The Landings complex in Parnell, where an apartment owner was found dead on Wednesday.

An elderly, partially blind woman was found dead in her Auckland apartment after allegedly barricading herself in the bedroom in fear of eviction.

The sudden death of Ann Martin comes as residents battle with The Landings body corporate over rising repair costs and building delays.

"I'm still in siege mode here," Martin wrote in an email to a home owners association on January 15.

"Still no word from anyone as to what's going on. But I guess something's going to happen, just when and how I don't know."

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The Landings body corporate gained a legal order to seize Martin's apartment in Parnell this week, but found her dead inside.

Police confirmed a woman's body was found on Wednesday.

The cause of death was not yet known and the case has been referred to the coroner.

It is the same apartment block where an owner was recently denied access to her own home during building work.

Residents have been rocked by Martin's death and say she was under immense stress as the building underwent major weathertightness and other repairs.

Apartment owner Roberta Budvietas​ met Martin a decade ago when she moved into The Landings.

"This was her home where she thought she would live the rest of her days out. She put all her savings into it."

Budvietas said her friend had become increasingly isolated and her health worsened as the building works dragged on.

"Nobody deserves to die like that."

Martin, who was partially blind, approached Home Owners and Buyers Association for advice over the past few months.

HOBANZ president John Gray said she had no family, nowhere else to live and feared mounting building repair costs would lead to bankruptcy.

Martin barricaded herself into the apartment for weeks out of fear her access card had been cancelled and she wouldn't be able to return home, he said.

"She was in a very distressed state. Ann's whole world was crumbling."

In a January email to Gray, she wrote of her despair: "I've been sick, very sick and couldn't link two words or thoughts together.

"The way I endure the horrendous nerve-shattering decibels of all the tooling going on at my unit and around it, is to sleep through all of it with ears plugged and bound."

The Tenancy Tribunal refused a request from the body corporate to take the apartment for an unlimited amount of time and instead granted 35 days of possession, starting Friday.

Body corporate ABC director Sharron​ O'Sullivan declined to comment and referred questions to the owner's committee.

Chairwoman of the owner's committee Colleen Oldham said residents had to move out temporarily during building work for health and safety reasons.

"It's horrible and we're absolutely saddened by [the death], but we've got to work for 210 owners to get our building fixed. We have to do the best we can by every owner."

The group found a temporary apartment at reduced rent within the building for Martin and offered her support.

"There's nothing more we could have done, or should have done, that we didn't do."

However, Gray said Martin didn't feel well enough to move out and would struggle to pay even minimal rent.

Owners of apartments in the block have already complained of dysfunctional administration and stress of the repairs.

In February, resident Christine Rogerson found a new wall and door blocking her apartment entrance and was told she could only have supervised access.

Apartment owners were originally told the work would take a month, but that stretched to three months with no end in sight, Rogerson said.

Owners of the 220 apartments paid an original repair levy of $8 million, then a second of $4m, with more bills to come, she said.