Shouldn’t Do This, but…

@rodman99999Thanks for the link but wouldn't just a pair of hospital latex gloves achieve the same purpose?

@rel Been watching ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’. Anyway, I’m certain that the building inspector has been out. Still it does seem odd that I can’t access the breaker box. Either way, I don’t want to start a fight with the landlord. Do people ever think about this before posting advice?

Any chance that you are in a 2 or 3 family house and are renting a created apartment? 
 

That would explain a common fuse box/ breaker panel in the basement and not one in your apartment.  
 

Lotsa luck with this one.  Good chance these were home done renovations without permits.  
 

Rich 

@rar1 The houses are Victorian. Twelve foot ceilings. Possibility they are knob and tube wiring as my previous apartment was wired this way when built in 1887.