I would like to replace the entire front end of my car (wheel bearings, half shafts, control arms, tie rods. i can do this with part i bought on line. Such a job is impossible without a lift-are there places where you can rent a bay and do such work?
If there isn’t, I would more bet that it has to do with insurance.
I would go to the car forum of your vehicle, and ask around. There may not be such a place in your area, but there may be individuals, whose garages would resemble a full up autoshop in your area, or a short commute therin.
As well, doing youtube searches , on pulling the cv’s might avail you of ideas, to not require a full lift.
Declan
This is how the Car Talk guys got started with their garage; it was a “do it yourself” garage where you could pay for access to a lift, tools, etc.
I would guess that there are very few, if any of these around anymore for, as Declan said, insurance/liability reasons.
A pair of very sturdy jack stands, with some safety options (keep jack in place under the lift point, put front wheels under the door sills, etc.) should be enough.
OTOH, I spent enough years crawling around under cars and working at toddler height to really, really, really appreciate my lifts, even for simple things like tire swaps. 
As Declan has said most cars can have all of that work done without a lift. Now a lift is very nice, but I really doubt if you NEED one to do this job.
IME, Renting a lift to do your job is expensive. Perhaps more expensive than having a good independent shop do the job.
All of the listed jobs can be done on jack stands.
Buy a couple of high quality jack stands. When you put the car on stands grab the fender push, pull, grab, yank do everything in you power to make it fall off the stands. If it doesn’t fall you know it is safe to work under.
There are a number of rent-by-the-hour DIY garages with lifts out here. Just Google it.
Yeah, finding a DIY garage that lets you rent lifts would be ideal, but there is no reason you can’t do this at home with jackstands. My Porsche Boxster is on jackstands in my garage right now with that exact job about 50% done. I’ve almost finished the rear, and still have the front end to tackle.
Yes, it would surely be easier on a lift, but it’s doable on stands.
Be wary, many have a dubious reputation from men clocking in with other men’s autos, borrowed unknown, as ‘Mr. & Mrs. Car’.
Are there? I’ve never seen one.
The major reason why Click and Clack switched back to a normal garage model is that they wound up doing an inordinate amount of work for their “DIY” customers. Partly just because they were nice helpful guys, but also because if you’re, say, replacing an entire front end you’re pretty much stuck on the rack if you screw something up.
For example.
I don’t doubt they exist, but I doubt they’re at all common. I suspect that they’re one of those ideas that occurs to people all the time, but tend to be short lived once they actually get started and the realities of actually operating them become clear.
Yeah. Liability was what came to mind first, but some fumblefingers or even well-intended but broke renter who gets a car apart in a rented slot and then can’t get it back together would be a nightmare.
Important safety clarification: when doing the bolded portion, don’t actually be under the car. 
Frankly if that is NOT blindly obvious from reading it, without the bolding, then you should put down the tools down and step away from the car. You are absolutely not qualified to use any tool more complex than a spoon.
I fully agree with this statement.
I also use blocking. I use short sections of rail road ties and 4X4 lumber to give me an added level of safety. As most folks do, I use jack stands, & then I add blocking close beside the jack stands. While the blocking can get in the way a bit, my life is worth more than the minor inconvenience this costs me.
Have you seen the damage a spoon can do to an eyeball???
Impressive.
However I would suggest to the OP equal results might be obtained from a massive electro-magnet clutching the vehicle above him, so that he can work in piece.
Controlled with a remote, of course.
…and all succeeding comments.
I can still see the 1972 Mustang shell a friend looking for some cheap used part crawled under.
It was on four tall jackstands.
On gravel.
The part was hard to get loose.
I watched the car do the most interesting figure-8 shimmy as he pounded and yanked under there, oblivious to my suggestions that this was A Bad Idea.
Yes, he survived (and got the part) but I think my heart rate has remained slightly elevated for 30+ years now. I still get the willies thinking about it.
I don’t know what kind of tank you drive, but I’m pretty sure if I pushed, pulled, grabbed and yanked on the fender of my little car, I’d be adding “reattach fender” to my repair list.