Start, as criminals may, to put up with rent skirts (3-4)
I believe the answer is:
hot-wire
'start' is the definition.
(I know that hot-wire is a more specific form of start)
'to put up with rent skirts' is the wordplay.
'put up' says the letters should be written in reverse.
'with' becomes 'w' (abbreviation).
'rent' becomes 'hire' (rent can mean to hire something out).
'skirts' is an insertion indicator (skirt can mean to go around).
'to' reversed gives 'ot'.
'ot'+'w'='otw'
'otw' placed inside 'hire' is 'HOT-WIRE'.
'as criminals may' is the link.
I am not very happy about this link. Some or all of it may belong to another bit of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Another definition for hot-wire that I've seen is " Make unorthodox start".)