The Auckland Council has announced it will investigate the cases brought to light by Newshub about substandard rentals, during a series looking into illegal garage rentals provided by property manager Debbie Iskandar.
The council has now confirmed that other garage rentals on properties managed by Ms Iskandar are also "illegal conversions".
A tenant has shared what it's really like raising a family in a garage, and paying more than $400 a week in rent for it.
Newshub was invited inside one of the illegal garage conversions Ms Iskandar is renting out.
In the tenancy agreement, it was described as a self-contained two-bedroom home with its own kitchen.
But it's not, and there's no toilet either. The woman and her two small children use the bathroom in the main house.
She says she's tried getting on a Housing New Zealand waiting list.
"I went and saw a lady, and she said, 'On paper, you have a house'. I said, 'No, I don't, I have a sleepout'.
"She said, 'I can put in application but you are looking at three years to wait' and I don't have three years to stay here."
It costs her $420 a week, which she says isn't right.
"My daughter needs nappies and formula and I can't provide it. And as a mother you feel quite useless for not being able to provide for your children."
There's no kitchen - meals are cooked either in a microwave, or in a steam cooker.
They've all been sick through winter and the tenant worries about her baby and her young son's safety.
She has no control over who lives or visits the main house and she alleges one of the tenants hit her son.
"There has been quite a lot of gang members, quite a lot of activity," the tenant says.
"Every second morning we were waking up to cops being here, looking for other tenants.
"At the time I thought I was doing the right thing coming here," she says.
"It is hard because you feel stuck - I feel stuck because it's like I can't get out of here."
Newshub.
