If it cannot be moved
A staircase in the north-east is a serious fault in the tradition’s reading — the heaviest structural element in the lightest corner. It rarely moves, so the remedies are to keep the under-stair space open and unused, avoid a toilet or store there, and keep the corner clean and well lit.
What the North-East governs
The north-east — Ishanya — is the most protected corner in the whole mandala. It carries water and belongs to Shiva, and every school agrees on the same instruction: keep it light, clean, open and low. Almost every serious Vastu fault is some version of loading this corner.
Where the Staircase belongs
A staircase is mass and movement together, which is why the tradition treats it like structure rather than circulation. It belongs in the heavy half, turns clockwise, and never sits over the centre of the plan.