Tenn. Code § 68-111-103
Any tenant or third party complainant may file a complaint with the building inspector of the city or county in which the rented premises are located or with the county public health department in which the tenant's rented premises are located, if the premises are, in the opinion of the tenant or complainant and the building inspector or the public health department, in violation of the minimum health standards and consequently unfit for human habitation. The building inspector or representative of the public health department shall inspect the building facility no later than fourteen (14) days after the filing of the complaint. The complaint shall be in writing, and a copy shall be forwarded by certified mail to the tenant's landlord or the landlord's agent. It shall be a condition of this section that no rent shall be paid to anyone except the landlord until the building inspector or a representative of the public health department agrees in writing with the tenant that the premises are unfit for habitation.
T.C.A. § 68-111-103