Finding a place to live is one of the biggest difficulties foreign residents of Japan face, and one of the main reasons is that landlords are reluctant to accept them as tenants.

Now, an association of 918 real estate agents nationwide has stepped in to help.

The Japan Property Management Association on Thursday released a guide book for association members, landlords and local government offices that contains detailed steps on how to deal with foreign customers, the differences in leasing agreements in Japan and abroad and where to turn when typical problems arise.

"Most landlords only have a vague idea about renting out their property to foreigners and they are made anxious because of (negative) rumors and media reports," said association member Hiroshi Ishiko.

"We thought such anxieties could be eliminated if the concerns of landlords and agents handling properties for rent were properly addressed."

The guide includes a real estate glossary in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean and contains a typical application form and a written contract in Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Portuguese.

Justice Ministry data show that the number of foreign residents in Japan hit a record 1.85 million people at the end of 2002, up 44.5 percent from a decade ago.

But 70.7 percent of 273 landlords who responded to a nationwide survey conducted by the association in January 2003 said they had never leased their property to a foreigner, and almost 50 percent were not considering leasing to a foreigner in the future.

Landlords and housing agents often cite such concerns as the difficulty of finding a reliable Japanese guarantor, uncertainties regarding responsibility in case problems crop up and difficulties arising from cultural differences.

Nearly 70 percent of the respondents said they would accept foreign tenants if there were a more supportive environment and real estate agents were prepared to handle any trouble.