Shane Lavagna-Slater — RentPay: flexibility and rewards for renters
RentPay — helping renters get more from their rent while simplifying trust reconciliation for agents.
I chat with Shane Lavagna-Slater, General Manager of RentPay, a platform designed to make rent collection easier by giving renters flexible payment options, cashback rewards, and financial management tools while simplifying trust reconciliation for property managers. With RentPay currently processing just over $4 million in rent each week and having crossed the $250 million total mark, Shane explains how treating rent like a modern payment benefits both sides of the rental market.
From building a rent buffer against shift work uncertainty to earning rewards on everyday spending, we unpack how rental payments are evolving. We also dive into agency subsidisation models, Perth's tech ecosystem, and what the upcoming rollout of PayTo means for the future of direct debits.
What’s in this episode
(02:42): Shane gives us the RentPay elevator pitch — a dual-sided app serving renters with flexibility and rewards, and agents with trust accounting certainty.
(03:30): Around 32% to 33% of Australians rent, facing huge pressures from rental increases and cost of living.
(04:37): RentPay charges a flat $2 per month subscription fee and does not make money on moving money; direct debit and PayID are unlimited, while credit cards and BPAY pass on bank surcharges.
(05:43): RentPay offers eight ways to pay, plus extra features like a rent buffer and a credit score builder to help renters build financial security.
(07:18): Shane shares how a hospitality worker uses the buffer feature to put away $20 extra a week against shift uncertainty.
(08:04): Owned by listed portal rent.com.au, RentPay has been running for around three years and is currently processing just over $4 million in rent each week, having crossed $250 million total.
(09:18): For property managers, RentPay consolidates rent, water and bond collections into a single daily batch payment with an ABA pay file compatible with systems like PropertyTree.
(09:58): Hint: automated ABA files aim to slash daily trust reconciliation admin from about two hours down to about 15 minutes.
(11:19): Clearing times vary by payment choice, from instant card payments and PayID to two days for direct debit, ensuring funds transferred to agencies are fully cleared with no clawbacks.
(13:22): Some large agencies with 3,000 to 4,000 properties migrate their entire rent roll and subsidise the $2 subscription fee, making the app free for renters while saving on transaction costs.
(14:10): The rewards program taps into 140 retailers like Coles, Woolworths, Myer and JB Hi-Fi, offering 3% to 15% cash discounts that go straight towards the next rent bill.
(19:37): Shane shares his transition from financial services, banking and teaching finance on MBA programs at UWA and ECU to leading RentPay as GM.
(21:12): Operating out of Perth with a lean team of about 25 staff, RentPay shares infrastructure and development resources with its parent company rent.com.au.
(22:22): RentPay is keeping pace with the payments arms race, integrating international wallets like Alipay, WeChat Pay, and UnionPay, with PayTo and PayPal on the roadmap.
(27:01): Facing competitors like Deft by Macquarie and Simple Rent, RentPay positions itself as a dynamic, fast-moving challenger in the PropTech space.
(30:11): Looking ahead, RentPay is exploring share house features and a mortgage builder product to help renters transition from renting to home ownership.
(32:32): Shane explains how PayTo will give consumers instant payments and direct control over debit authorities straight from their banking apps by Christmas.
In their words
“RentPay is a dual-sided market app that we provide renters with flexibility on how they pay their rent, as well as cashbacks and rewards for paying their rent and staying on top of their rent. And for agents, we provide accuracy, certainty, and simplicity in reconciling and receipting those rents that are collected.” — Shane Lavagna-Slater
“We aim to cut down the admin time from about two hours a day to about 15 minutes a day.” — Shane Lavagna-Slater
“Why not make your rent money work for you?” — Shane Lavagna-Slater
About the guest
Shane Lavagna-Slater is the General Manager of RentPay, a rental payments app wholly owned by listed portal rent.com.au and based in Perth. Prior to joining the PropTech sector, he worked in financial services, credit, insurance, and banking, and taught finance on MBA programs at UWA and ECU. He brings deep financial expertise to modern rental payments and trust accounting automation.
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