A woman found dead in her Feilding flat kept to herself and had been gravely ill prior to her death, according to those who knew her.
Feilding chief fire officer said emergency services were called to the Grey St address just after 2pm on Tuesday, due to a request to gain entry to the property.
He said it looked as though the body had been there for "at least a couple of days".
A police spokesman said the death appeared to be the result of a medical event and it had been referred to the coroner.
A man at the property this morning, who is responsible for the flats and their clean-up, said he was frustrated with suggestions the woman had been dead for some time. before being found.
"She kept to herself, I've been in touch with her employer...she was a very ill lady, we did the best we could."
A ute and trailer was in front of the unit, which sits in a block of seven flats.
The woman, thought to be transgender, had lived there for more than 10 years.
She had few visitors and it was understood she had no family in the area.