Butler County has an agreement with an online lodging service to ensure some hotel tax revenue is not lost.

County solicitor Mike English said at the commissioners meeting Wednesday that the online service Airbnb has voluntarily agreed to collect the 5 percent hotel tax from lodgers.

English said Airbnb receives no compensation for collecting the money, which would then be remitted to the county.

He explained using the online service for hotel tax collection helps ensure smaller rental businesses, which are harder to track, do not slip through the cracks.

English said it’s difficult to monitor every place offering lodging.

“It changes constantly,” he said.

English said in an interview the county would lose money trying to identify and collect the hotel tax from proprietors who may not even be aware of the tax.

He doesn’t expect a windfall, though.

“I don’t expect it to be earth-shattering,” English said.

However, English said more people would likely use the online service in the future.

He said the company was persuaded to collect the tax at no cost to the county.

English said if there are any problems with the arrangement, the county can sever the pact with a 30-day notice.

The county commissioners are set to officially approve the agreement on Wednesday.