Condition ratings
The outbuilding is NI because it was locked. What condition must you not assume for a shed the surveyor did not enter?
You must not assume any condition for a shed the surveyor did not enter. The outbuilding is NI because it was locked. NI means not inspected, not a pass. No condition was established for the interior, the roof from inside, or the frame. Rating 1 would mean no repair currently needed, but that rating was not given. Do not promote a locked shed to a pass, and do not invent a rating 3 either. The honest reading is that it was not inspected.
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?
Ratings describe what was inspected. Rating 2 would mean defects that need repair but are not serious or urgent, and rating 3 would mean serious or urgent repair, replacement or investigation. None of those words can be hung on a shed whose door stayed shut. NI is the rating that records the limit. It is not a quiet way of saying the shed is fine, and it is not a quiet way of saying it is failing. The lock is the reason. The condition is unknown.
Ask the seller to unlock the outbuilding for a further look if you need a condition at all, and do not tell a lender the shed was satisfactory. If the surveyor returns, the new note replaces NI only for what is then seen. Until then, leave the rating as not inspected. Do not add a lifespan the report never gave, and do not guess the roof, the floor or the frame.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Does NI here mean not inspected, rather than a pass?
- What condition of the locked shed did you refuse to assume?
- Was rating 1 withheld because the interior was not seen?
What are the typical next steps?
- Read NI as not inspected, not as a satisfactory shed.
- Do not assume a rating 1, 2 or 3 for a building that was locked.
- Ask for access if you need the outbuilding actually inspected.
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
If the outside looks tidy, can you treat the inside as rating 1?
No. Rating 1 means no repair is currently needed, and that judgement needs an inspection. The shed was locked, so the inside is NI. A tidy outside is not a pass for the space that was not entered. NI is not a pass.
Does NI mean the shed is serious and must be replaced?
No. Rating 3 would mean a serious or urgent repair, replacement or investigation, and that rating was not given. NI means not inspected. You must not assume either a failure or a clean bill. The lock left the condition unknown.