accommodation for 7-8 nights in london

Many people use VRBO (vacation rental by owner) and a newer AirBnB.
They both have websites.
I like AirBnB - because you can read many reviews. The guest does a review and the owner of the property does a review of the guest. I have many friends who have use this company all over the world and their only warning is to be sure to read the fine print and rules re use of the property.

I have used cross-pollinate.com. An American couple who live in Rome and run the Beehive hostel, now have listings in London. I have used them numerous times and have been very happy with the ease of renting from them. I looked on the London site and they have a lot of listings in different neighborhoods. There are reviews, photos and maps. The owners of C-P are very responsive to questions and I have even asked for recommendations by email for areas that they don't have listings and they have always come through for me. We last stayed with their lodgings in Spain and leave in a week for Italy where we are using them in Rome, Florence and Venice. Good luck and happy trip

we are leaving next saturday sept 20 for one week using airbnb. we have a week in london, a block away fro leiscester square station, first time visitor. when in october are you going? planning a gin tour with shake rattle and stir cant wait!!! with a day trip to "little venice." hoping to go by train to bath but playing it by ear for rest of week. plan to post our trip to london then our eurostar ride to paris for a week. have fun and enjoy your time there
Princess Pupule

Check out some of the universities and colleges in London. Many rent spare dorm rooms and/or apartments to tourists. I know the London School of Economics does this. Check out their websites
(for dorm rooms) www.lsevacations.co.uk/

(for apartments) www.lsetopfloor.co.uk/ (for apartments)
They have multiple locations around central London. You get access to the student services areas (like the laundry room, lounge with TV, kitchen if there isn't one in your room, etc.). But their websites sometimes have problems with some servers and will indicate that they are all booked up with no vacancies, when there really are vacancies. So if it does that, just call or email them.

Other schools may do this too so check them out to. Just do a search on college rooms for tourists London or similar.

We had a good experience with Home from Home several years ago. Someone met us at the flat and showed us how things worked. They also responded quickly when we lost hot water midway through our 12-night stay. I'm not sure I'd rent that place again but the agency seemed fine (and I didn't find the place in their current listings).

We're also used Homeaway, VRBO, and Airbnb in various US and European cities with good results so far.

Most of the websites let you filter by number of bedrooms and baths, and pinpoint locations on a map. On your budget you're probably looking at one bedroom places or studios. Keep in mind that "first floor" in Europe means what we'd call the second floor.

See if you can get within a few blocks of a Tube station, either on the Circle Line or roughly within the "circle" it makes around the city. Here's a tube map within the useful Transport for London website. Use Google Earth and its street view feature to "look around" the neighborhoods you're considering.

Apartments ("flats" in UK-speak) can be a good choice for a weeklong stay, vs. hotels. You have room to spread out, have some meals "at home," maybe do laundry, sleep different hours if you want, and feel more like you're in a real neighborhood. You don't have a hotel desk clerk to help you get a taxi or tickets or recommend a restaurant, and if something goes wrong you may have to wait for a fix instead of just switching rooms or such. But we'd always choose an apartment over a hotel for more than a few days, especially in a city we already know.

You probably already know it's late to start planning an October trip, but I'm sure you'll find a good place. Sorry I haven't a clue re theater tickets!