf. If the cover was screwed or clipped on, the surveyor records the enclosure they could see: plastic or metal, scorch marks, a crowded lid, old rewireable fuses, or a blank they could not read. They do not pull fuses, and they do not measure insulation resistance. GOV.UK’s electrical safety guidance is aimed at landlords in the private and social rented sectors, who must have the installation inspected and tested at least every five years. An owner-occupier who is selling is not that landlord.
If you want codes, you commission an EICR from a qualified person. C1 means danger present, C2 potentially dangerous, C3 improvement recommended, and FI further investigation without delay. Those letters are not condition ratings 1, 2 or 3. Do not open the cover yourself on a viewing to “help” the next person. A tidy cupboard is not a pass, and a dusty one is not a fail. The report should keep the limit in the sentence: seen, cover on, not tested.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Did you see the consumer unit, or only the cupboard door?
- Was the cover secured, and did you leave it on?
- Are you recommending an EICR, rather than awarding electrical codes yourself?
What are the typical next steps?
- Do not remove the cover during a viewing.
- If you need codes before exchange, instruct an EICR and give the electrician the survey sentence.
- Do not treat a landlord-style five-year rule as a duty on an owner-occupier seller.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Does a label on the lid mean the circuits were tested that day?
No. A label can be old, wrong, or only a circuit list. The survey did not test.
Is a plastic lid under the stairs automatically unsafe?
No. The survey has not classified it. An electrician may comment when they inspect. The surveyor’s note is visual.