Number really discontented over worker's status as rent payer (8)
I believe the answer is:
tenantry
'status as rent payer' is the definition.
(status of being a tenant)
'number really discontented over worker's' is the wordplay.
'number' becomes 'ten' (ten is a kind of whole number).
'discontented' suggests removing the centre (the word\'s contents are removed).
'over' is an insertion indicator.
'worker' becomes 'ant' (worker is a type of ant).
'really' with its middle removed is 'ry'.
'ten'+'ry'='tenry'
'tenry' placed around 'ant' is 'TENANTRY'.
(Another definition for tenantry that I've seen is " residents".)