When I lived in Florence, I found my place threw a company called YAIF (Your Agency In Florence). Great people with access to a number of fantastic apartments. I was even shown an apartment owned by Salvatore Ferragamo. You can reach them at www.yaif.it

I went to Florence in October and stayed at Hotel Aurora. It was near the railroad station and included breakfast every morning. The suite we stayed in had a refrigerator, sink and 6 burner stove. Be careful of hotels that have an annex, sometimes it’s really far from the reception desk. This place was ok. It was on average 91 euros per night. It was 75 euros during the week.

I usually book through http://www.venere.com (one of the best choices for Italy) or http://www.hrs.com. You should find a place in your price range there. On my trips, I stayed at the Hotel Alinari (http://www.hotelalinari.com/, found through HRS) and the Hotel Alamanni (http://www.hotelalamanni.it/, found through Venere). They’re both decent, centrally located 3-star hotels and cost me about EUR 60 for a double room.

check out http://www.VRBO.com – when we were in Rome we were able to get a whole apartment for 75 euro a night.

When I stayed in Florence last summer, we stayed at the Bellevue House. It costs about 70-100 euros a night. The hotel is pretty close to the train station. However, the best part about this place is the owner Antonio. He will give you a great map of Florence and tell you where to get the best of everything from gelato to attractions. Antonio even got us reserved tickets for the Uffizi for the following day, a feat that isn’t easily accomplished. Check out the review at:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g187895-d280878-r3512269-Bellevue_House_Bed_and_Breakfast-Florence_Tuscany.html

We haven’t stayed there yet, but were amazed to find a nice B&B centrally located in Florence. I’ll have to post my experience after we travel there in April.

http://www.bnb.it/deimori/

They also offer an apartment rental, but it appears to be for larger parties. We did not inquire about it.