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Residents of the Wimbledon Square and Gardens, in Southeast Portland, said they’ve had to endure repeated, unannounced water shutoffs, unsafe walkways and rats.

Now the renters at the sprawling apartment complex have formed a tenants union and submitted a list of demands to the property’s out-of-state ownership group.

鈥淭his is our home, where we’re supposed to be safe,鈥� said Sam Bevington, co-chairwoman of the tenants group. 鈥淲e’ve reached out to them. 鈥� We’ve had doors (shut) in the face.鈥�

Linzy Querner, who has lived at Wimbledon Square since February, said she’s put up with repeated water disruptions and unsafe conditions.

鈥淭hey’ve never returned a single email of mine,鈥� she said. 鈥淎ll we’re asking for is accountability.鈥�

The complex is one of Portland’s largest, with approximately 600 units. The market-rate apartments attract students from nearby Reed College and others.

The property at 2837 S.E. Colt Drive is owned by Prime Group, a large multifamily owner with offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The company did not respond to requests for comment.

Tenants held a press conference Monday after, they said, attempts to push Prime Group to improve the property were ignored. The tenants have formed a group, Wimby Tenants Union, with the help of Portland Tenants United.

鈥淭he residents of Wimbledon Square have had to pay market-rate rents for substandard conditions for years,鈥� said Commissioner Chloe Eudaly, who has been a staunch advocate for tenants on the City Council.

Eudaly called Prime Group a 鈥渟lumlord鈥� and said the City Council and Oregon Legislature must do more to protect renters from landlords who don’t fulfill their obligations.

鈥淣o one should have to live under these circumstances,鈥� she said.

State Rep. Rob Nosse, D-Portland, also spoke in support of the tenants.

Wimbledon does not appear decrepit on its exterior. But residents said fresh paint and cosmetic fixes cover up issues such as dry rot and rodents. One tenant held up a sign saying, 鈥淔resh Paint, Dry Rats.鈥�

Workers were busily making repairs Monday.

Advertised rents at Wimbledon range from $865 for a studio to $1,543 for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment.

In May, a Multnomah County jury awarded a Wimbledon Square tenant, Robert Trebelhorn, $20 million in damages after he broke through a rotten walkway and suffered injuries.

鈥淲e’re not going to put up with this in our city,鈥� said Jason Kafoury, a Portland attorney who was part of a team representing Trebelhorn.

The Wimbledon Square activism comes as tenants have grown more politically prominent, placing their concerns on City Council and state legislative agendas. Tenants at another Southeast Portland housing complex, Holgate Manor, have been on a rent strike since August.

Tenants also scored a number of victories in the November election, elevating Jo Ann Hardesty to the City Council over Loretta Smith, who was backed by real estate interests; and defeating state Sen. Rod Monroe, D-Portland, a landlord who was viewed as an obstacle to tenant protections.

Housing advocates and their elected allies are expected to bring forward rent control and other tenant-friendly measures in the legislative session that begins in January.