An Auckland couple living in a studio apartment with no kitchen say they are paying $285 a week after their landlord raised the rent by $10.
"I think it's ridiculously expensive for what it is," the woman said.
The Sandringham building's rooms were run down, with leaking taps, mouldy shower steps, squeaky floorboards, rotting bathroom cabinets and a continuously dripping shower unit "falling off the wall".
"Also, there are six ovens in the shared kitchen and only half of them work."
She said the building manager and owner had known about the problems for six months but done nothing to fix them. "I would love to move out of Auckland, but my husband and I are stuck here because of our jobs.
"We are in our early 40s and don't think we will ever be able to move out of this place, which means we will never be able to have children ... [and] definitely never own a house."
Meanwhile, Otahuhu woman Rachel, 54, has lived in her one-bedroom flat for 25 years. She pays $215 a week. "That's really cheap."
After paying for bills and food she has little left over in terms of disposable income. "I just make do ... tightening the belt. It gets to the stage where you just can't tighten it any more."