Back rents, maybe (5)
I believe the answer is:
stern
'back' is the definition.
(stern is a kind of back)
'rents maybe' is the wordplay.
'maybe' indicates anagramming the letters.
'rents' is an anagram of 'STERN'.
(Other definitions for stern that I've seen before include "Authoritarian, back" , "Old star" , "Rents out at rear of boat" , "Forbidding in aspect" , "Looking severe" .)