Health officials warned the government not to strip emergency housing users of protection under the Residential Tenancies Act saying removing such rights couldn't be justified.
The government went ahead anyway in 2020 and documents released under the Official Information Act show housing officials did not want people finding out what they were entitled to until after the law was changed.
The Human Rights Commission is worried vulnerable people are being exploited and has been talking to dozens of them about their experiences.
Sam Olley reports.
In a statement the Acting Housing Minister Peeni Henare says the law change was a common sense move because things like notice periods for tenants don't align well with temporary accommodation.
He says the new code has taken years to produce because of "the ongoing impact of Covid-19".
The Ministry of Social Development says if someone in emergency housing is worried about their safety they should get in contact.
