Airbnb's transformation into a legitimate lodging business continues.

Airbnb will begin collecting "certain taxes that apply to lodging" starting Oct. 15 on behalf of its hosts in Washington state. Tax rates for hotels and motels in the state vary depending on location.

See also: Airbnb presents trip planning as entertainment with Apple TV app

Automating lodging tax is one way that Airbnb can comply with local governments without putting an extra burden on hosts.

"You shouldn’t need to hire a lawyer and an accountant just to share your extra bedroom, but many hotel and tourist tax rules were designed for big corporations with teams of lawyers and accountants," Airbnb's Cyn Wang wrote on the company's blog.

Airbnb has started collecting taxes in a number of cities, including San Francisco, Portland, Amsterdam, Chicago, Malibu, North Carolina, Oakland, Oregon, Palo Alto, Paris, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Rhode Island, San Diego, San Jose, and Washington D.C.

Complying with hotel tax laws is a step toward making nice with local governments, which — Airbnb likely hopes — will lead to legalization. In many areas, renting a residential unit — particularly for a period of less than 30 days — is against local laws.

In Washington, it's clear that the step to collect taxes is helping the company move ahead on the regulatory front.

“As Airbnb’s presence grows in our city, I appreciate their willingness to step forward voluntarily to ensure that the appropriate taxes are being collected on short-term rentals in Seattle and across the state," Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said in a statement. "We have already begun conversations with Airbnb to build on this agreement by establishing a clear and fair regulatory framework that will enable people to continue sharing their homes.”