Online property management platforms are charging renters new fees or pushing them on to paid “memberships” to avoid processing costs associated with card payments after the ban on surcharges.

Tenants have been encouraged to challenge or bypass additional fees charged by so-called rent-tech platforms, including in Victoria, where fees on rent payments are banned.

At least 1.2m rent payments each month are made on the platforms in Australia, typically at the instruction of property managers and often with an extra transaction fee.