Midtown Apartment Tenants Still Lack Sufficient Heat, Hot Water a Year Later

Residents paying $1,000 monthly rent forced to use multiple blankets and heating pads to stay warm as property owner fails to fix malfunctioning boiler system.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 7:15pm

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Tenants at Midtown apartments in Omaha, Nebraska are still dealing with inadequate heating and hot water issues a year after the problems were first reported. Residents Ty Hart and Lailah Milligan say they have to sleep with multiple blankets and heating pads to stay warm, while also lacking hot water with temperatures measuring just 40-50 degrees. The property owner, Wise Owl Properties, had previously installed new furnaces in some units but left the rest of the building on a malfunctioning boiler system, offering only temporary fixes like space heaters.

Why it matters

The ongoing heating and hot water issues at the Midtown apartments highlight the challenges low-income tenants can face when landlords fail to properly maintain their properties. With rents in Omaha continuing to rise, this story sheds light on the lack of affordable and livable housing options for many residents.

The details

Ty Hart and Lailah Milligan, a couple who recently moved from Georgia, say they are forced to use multiple blankets, heating pads, and even their oven just to stay warm in their $1,000 per month apartment. The building's hot water system is also malfunctioning, with temperatures measured between 40-50 degrees. These issues were first reported a year ago, when the property owner, Wise Owl Properties, installed new furnaces in some units but left the rest of the building on a faulty boiler system. At the time, the company's solution was to provide space heaters to cold tenants. A year later, the property manager is still offering the same temporary fixes instead of properly addressing the underlying heating and hot water problems.

  • In January 2025, tenants in the building first reported heating and hot water issues.
  • In January 2026, the same problems persist a year later for new tenants Ty Hart and Lailah Milligan.

The players

Wise Owl Properties

The property management company that owns the Midtown apartments and has failed to properly address the ongoing heating and hot water issues.

Ty Hart and Lailah Milligan

Tenants at the Midtown apartments who are paying $1,000 per month in rent but are forced to use multiple blankets and heating pads to stay warm due to the lack of sufficient heating.

David

A previous tenant in the building who reported similar heating problems a year ago, prompting the property owner to install new furnaces in some units but not address the underlying boiler system issues.

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What they’re saying

“Once it's time to go to bed we literally sleep with two big covers, seven little tiny blankets, and a heating pad because that's as much warmth we can get,”

— Lailah Milligan, Tenant

“I have to boil water on the stove to wash the dishes,”

— Lailah Milligan, Tenant

“The most times when we need the heat is when we are sleeping and it should be comfortable to come home and get some rest, it's just been very hard and very uncomfortable,”

— Ty Hart, Tenant

What’s next

The property manager, Jon, declined to comment when contacted by the reporter. It remains unclear if Wise Owl Properties plans to take any action to permanently address the heating and hot water issues at the Midtown apartments.

The takeaway

This ongoing saga at the Midtown apartments underscores the need for stronger tenant protections and more accountability for landlords who fail to maintain livable conditions. With rents continuing to rise in Omaha, stories like this highlight the challenges many low-income residents face in finding affordable and habitable housing.