(12)  Commitments and Contingencies

Operating Leases

TripCo’s consolidated companies have contractual obligations in the form of operating leases for office and warehouse space for which the related expense is recorded on a monthly basis. Certain leases contain periodic rent escalation adjustments and renewal options. Rent expense related to such leases is recorded on a straight-line basis. Operating lease obligations expire at various dates with the latest maturity in December 2030.

TripAdvisor leases approximately 119,000 square feet for their corporate headquarters in Newton, Massachusetts, pursuant to a lease with an expiration date of April 2015. TripAdvisor is currently in the process of negotiating an extension of the lease until mid-2015. TripAdvisor also leases an aggregate of approximately 470,000 square feet at approximately 40 other locations across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, primarily for its international management teams, sales offices, and subsidiary headquarters, pursuant to leases with expiration dates through November 2024. In June 2013, TripAdvisor entered into an additional lease to move its headquarters to Needham, Massachusetts in 2015. The lease payments under the new lease will approximate $9.5 million annually.

TripAdvisor is the deemed owner (for accounting purposes only) of the new building during the construction period under build to suit lease accounting. As building construction began in the fourth quarter of 2013, TripAdvisor recorded estimated project construction costs incurred by the landlord as an asset and a corresponding long term liability in “Property and equipment, at cost” and “Other liabilities,” respectively, in our consolidated balance sheets. TripAdvisor will increase the asset and corresponding long term liability as additional building costs are incurred by the landlord during the construction period. Once the landlord completes the construction of the new building (estimated to be June 2015), we will evaluate the lease in order to determine whether or not the lease meets the criteria for “sale-leaseback” treatment. Upon completion of construction TripAdvisor currently expects that the lease will not meet the "sale-leaseback" criteria. Although TripAdvisor will not begin making lease payments pursuant to the Lease until November 2015, the portion of the lease obligations allocated to the land is treated for accounting purposes as an operating lease that commenced in 2013. TripAdvisor incurred approximately $62 million and $8 million of non-cash construction costs and related obligations in connection with the capitalization of construction-in-progress and tenant improvement costs during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013.

For the years ended December 31, 2014,  2013 and 2012, TripCo recorded rental expense of $22 million, $15 million and $4 million, respectively. The following table presents TripCo’s estimated future minimum rental payments under operating leases with non-cancelable lease terms, including the new TripAdvisor headquarters lease, that expire after December 31, 2014 (amounts in millions):

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

TripCo did not have any other off-balance sheet arrangements that have, or are reasonably likely to have, a current or future effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources.

Litigation

In the ordinary course of business, the Company and its subsidiaries are parties to legal proceedings and claims involving, among other things, arising out of our operations. These matters may relate to claims involving alleged infringement of third-party intellectual property rights, defamation, taxes, regulatory compliance and other claims. Although it is reasonably possible that the Company may incur losses upon conclusion of such matters, an estimate of any loss or range of loss cannot be made. In the opinion of management, it is expected that amounts, if any, which may be required to satisfy such contingencies will not be material in relation to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.